Filed under: Switchers, Features
My Dad, the Switcher: Day 140
Yesterday, Robert talked about setting up a new Mac Pro for his switcher Dad. Today, setting up Windows proves to be a bit of a headache.
When I mentioned to my best buddy Cameron that Dad was getting a Mac Pro to replace his just-months-old Mac mini, he said "Wow. He sure moves quickly when it comes to toys!"
That he does. Just three or four months ago, he had bought his Mac mini. Now here we were, installing Windows on his tricked-out refurb Mac Pro.
This was proving to be a problem. For me, mostly.
He wanted to install Windows XP Service Pack 2, which, as far as we knew, would work fine. We started Boot Camp Assistant, and printed out the instructions. We had a whole 750GB hard disk to give to Windows, so we chose it and were restarting into that purgatory of Windows Setup in DOSville.
After loading its various components ("Human Interface Parser" was our favorite), Windows Setup displayed the volumes available to install Windows, but our newly-created Boot Camp partition wasn't listed. Uh oh.
Windows Setup desperately wanted us to reformat the C: partition as NTFS. Dad wanted to be able to read and write to the Windows partition from his Mac, and I thought Mac OS X couldn't read and write NTFS partitions. So that was out.
But, according to Windows Update, it was our only option. Stymied!
Dad and I took a break and sat down for some lunch. After we ate, he posited: "I bet it's because the partition size is too large for FAT32." We thought on that for a while. It turns out, FAT32 can support partition sizes up to 2TB, but the cluster sizes get larger, and therefore make it inefficient for use on large disks. Regardless: Windows Setup wouldn't be able to create a partition that large.
I called Cameron, who happens to be the bossest IT pro I know. He said that we should have no problem using NTFS. It works with Boot Camp, it works with Parallels, and -- best of all -- you can still read and write to the volume using MacFUSE. Nice.
Away we went with a single huge NTFS partition, then, and all was well. When the Windows Setup process completed, Dad went on to install his Mac Pro's drivers from the system restore CD, and install Parallels, too. Shoot -- he hardly needed me at all.
Then, blissfully, this email:
There's still a little more work to do: He wants to migrate his old Windows system over using Parallels Transporter. Once that's done, he can get rid of his old PC, and move the Mac Pro into its place. Sure, it means rearranging his desk a little (the Mac Pro's a little taller than his old PC).
All told -- for Dad, it's been pretty easy going as a Mac owner for 140 days and counting. Now, though, it's down to work.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
YodaMac said 1:16PM on 3-13-2009
Not sure your MacFuse link is working....
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h.lalancette said 1:25PM on 3-13-2009
The link for macfuse:
http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/
Joseph Crawford said 1:21PM on 3-13-2009
There is a utility you can install to make OS X read/write NTFS you can find it here http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/
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Patriks7 said 5:22AM on 3-14-2009
Yeah that's a great one. I use it as well because I had problems getting the other ones set up.
EMoShunz said 1:45PM on 3-13-2009
you had me worried it was a bad ending yesterday... sneaky guy.
i'm more of a vmware fan, having been introduced to it first years ago under linux... so maybe it's a non-issue but,
why worry about such a large windows partition when you can enable read/write to your mac volumes? why not just store files there and use a minimal xp install footprint?
i'm sure there is a valid reason, i'm just curious, not criticizing.
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Robert Palmer said 2:06PM on 3-13-2009
Unfortunately, a "minimal" XP install is almost impossible when you're installing Microsoft's developer tools -- he still uses the PC for Windows development. While it's not 750GB, the whole shebang (along with his projects and stuff) is more than 32GB, and thus too big for FAT 32. Truth is, Dad said "I haven't used FAT32 in 10 years."
My worry was that NTFS and Parallels weren't going to like each other, but my buddy Cam set me straight on that one.
And yes, there are tools for Windows that read Mac disks ... I don't really have a reason why he shouldn't install them, other than I'm just not as familiar with the Windows side as I am the Mac side.
EMoShunz said 2:23PM on 3-13-2009
that makes sense. i had such a hard time trying to get ntfs working, i just didn't bother, and vmware gave me an easy drop folder... then again, i haven't used visual studio or the msdn in 6 years, so ms is a work only choice for me except for the 3 programs i use on windows (1 being star trek botf) which total a big ol' install of less than 4.7gb.
can't wait for my dad the switcher day 215: upgrade to 32gb ram, and high end video editing :)
beans said 3:44PM on 3-13-2009
I'm not a techy guy by any sense of the term, but couldn't you have split the drive into a few partitions, one for XP and applications that was small enough to allow fat32, the rest for general storage in whatever, and just install xp on the small partition? I know the issue was resolved, but just wondering.
also, when I first saw this my dad the switcher thing, I thought it was rather pompous, self centered, and out of place in a blog like TUAW...but then I started reading it and found myself drawn in. Good job.
Topher said 1:48PM on 3-13-2009
Good for him.
I am not a fan of Parallels, though I have never tried Crossover or MacFuse
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Alex said 2:23PM on 3-13-2009
Sorry for off-top... What's pictured on that email message screenshot? That's definitely not Mail... I suppose it is MobileMe web interface (which I've honestly never seen alive), but the screenshots I've found online look almost exactly like Mail, while this one is different. I'm intrigued...
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Mike said 2:46PM on 3-13-2009
Methinks it is Postbox Beta. I use it, great interface, plus it works with Hotmail. It's the best email program I've ever used.
Alex said 3:12PM on 3-13-2009
Mike,
That sure looks like it. Thanks for pointing in the right direction!
Greg said 6:23PM on 3-13-2009
apparently robert's dad signs his emails, "steve' instead of "dad" lol....just teasing, it's probably just a signature but i found it slightly humorous
chris said 2:44PM on 3-13-2009
Drop Parallels and go with Vmware Fusion, it will blow his mind :)
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Jon said 3:39PM on 3-13-2009
I was under the impression that Macs could read NTFS-formatted disks out of the box (but not write to them) - is this not the case?
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Keenkreations said 4:45PM on 3-13-2009
It is true that a Mac can natively read from NTFS drives, it is always nice to have write access too. I personally use NTFS for Mac....great easy little program.
unseelie23 said 4:15PM on 3-13-2009
While it's true that FAT32 supports up to 2TB, Windows does not support installing to FAT32 for sizes larger that 32GB.
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phermas said 9:57PM on 3-14-2009
How come your Dad doesn't sign his emails Dad? Are you guys on a first name basis?
Pat
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robogobo said 7:06PM on 3-13-2009
I still say overkill. If you need both OS X and Windows in the field, fine, install them on your laptop. But at home, it's a waste of energy and money to run a $5000, 300 watt machine, when you could have two smaller, cheaper machines and a dual input monitor. It's a terrible example to potential switchers who already think Macs are overpriced.
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Kbick675 said 6:21PM on 3-13-2009
$5000? I was just on the apple store and priced out a machine I would like for $3500.
But I don't see why having two machines is even a good idea. Two boxes takes more floor space, adds more cables, and in the end isn't the same performance. And performance is the whole point of the Mac Pro.. is it not?
Cheap machines are just that, cheap. You get what you pay for.