Once the correct firmware update is installed, you need to reboot, but not in the usual fashion. For my Mini, I simply go back to the downloads page and scan down for the name of my system. Quit by clicking the “Quit” button, then go to Apple’s Support Downloads and check their Available Firmware Updates list to click directly to the firmware update for your own Intel system. Launch it and it’s quite possible you’ll see the same message I did: Now your first challenge: finding the new installation assistant! It turns out that the program is installed on your computer in Applications –> Utilities –> Boot Camp Assistant. It’s probably the same as your default account password:Ī few seconds of activity later, you’ll have the software successfully copied onto your computer and can quit this first installer. Trust me, you’ll want it!ĭouble-click on the “BootCampAssistant.pkg” icon and you’ll be able to install the Boot Camp assistant:Īs with all Mac software installs, this will require you to type in your administrative password. Your first step, as highlighted in the “Read Before You Install” document, is to print a copy of the Boot Camp Beta Installation & Setup Guide.

Now, download Boot Camp from the Apple site and double click on the “.dmg” disk image that’s dropped onto your desktop. You’ll also need to be able to burn a CD during the process: make sure you have a blank, burnable CD disk on hand.

You can still run an emulator like Microsoft Virtual PC, but it’s an inferior solution and my own experience with VPC has been that it’s glacial and useless for all but the most simplistic of Windows applications. Your first step is to make sure you have an Intel-based Mac: any G4 or G5 Mac will not install Boot Camp and you won’t be able to dual boot into Windows XP.

There’s been a lot written about Apple’s dramatic release of Boot Camp, a free download that lets you repartition your Intel-based Mac’s drive and install Windows XP as an alternative operating system, but even the magazine coverage I’ve seen doesn’t give you screen-by-screen details.

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