Audiomaker
3rd April 2006, 03:55 AM
Hi,
I've been lurking the forum while configuring and reconfiguring and troubleshooting the XPonMBP (MacBookPro 2ghz).
What I've noticed is that information is duplicated and being replicated all over the forum. By the time the experts figure something out, it becomes old news followed by everything turning to acronyms and any non-expert trying to figure it all out is having to hunt the forums.
Of course this will eventually make it to the wiki (whatever wiki stands for?) but for now I thought it would be helpful to be able to place some answers here for the advanced users (yet maybe not experts).
I'll start and describe some things I've noticed from my installations....
1. On the restart-reboot issue...
It would appear that the XP installer can both restart the Macbook and shut it down. Note that in contrast, the installed XP operating system cannot re-start and needs a power button shutdown. For what it's worth.
It seems that XP can shut down the MBP once the intel chipset driver (from the wiki area) is installed.
Just a note, if windows attempts a restart, the HD continues to read/write for a bit after the mouse freezes.... I can hear it, so I usually wait a bit longer or use touch or sound to determine it's done "saving my settings".
2. If you are just getting started, save yourself some time and download all of the drivers (from the Wiki area) for your intel Mac and burn them to CD since you might be doing this a few times. The same goes for other setup programs (AOL...etc). Nice to have the basics on a disc.
3. The debugging looking screen after booting from XP which requires you to hit g<enter> twice appears to be associated with how you install. I had it at first, then it was gone after a complete reformat. The format differences that I made the second time around were that the first partition is MS-Dos and the second is HFS+ (journaled) instead of the other way around. The first time (where I got the debug screen) was 33gb and ntfs and the second install was 30gb (under 32) and fat32.
I don't know if this was the difference but I haven't had the screen back after several re-installs when formatting this way.
By the way, my version of WinXP will not present FAT32 as an option to format if the partition I made for it is over 32gig...which is why I had NTFS
on the first try.
In any case, what works here using OSX Disk Utility is:
1st Partition MS-DOS less than 32gb, Second Partion HFS+ (journaled). XP format as FAT32.
If Windows Setup offers you partitions other than C: to install on (because the EFI is on C:), I've been choosing the correct partition (usually F:) and letting it format that and then forcing a power down once it starts installing the setup files. When I reboot the setup, it then has an addtional partition (about 100mb) but now has C: available. Might be wrong but I've been doing it that way.
4 I would suggest that while you are installing that you turn off all energy saving options (ie, never sleep, never power down drives...etc). First in OSX, then in XP once installed.
It is probably my imagination but I've had the MBP go into what seems like a sleep mode while installing and setting up and have been unable to awaken it. It almost seems like there is a chipset keeping the setting from the other OS. In other words, OSX sets a 5 minute timer to shut down the display but is not passing the expected information to the computer (mouse moves..etc) when between OS's (ie...when installing XP)....and off it goes.
This could be my imagination but I just turn off all the energy saving options now...just in case.
It really feels to me as well that the 2 OS's are conflicting with the energy manegment even when running.... like the last OS's timer instruction is still running and will execute it's mission even with the other OS running unless told otherwise.
I think XP might have some "brownout" function or maybe it's the intel driver, but I've had weird power/battery/shutdown issues.
I notice these especially when I'm going fast on a re-install where I'm shutting down often. It's like the computer thinks it's a lighting storm outside and the power is going on and off and so it protects itself by shutting down and not allowing you to reboot (HD wont spin up).
I say all of this because if I leave it alone for half an hour or so, it seems OK again. I can also force it to reboot if I remove the power and battery.
Something going on here anyway.
5. Wireless driver....
It's a little vague in the forums but installing the wireless driver is a two part process. First you install the driver setup program, then you run the setup. In other words, you are sitting there running the installer program you got from the wiki area and it finishes and you think you're done. Actually you have to go to driver/win/WLLANATH/ and run the setup program in that folder.
I think this has thrown a few people off (including me). This will also re-instate devices that has dissapeared from screwing around trying to manually install them. Choose "Network adapter" when asked.
The a/b/g express driver works fine for me.
6. As soon as XP is running, go to control panel/display/settings/advanced/troubleshooting and move the acceleration slider all the way to the left (off). Not all MAC users know where this is.
7. In "My Computer", don't click USB video. It doesn't work and will freeze you up.
Well that's a start. Any other tips?
I've been lurking the forum while configuring and reconfiguring and troubleshooting the XPonMBP (MacBookPro 2ghz).
What I've noticed is that information is duplicated and being replicated all over the forum. By the time the experts figure something out, it becomes old news followed by everything turning to acronyms and any non-expert trying to figure it all out is having to hunt the forums.
Of course this will eventually make it to the wiki (whatever wiki stands for?) but for now I thought it would be helpful to be able to place some answers here for the advanced users (yet maybe not experts).
I'll start and describe some things I've noticed from my installations....
1. On the restart-reboot issue...
It would appear that the XP installer can both restart the Macbook and shut it down. Note that in contrast, the installed XP operating system cannot re-start and needs a power button shutdown. For what it's worth.
It seems that XP can shut down the MBP once the intel chipset driver (from the wiki area) is installed.
Just a note, if windows attempts a restart, the HD continues to read/write for a bit after the mouse freezes.... I can hear it, so I usually wait a bit longer or use touch or sound to determine it's done "saving my settings".
2. If you are just getting started, save yourself some time and download all of the drivers (from the Wiki area) for your intel Mac and burn them to CD since you might be doing this a few times. The same goes for other setup programs (AOL...etc). Nice to have the basics on a disc.
3. The debugging looking screen after booting from XP which requires you to hit g<enter> twice appears to be associated with how you install. I had it at first, then it was gone after a complete reformat. The format differences that I made the second time around were that the first partition is MS-Dos and the second is HFS+ (journaled) instead of the other way around. The first time (where I got the debug screen) was 33gb and ntfs and the second install was 30gb (under 32) and fat32.
I don't know if this was the difference but I haven't had the screen back after several re-installs when formatting this way.
By the way, my version of WinXP will not present FAT32 as an option to format if the partition I made for it is over 32gig...which is why I had NTFS
on the first try.
In any case, what works here using OSX Disk Utility is:
1st Partition MS-DOS less than 32gb, Second Partion HFS+ (journaled). XP format as FAT32.
If Windows Setup offers you partitions other than C: to install on (because the EFI is on C:), I've been choosing the correct partition (usually F:) and letting it format that and then forcing a power down once it starts installing the setup files. When I reboot the setup, it then has an addtional partition (about 100mb) but now has C: available. Might be wrong but I've been doing it that way.
4 I would suggest that while you are installing that you turn off all energy saving options (ie, never sleep, never power down drives...etc). First in OSX, then in XP once installed.
It is probably my imagination but I've had the MBP go into what seems like a sleep mode while installing and setting up and have been unable to awaken it. It almost seems like there is a chipset keeping the setting from the other OS. In other words, OSX sets a 5 minute timer to shut down the display but is not passing the expected information to the computer (mouse moves..etc) when between OS's (ie...when installing XP)....and off it goes.
This could be my imagination but I just turn off all the energy saving options now...just in case.
It really feels to me as well that the 2 OS's are conflicting with the energy manegment even when running.... like the last OS's timer instruction is still running and will execute it's mission even with the other OS running unless told otherwise.
I think XP might have some "brownout" function or maybe it's the intel driver, but I've had weird power/battery/shutdown issues.
I notice these especially when I'm going fast on a re-install where I'm shutting down often. It's like the computer thinks it's a lighting storm outside and the power is going on and off and so it protects itself by shutting down and not allowing you to reboot (HD wont spin up).
I say all of this because if I leave it alone for half an hour or so, it seems OK again. I can also force it to reboot if I remove the power and battery.
Something going on here anyway.
5. Wireless driver....
It's a little vague in the forums but installing the wireless driver is a two part process. First you install the driver setup program, then you run the setup. In other words, you are sitting there running the installer program you got from the wiki area and it finishes and you think you're done. Actually you have to go to driver/win/WLLANATH/ and run the setup program in that folder.
I think this has thrown a few people off (including me). This will also re-instate devices that has dissapeared from screwing around trying to manually install them. Choose "Network adapter" when asked.
The a/b/g express driver works fine for me.
6. As soon as XP is running, go to control panel/display/settings/advanced/troubleshooting and move the acceleration slider all the way to the left (off). Not all MAC users know where this is.
7. In "My Computer", don't click USB video. It doesn't work and will freeze you up.
Well that's a start. Any other tips?