Boot Camp not launching Windows XP, please help!

[Yamcha]

Hello!

I just installed VmWare Fusion 1.1, but I can't get into windows with BootCamp. I get a steady _ symbol and it just stays there. I'm using the latest version of Leopard (10.5.2). My system meets all the requirements. Please help! Thank you!

Heres a Screenshot:

Oh and I have tried bootcamp with Parallels 3.0 and it seems to work fine. Appreciate your time and effort! I need a solution to this.

Thanks again!

[biotecchie]

I think I am having the same problem that you are. I have tried installing this in many ways

[Yamcha]

Yeah Im trying to figure out how to fix this!! been a while, Parallels really sucks in comparison so i really want to get this working.

[MandarMS]

Try deleting the Boot camp metadata and recreate the Boot camp virtual machine

Users/User Name/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/ there is a folder called"Virtual Machines" with two folders in that: Boot Camp and Helper. The contents of "Boot Camp" has a folder called "%2fdev%2fdisk..." this is the folder you would delete with the Boot Camp partition metadata files.

once you delete the boot camp metadata restart your Mac system and try running the Boot camp Virtual machine from VMware Fusion Library

[Yamcha]

Thanks for feedback unfortunately it still does the same thing. I have tried this before with Windows Vista and it worked fine, but that was long ago. I installed OSX fresh again.. and instead of using Vista I switched to XP but doesn't work with this.

[MandarMS]

Try following

1) Shutdown the Boot cmap Virtual machine

2) Go to Virtual machine Settings

3) select CD/DVD

4) Uncheck the connected check box

Try running the Boot cmap VM from Fusion Library

[Yamcha]

no luck, do you know if its possible to install Windows Xp through vmware fusion on another empty HD? because I'm thinking I might do that if all else fails.

[biotecchie]

A friend of mine told me that he was able to install it on a separate USB hard drive and port it from one system to another. He has boot camp installed on two computers and simply takes the accessory drive back and forth.

With respect to your "__" blank screen... if you go up to "virtual machine" and pull down "restart guest" it should run throug a routine of several windows very quickly before ending up with this window -- that is IF you are experiencing the same problem I am having.

I have turned on "Enable debugging checks" under Preferences. This slows it down a bit, but it is still very difficult to see the messages as they flash past. There is a way to slow this down... it is on the discussion under advanced fusion... but I have not been able to implement it.

I am wondering if maybe the Windows XP license key i have is no longer valid since I used it to install Windows on my iMAC - where it is successfully running under Fusion...

[biotecchie]

I am using almost exactly the same combination that you are - I am trying to install on MacBook Pro with system 10.5.2 - I am trying to use Boot Camp and/or Fusion along with Windows XP Home Edition - I have the correct package...

I do get some messages (as they flask by at the speed of light!) but unfortunately, they all involve the use of the function keys - which don't seem to be working under the command of the Windows system.

[Yamcha]

thx, I gave it a shot but still same, i did manage to enter vmware bios setup with F2 and attempted to make changes to fix it but I still get the same. I might go for vista on that other drive. Hopefully its worth it because I would hate to format just to use vmware, and on top of that Im not even sure if its any better then parallels in gaming which is where I'm really hoping to see results..

[biotecchie]

OK... Having just spent TWO HOURS with the Mac Genius people out at our local Apple store, I finally got the answer ( I hope!). They were not able to get the Microsoft Windows XP Home edition with Service Pack 2 to boot under Boot Camp or Fusion on my "early edition" MacBook Pro (has Firewire 400 not Firewire 400 and 800 ports) despite having upgraded all of the firmware fixes that they could find. My version of Windows Home Edition XP would boot on a later MacBook Pro and a copy of Windows Professional would boot on my computer. I now have a copy of Windows Professional and will next attempt to install it on my "early Edition" MacBook Pro.

[Yamcha]

Ohh ok, well I am actually running Windows XP Pro Sp2.. 😛 lol, I think I may try installing SP3 on my xp and see if that fixes it.

[biotecchie]

Switching from Windows XP Home Edition 2002 with service pack 2 to Windows XP Professional solved my problem. Fusion is now running properly on an "early version" of MacBook Pro

[lauwearie]

I have exact the same problem on my new Macbook Pro. On bootcamp partition is Windows XP SP2 installled.

Does some one has a solution for this problem!?

Thanks in advance

[Yamcha]

yeah I haven't figured it out yet either.. I may just install vista instead..

[biotecchie]

Not sure what the problem is. The service guys at the Genius Desk managed to get a newer version of MacBook Pro to install Windows XP professional running under Boot Camp and I managed to install it under VMWare Fusion.

[biotecchie]

I think you will have even more problems with Vista. If you follow the instructions for VMWare Fusion, it should boot up - but to be honest, I struggled with this for almost two weeks before changing from a Windows Home Edition XP version to the Windows XP Professional. Luckily because it was a university Departmental machine, I did not need to pay the additional $100 for the higher version!

[Yamcha]

yeah I probably won't do it yet, anyone know if there is a significant difference when it comes to gaming with vmware fusion vs Parallels 3.0?? Thats the main reason I'd like to switch.