Problems with XP in VB on Macbook 10.5.6

Discussions related to using VirtualBox on Mac OS X hosts.
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Problems with XP in VB on Macbook 10.5.6

Post by Stefandrews »

Hi,

This is my first post on these forums. I have had problems installing XP SP2 via bootcamp, so thought I would try using a VM. I have installed XP absolutely fine but I have a few questions that I would be grateful to have answered.

Firstly, my macbook is obviously widescreen, but I can not get XP to give me a widescreen desktop, only standard display square (can't remember the proper term). How can I do this?

Also, I only really wanted Windows to run Championship manager 2008 and a few other programs, but when i insert a disc into my macbook it is not recognised in XP. Could someone point me out in how to sort this out?

Lastly, if anyone could help me out with my problems with bootcamp I'd be grateful. I used the bootcamp utility to install windows as instructed, the first section went smoothly, but then when windows reboots to do the set up of XP itself, it doesn't reboot into XP, only starts the installer again, installing XP over itself.

I'm extremely new to running XP on my mac, as I only installed it today. I really appreciate any help.

Thanks,
Stef Andrews
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

You should install the guest-additions, then you will have widescreen.

Use Toast or harddiskmagagementtool to build an image from your disc and mount it to the vm.

Before rebooting XP under Bootcamp you should remove your install-cd.

If you press and hold the alt-key while the mac restarts, you can choose the volume from which the mac boots.
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

Hi, thanks for your reply. After reboot with bootcamp (having just tried again) I have to force eject the windows disc, and then booting the windows partition shows this on the screen:

Disk Error
Press any key to restart
_*flashing*

pressing any key does not restart the computer.

Having force shutdown the computer using the power button, rebooting into OSX shows that there is something on the Bootcamp partition:

Image

Also, where can I find the guest additions you mention? It is not just the CM2008 disc it does not recognise, but any disc inserted into the disc drive of my macbook (cubase and others).

Once again thanks for your reply tkwm.
Stef Andrews
baf
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Post by baf »

Guest additions: With your xp running menu Devices->Install Guest Additions.

Bootcamp: Is this a genuine Xp or a rescue cd ? It feels like some kind of botched install to me. Have you retried the full install ?
Some say: "You learn as long as you live".
My way: "You live as long as you learn".
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

Baf, thanks for the guest additions bit, that's great. It's a full XP SP2 install disc, not a recovery disc etc.

Thanks,
Stef
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

If you can see your Bootcamp-partition from within Mac-OS-X and havn't installed Paragon-NTFS-driver or Fuse-3g, your Bootcamp partition isn't NTFS-formated, but Fat32-formated. You should repeat the XP-setup from CD, but let the setup format your Bootcamp-partition as NTFS.

Your boot.ini should read:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
but without Paragon-NTFS (a commercial product) or Fuse-3g (freeware) you will not be able to see or edit the boot.ini from within OS-X!

But you can see and edit the Bootcamp-partition with a linux-live-cd like knoppix or a windows live-cd like Bart-PE.

//Edit: The last two sentences are more confusing than clearing. Repeat the setup from CD, let the setup format your Bootcamp-partition as NTFS, then it should work.
If not, and only if you can't see the content of your Bootcamp-partition from within OS-X, follow the instructions in the last two sentences.
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

tkwm wrote:your Bootcamp partition isn't NTFS-formated, but Fat32-formated. You should repeat the XP-setup from CD, but let the setup format your Bootcamp-partition as NTFS.
Thanks for your very informative post. I'm a bit confused by this though, as when I am given the option of how to format my bootcamp partition I have selected "convert the partition to NTFS" from the menu:

Format the partition using the NTFS File system (Quick)
Format the partition using the FAT File system (Quick)
Format the partition using the NTFS File system
Format the partition using the FAT File system
Convert the partition to NTFS
Leave the current file system intact

as it is my understanding it is more secure for the windows partition this way.

I have now deleted my bootcamp partition and will try again.

Thanks,
Stef
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

To be sure that you will not format your OS-X partition you will have to choose "Device 0 Partition 3" (? Datenträger 0 Partition 3 in german) in the XP-setup. Than you can choose "Format the partition using the NTFS File system" without a danger.
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

Thanks for your help, I'll hopefully let you know soon that it has worked!
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

When you have finished the xp-setup, put in your OS-X systemdisc, and the windows-drivers for the Mac-hardware will be installed automatically.
Stefandrews
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Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

Hi again,

thanks for your help (again!). I am having more troubles, but think it may be hardware at fault. about 5 minutes into the XP Setup (I was not correctly formatting the bootcamp partition before) I get this message:

An error has been encountered that prevents setup from continuing.

Setup failed to install the product catalog. This is a fatal error. The setup log file should contain more information.

*Set up log file reads:*

Error: the signature for Windows XP Professional setup is invalid. The Error code is 800b0100.

No signature was present in the set up.

Now, a little bit of research behind the error code shows that this may be a hardware fault (RAM has been mentioned on a few of the sites I have seen). But this Macbook is less than 5 months old, so should be fine, right?

Many thanks, this is a steep learning curve, as I've never installed XP before, and was hoping it'd be rather like installing OSX where you click start and it does it! But then again, this is micro$oft!
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

Never have heard about this error before. Is it a legale version? If so, the reason for the error MIGHT be that you already have activated it under virtual-box. ???? I'm afraid I can not help you on this.

You can use Apple-System profiler to see if your ram is OK. Click on the Apple-logo in the upper-left corner, choose About this Mac and then More Information.
You also can do a hardware-test, by pressing and holding the key D while your apple starts. Then choose the simple or the extended hw-test. If your RAMs are defect it will be displayed.

Do you have upgraded your Macs RAM by yourself? Not every available RAM with the necessary specs really works. One company often mentioned to work is Crucial.

The meaning of your words "(I was not correctly formatting the bootcamp partition before)" is not really clear to me, do you have formated the bootcamp-partition at this last attempt the way I adviced you?
If not, this MIGHT be the reason.

I had no problem in installing XP-Pro, oh yes, is it XP-Pro? Because XP-Home does not work under Bootcamp.

Hmmm. Unsatisfying situation.

If you post more details, I'm sure we'll find a way to solve your problem, though this is no Bootcamp but a VirtualBox-forum.

My local time now is 3 in the morning and I will be tommorow evening back here in the forum to see what you have posted ...
Gorem
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Joined: 4. May 2008, 15:14

Post by Gorem »

Stefandrews wrote: Format the partition using the NTFS File system


as it is my understanding it is more secure for the windows partition this way.

I have now deleted my bootcamp partition and will try again.

Thanks,
Stef
Highlighted above is the option I'd choose because the formating of that Boot Camp partition is necessary BEFORE Windows moves into the HDD portion of its setup (that or Fat32 as others have suggested).

Boot Camp partition needs to be formatted correctly before it can be properly booted......let Windows Setup itself format your BootCamp drive as NTFS.
Stefandrews
Posts: 8
Joined: 7. Feb 2009, 19:47

Post by Stefandrews »

tkwm wrote:Never have heard about this error before. Is it a legale version? If so, the reason for the error MIGHT be that you already have activated it under virtual-box. ???? I'm afraid I can not help you on this.

You can use Apple-System profiler to see if your ram is OK. Click on the Apple-logo in the upper-left corner, choose About this Mac and then More Information.
You also can do a hardware-test, by pressing and holding the key D while your apple starts. Then choose the simple or the extended hw-test. If your RAMs are defect it will be displayed.

Do you have upgraded your Macs RAM by yourself? Not every available RAM with the necessary specs really works. One company often mentioned to work is Crucial.

The meaning of your words "(I was not correctly formatting the bootcamp partition before)" is not really clear to me, do you have formated the bootcamp-partition at this last attempt the way I adviced you?
If not, this MIGHT be the reason.

I had no problem in installing XP-Pro, oh yes, is it XP-Pro? Because XP-Home does not work under Bootcamp.

Hmmm. Unsatisfying situation.

If you post more details, I'm sure we'll find a way to solve your problem, though this is no Bootcamp but a VirtualBox-forum.

My local time now is 3 in the morning and I will be tommorow evening back here in the forum to see what you have posted ...
I understand this is a virtualbox forum, and my original question did relate somewhat to VB.

As I said before, when windows asks how I want to format the partition, with the list below, I have always chosen 'convert to...' but last night, I chose 'format the partition to ntfs' this let me get through theinstallation, and into the set up, when the error message occurred.

Format the partition using the NTFS File system (Quick)
Format the partition using the FAT File system (Quick)
Format the partition using the NTFS File system
Format the partition using the FAT File system
Convert the partition to NTFS
Leave the current file system intact

Yes, I am using XP-pro, and it is a legal version. The RAM in my machine is the RAM installed from Apple, it has not been upgraded at all.

Thanks for all your help.
tkwm
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Post by tkwm »

I have done some searching on the web and, yes, some people reported that it was faulty RAM.

My advice:
Check your RAM with Apple system-Profiler and Hardware-Test (see above).
If Hardward test shows you any errors you should cary your Mac to a Certified Apple Service. When it is only 5 month old you still might have guarantee.

You also can check if your Ram fits properly or if it is loose.
If you have 2 Rams installed you can change them, but you have protect your mac against electrostatic shock. In your manual it is described how to do this.

If you will do another attempt to install XP, I advice you to
- delete the bootcamp-partition from within mac using harddiskmanagementtool,
- clean your xp install-cd with a soft cloth,
- disconnect any connected devices like external hd's and so on,
- repeat the whole process, run Bootcamp from within Mac OS-X
- let the XP setup format your Bootcamp-partition as NTFS.

If you really had faulty Rams, you also would have errors within Mac-OS and Hardware-test would fail.

Good luck!
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