Problem trying to run Windows XP Pro SP3 RC1 installed in Bootcamp Partition

[hondo21]

My first post here. I am completely new to Mac and now VMWare Fusion, so I know little. Need a little guidance please.

Background: I recently purchased a new iMac (OS X 10.5.1, 2.8 GHz, 4GB RAM installed). I wanted to load my old retail Windows XP Pro to run via Bootcamp. Found out that I needed at least XP SP2, which my original disc didn't have. So I set about to create a slipstreamed installation disc with SP2 and I discovered that all the post-SP2 updates are now available in an SP3 Release Candidate file. So I downloaded the SP3 file here and successfully created the slipstreamed installation disc with help of some web tutorials. XP Pro SP3 is now successfully running via Bootcamp. I have not yet activated my Windows for this Mac. It's still also loaded on my old Dell PC until I can finish offloading stuff from that machine. I have no software installed in Windows yet. Just a new, clean installation. No opportunity for any viruses, etc.

So now I purchased Fusion and am having a problem trying to create the virtual machine from the Bootcamp partition. I get the error message "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." (see attached screen capture tiff file). Sounds ominous. I tried shutting down and restarting, still won't work. I tried deleting the library Bootcamp metadata per some instructions I read searching here. Still won't work.

So what am I doing wrong? Does Windows need to be activated? (doesn't seem like that should matter) Any suggestions greatly appreciated, and please be explicit in directions. As I said, I'm a true Mac/VMWare newbie.

EDIT: I'm sorry, somehow I was in the wrong subforum for this I think. Should be under VMWare Fusion section. I'm a dope. Please move.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Your post has been moved to the VMware Fusion forum.

Dave Mishchenko

VMware Communities User Moderator

[adamjones]

It's kind of dumb, but either

a) Boot the VM into XP CLI only mode (completely forgotten it's name!!) and run chkdsk across the virtual HDD

b) Preformat the virtual HDD before you start the install

[rcardona2k]

You could try to make your own "Boot Camp" partition VM. What you can do is copy the virtual hard disk files that point to the Boot Camp partition and go through the new machine wizard and use the option that says you have a pre-existing virtual disk, then you may avoid problems with pre-processing or the last power states.

The steps are:

1. Open the folder with the Boot Camp partition VM, in the Finder: Go > Go to Folder... > ~/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/Virtual Machines/Boot Camp, then open the %2Fdev%2Fdisk folder.

2. Open the Boot Camp partition bundle package contents and copy Boot Camp partition.vmdk and Boot Camp partition-pt.vmdk to your Documents > Virtual Machines. Use option in the Finder to copy, (I don't recommend moving the files)

3. Start the New Virtual Machine Assistant (File > New), then on the Virtual Hard Disk screen, open Advanced disk option, check Use an existing virtual disk, pick the copy of the Boot Camp partition.vmdk in Documents > Virtual Machines. You don't have to pick or worry about Boot Camp partition-pt.vmdk

4. After the VM is created you'll want to add these two settings in the configuration (.vmx) so you're protected from possible corruption like with the real Boot Camp VM:

suspend.disabled = "TRUE"

snapshot.disabled = "TRUE"

After this you should be able to access your Boot Camp partition. NOTE: you will still be asked for the OS X password to access the Boot Camp partition with read/write access, this not avoidable without more work.

[hondo21]

Okay, thanks for the replies. I was away for a few days and couldn't work on this problem. Still no success.

adamjones - I'm not sure exactly how to do what you suggested with the CLI. I tried to boot into "Windows with command prompt" but I get the same error.

rcardona2k - thanks for the detailed step-by-step instructions (even though my Mac newbie status still required me to figure out a few things you took for granted). Anyway, I did all you said but hit a couple forks in the road which I had to make a decision. Step by step:

1. Okay, done.

2. Check, done.

3. Check, but after creating the VM I was presented with a question about keeping or converting the disk to the newest format (see attached screen grab vm-grab.tiff). I have done it both ways and it didn't seem to matter. Neither worked in the end. The current one installed is "converted."

4. After I figured out how to edit the .vmx file (with textedit), I inserted those two lines (see attached vmx.tiff).

Result: I still get the same exact blue-screen error message as attached in my original post above.

Any other things to check or suggestions to try? Thanks very much.

[hondo21]

Still haven't solved this problem. Any help out there? Thanks.

[rcardona2k]

Do you need Windows XP SP3? Install Windows XP SP2 in Boot Camp and let VMware prep it, then patch it with Windows Update, upgrade to XP SP3 with your download and activate it at your convenience.

Or since you know about slipstreaming you can download the VMware SCSI driver floppy and slipstream it into your XP-SP3 disc and perform a Windows repair installation in Boot Camp.

Good luck

edit: Expanded "patch" to "patch with XP SP2 Windows Update patches, then upgrade to XP SP3"

[rcardona2k]

I tried what I said above by starting with what i had in Boot Camp: XP SP2, saved a backup of it with WinClone and applied XP SP3 first in Boot Camp, and it worked both in Boot Camp and Fusion Boot Camp partition. I restored XP SP2 with WinClone, applied XP SP3 while booted in Fusion Boot Camp and that works in both environments. Here's a pic of XP SP3 in Fusion Boot Camp.

[hondo21]

Thanks for the suggestions. No, I don't really need SP3. It's just that when I went to create the XP SP2 slipstream disc I saw that SP3 RC1 was available so I figured I'd just try that first instead of having to worry about all the post-SP2 security patches. I also have read posts here that SP3 works with Fusion, but perhaps that was not as an initial installation.

Anyway, when I get some time at home I'll go back and create and SP2 slipstream install and try what you've done. What's the best way to eliminate my current Bootcamp partition and start all over? I haven't really done anything in Windows just yet so there's nothing I lose by starting over again.

[rcardona2k]

To start over use the Boot Camp assistant to remove the partition and re-run the Boot Camp installation wizard. It will re-create your partition and get you started with the OS installation process. Starting with a supported configuration will give you a greater chance of success. You will be able to skip most of the SP2 patches by immediately applying SP3 after installing the Boot Camp drivers. I also recommend installating VMware Tools first, then apply SP3. This is how I was successful. Thanks to you my Boot Camp partition is now my official SP3 RC1 test machine.