back to article Apple (finally) boot camps Windows 7

Apple has released an update for its Boot Camp utility that lets you install Windows 7 on your Intel-based Mac. But install at your own risk. As we reported earlier this month, Apple missed its self-imposed deadline of the end of 2009 to release the software update required to dual-boot Mac OS X 10.6 (aka Snow Leopard) and …

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  1. Sarah Baucom
    Jobs Halo

    Required?

    "As we reported earlier this month, Apple missed its self-imposed deadline of the end of 2009 to release the software update required to dual-boot Mac OS X 10.6 (aka Snow Leopard) and Windows 7."

    I've been using Windows 7 and 10.6 on my Mac Pro for months now without problems. Boot Camp 3.1 is definitely not required to dual boot. I believe it's just the first officially supported version. I just checked, and I have 3.0.1.

    1. John 62

      me too

      And I was using Windows 7 before I got 10.6. Don't know if I can be bothered dual booting for long though. I'll likely get me a cheapish PC before the RC version expires. Hibernating rather than shutting down would be much handier, but I don't think I can be bothered to make it work (and I've read that it's potentially a bad idea).

      To be honest, though, about the only reason I use Win7 is for Visual Studio. I've tried it in a VM (with Virtual Box) but it was a bit slow, and switching input between OS X and the VM was a pain. And with Virtual Box the display was only 1024x768, which isn't ideal for a MacBook, particularly in a window.

  2. Jason 6
    FAIL

    Borked

    Well, just downloaded it via Software Update on Windows Vista x64 and the install froze and Vista elected to kill the process for good measure.

    Downloaded and tried to install it manually with the same result. Looks like my almost brand new 15" MacBook Pro won't be getting the 7 treatment any time soon.

    I wonder if anyone at Apple actually bothered to test this?

    1. Pandy06269

      Keyword: Vista

      "Looks like my almost brand new 15" MacBook Pro won't be getting the 7 treatment any time soon."

      Windows 7 is so much better than Vista - I believe this "Vista update to unmount read-only Mac partition" isn't required in Windows 7.

      I've been running 7 in both dual-boot and with Fusion since 7 was released, it's much more stable than Vista ever was on a dedicated laptop.

  3. Daniel Bennett
    Stop

    But I already have Win7.

    Apparently I have to reinstall Win7 for this?

    Which is slightly pissy me off... Considering each install uses up a key.

    Upgrade plzkthxbai.

  4. Irish
    WTF?

    What's new?

    Like Sarah I too have had Windows 7 Pro 32 bit installed dual book with Snow Leopard for a while, better still I have had Magic Mouse working on Windows 7 as well. I've had no problems with Windows, granted the Magic Mouse was slightly more complicated to get going but it works well.

    So I'm not sure of the benefits of installing this update, I'll give it a miss until the number of reported problems drops a bit. Then perhaps a clean install of 64 bit Ultimate is on the cards...

  5. John 62
    Gates Halo

    3.1.1?

    3.11 will be the version that really takes off. Don't wait for 95.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don't know what the fuss is about...

    Been using Win7 ultimate 64-bit and snow leopard since release on (new) macbook pro 17". Worked out of the box - all facilities are available (USB, firewire, fast GFX), never crashed! (unusual for windows).

    I wasn't even aware that you couldn't install win7. Ignorance is bliss...

    1. Michael C
      Unhappy

      works for me too, with caveats

      Win 7 works in Bootcamp fine. Had it under 10.5, as a parallels bootcamp partition, updated to 10.6 all works fine; except the trackpad sucks, volume is muted, and nVidia card is not detected. Have to play video games inside Parallels virtual machine instead of native on Win7. THAT is an issue, and I'm glad Bootcamp is now supporting 7. I just hope a re-install of 7 is not required... Don't want to waste the key.

  7. An nonymous Cowerd
    Stop

    today's Security Update 2010-001

    which I installed on its own has stuffed my 2006 10.6.2 macbook pro into a continuous reboot & "no-entry" sign. Repair attempts say No valid packages detected, which may mean the 600meg BaseSystem.pkg hs been moved/disabled. It's now a complete re-install of Snow Leper, BEFORE I can get anywhere near the Bootcamp update. some low level of complaints that MBP & iMac may have been affected by the sec update. Some users report total satisfaction. As a sys-admin I have however issued the CAUTION CAUTION DO NOT notice for todays offerings.

  8. mccp

    Works for me

    I installed Win7 on Bootcamp 3.?? a couple of weeks ago on a new Macbook Pro 15 (the cheap one with only one graphics processor) and it worked perfectly - even across a hard disc upgrade where I cloned the Win and Mac partitions to a bigger drive.

    I just downloaded and installed Bootcamp 3.1 - it updated my graphics driver, updated Bootcamp Services, made a couple of strange beeps and restarted Windows.

    Alles gut so far.

  9. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!
    Go

    Interference?

    "or if those Mac users who have experienced problems have something else mucking up their systems."

    Don't be silly. That simply doesn't happen with Macs*

    *pre-emptive snarky rejoinder: "it does when they have Windows installed...!"

    (PS: Running Windows 7 on a desktop Mac @ work, using Boot Camp 3.0. Works fine. Has for a week. No, I did not choose this configuration!)

  10. Bilgepipe
    Gates Horns

    VMs

    I prefer keeping Windows in a Fusion VM. Not only can I run multiple instances, but I can also, when I get fed up with it, get rid of it with a single click.

  11. Pandy06269
    WTF?

    Fine here

    Working perfectly fine here WITHOUT the update. I don't know why this is even newsworthy, and even less why the need for the *finally* in the title, as Macs have run Windows 7 perfectly happily since the day it was released (and probably before.)

    I'll be installing the update tonight just because I like to keep up-to-date, not because my Windows 7 isn't working.

  12. Fractured Cell
    Megaphone

    odd:

    Win7 (rc1) worked out of the box on an old version of Boot Camp from 2008, once I had installed the drivers from my OS X DVD, no more issues.

    And only NOW they have the gall to tell me it's supported.

    MALE COW FAECES SAYS I!

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