Installing XP on Macbook Air?

Six6siX · 7 Mar 2008 at 10:18

Run into a bit of a problem trying this...

Set partition size using BootCamp to 32GB for Windows but then on restart, the machine won't boot from external CD drive - it just sits and flashes apple logo -> question mark folder -> apple logo etc.

The CD drive is just a regular LG USB one.

I also tried using rEFIt as an alternative boot manager, it detects the windows cd in the drive on the boot menu but when you select it to boot, it comes up with an error message about the firmware saying that booting from external hard drives is not well supported...

Have done a bit of reading around and it seems that this will only work when booting from an air superdrive???

Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks

Six6siX · 7 Mar 2008 at 12:50

LordSplodge said:
You need to boot from another computer with the Apple CD Sharing software/option installed.

I dont understand...

Six6siX · 7 Mar 2008 at 13:24

MagicBoy said:
Suspect it will only work using the official Apple drive.

Try holding down the C key while booting up, that may work.

Tried the C key.

£70 for a drive which will only work on the Air is a bit much...

Bit extreme but taking the drive out and installing it in another mac, then installing XP, then putting it back in the Air and fudging the install was an idea I had...

Six6siX · 7 Mar 2008 at 14:54

Will_3rd said:
You tried installing the airdisk software on another computer so the Air can share that computers optical drive?

Surely being software it wouldn't allow you to boot from the cd?

Its been sorted anyway, superdrive was the way to go unfortunately.

Six6siX · 7 Mar 2008 at 23:08

Bootable ey? Funky. Shall remember that for next time