[lgb]

Ok - so no one has replied to my original post, so let me ask a more specific question:

I have the Dell Mini 10v (Nickolodeon) and I updated XP to Win 7 Professional and everything's working great. Can I format a partition for SL while in Win 7? How would you recommend I do this and what would I do next? Please note that I have an external DVD drive and flash drives as well. I would really appreciate some help. Thank you.

[Oscar]

It's not really that clear cut. OSX needs GUID partitioning scheme, not the MBR that Windows uses. Once installed, however, you can clone OSX and restore it to an MBR partition, and it'll work fine. Check out the dual boot section of the forum for more info.

Cheers.

O.

[lgb]

Thanks for the reply, Oscar. I'm gonna try doing this tonight using the guides - it just kinda sucks because there are so many guides with conflicting and/or out-of-date information. I plan to use one of mechdrew's guides in combination with "OS X Install on Dell 10v with Existing XP" (although, I think I'll try to find a method which incorporates the boot drive selection screen - anyone know of a good guide to use? Will Chameleon do this automatically?).

Anyone's welcome to provide words of wisdom (and prayers) for me to use tonight... wish me luck!

[lgb]

Hi again - I keep looking at all the guides and there is just SO much to sort through that I find that I'm getting more confused.

Oscar, or other wise one/s: once I have the NBI (current version) and SN USB's ready to go (per Mechdrew's instructions), exactly when and how do I clone the OSX and restore it to an MBR partition? I have been reading the dual booting section, but I cannot locate the specifics for this step - all help is welcome!

[pokenguyen]

Boot from Mac OS in your USB drive, open Disk Utility then erase the Mac OS partition using Mac OS Extended format. Then, install Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper in MacOS, use it to clone USB drive to your Mac OS Partition. Finally, Run NBI and install it to Mac OS partition.

[Oscar]

i do realize some of this information is not as straight forward as one might like sometimes. and there is so very much of it. so i'll try to clarify some points for you.

while dual booting, and triple booting (my own 10v runs SL/Win7/Ubuntu) is useful, and interesting, it does create some unique problems. I've seen guides that suggest installing SL over Win7, and others say they've accomplished Win7 over SL.

what none of these posts seem to disclose, is that whichever way you go, the least troublesome way is to START FROM SCRATCH. these means that at some point you have to wipe out your drive completely. which also means that you MUST have install media for both OSs.

However, while I was thinking of your situation, I realized that there is a work around.

Here's what you'll need:

1. 10v, already running Win7, and with an extra partition for SL
2. Snow Leopard installation media, (i believe you are using a flash drive)(btw.. this little key will be very useful through out, as it will allow you to boot into either OS even if and when neither OS will boot without it)
3. an external harddrive that you can erase, and partition (*alternately, you can use a second, large USB stick -16gig min- but it's slower.

Here's How I would proceed at this point:

start your 10v using your Osx install drive. once you get past the language option screen, go to Utilities/ Disk Utility. Select your external drive, and click the partition tab. create 2 partitions(volume sheme); make one of them small, say 15 gigs--this is where you'll install OSX to. On the bottom, click options and make sure GUID is selected, and that you are formatting as Os X Extended Journaled. Apply, and wait for the process to complete.

Once you've done that, you can quit disk utility, and continue the installation. Select the small partition you created on your external drive as your destination. and proceed normally through the install.

When the install is done, reboot using your SL Install Drive go back into Disk Utility, select the small partition of your external drive (where you installed SL) click the restore tab. Drag that partition into the Source field, and the partition of your MINI's drive (where you want SL to end up) into the Destination field--needless to say be very careful to choose the correct partition in this step, otherwise you might erase your Win7 install. Hit restore, wait around for a bit........ and you're done...................... except for the part where you have to make sure everything runs.

At this point, before doing anything else, startup into Windows 7. You need to make your SL partition active... ( Mark a partition as active ).

once this is done reboot your computer (leave your SL install drive plugged in, as this has the boot loader, unplug the external drive, as you won't need that). on the OS selection screen, choose your newly installed SL on your MINI. Go through the set up process....

you'll find SL works remarkably well. but there's a few things you need to fix. Open the applications folder, find Netbook Installer, and run it. The most important thing is to install chameleon. But at this point I'd just run it without changing any fields. Once that's done, eject your USB stick, cross your fingers, and reboot. you should be starting up in OS X SL.

Notice that this method makes SL your default OS. To startup in Win7, just interrupt (press any key) the startup when you first see the Harddrive icon appear, and you will be presented with an option to boot from either OS.

I know this was a lengthy post, but I hope it'll help.

Cheers.

O.

I've written up similar replies to other posters before, some i don't know what happened w/ them either they gave up, or figured it all out.....
so let me know how it turns out.

[lgb]

Thanks so much, Oscar. These instructions seem VERY clear. I have re-written them (and added a couple of things at the beginning) to better help me perform the steps (see below).

I have just 3 questions (at this point):
1. What size should I make the partition in Win 7? Should it be half of my available HDD space, or the same size that I will make in the External HDD?
2. When would you suggest I add Chameleon?
3. If something does go wrong, do I need to change the BIOS to boot from external CD drive so that I can reinstall Win 7?

I think you've really presented a very clear and concise guide here - Thank you!!!

My breakdown of your procedure+

What you'll need:

1. 10v, already running Win7, and with an extra partition for SL

2. Snow Leopard installation media, (i believe you are using a flash drive)(btw.. this little key will be very useful through out, as it will allow you to boot into either OS even if and when neither OS will boot without it)

3. An external harddrive that you can erase, and partition (*alternately, you can use a second, large USB stick -16gig min- but it's slower.

How to proceed:

A. Change BIOS to boot from USB
B. Insert SN OSX install USB Flash drive
C. Plug in external HDD

1. Start your 10v using your Osx install drive. once you get past the language option screen, go to Utilities/ Disk Utility.
2. Select your external drive, and click the partition tab.
3. Create 2 partitions(volume sheme); make one of them small, say 15 gigs--this is where you'll install OSX to.
a. On the bottom, click options and make sure GUID is selected, and that you are formatting as Os X Extended Journaled.
b. Apply, and wait for the process to complete.
c. Once you've done that, you can quit disk utility
4. Continue the installation.
a. Select the small partition you created on your external drive as your destination
b. Proceed normally through the install.
5. When the install is done, reboot using your SL Install Drive
6. Open Disk Utility
a. Select the small partition of your external drive (where you installed SL)
b. Click the restore tab.
c. Drag that partition into the Source field
d. Drag the partition of your MINI's drive (where you want SL to end up) into the Destination field--needless to say be very careful to choose the correct partition in this step, otherwise you might erase your Win7 install.
e. Hit restore, wait around for a bit........ and you're done...................... except for the part where you have to make sure everything runs.

7. Startup into Windows 7.
8. You need to make your SL partition active... (see below).
9. Reboot your computer
a. Leave your SL install drive plugged in, as this has the boot loader.
b. Unplug the external drive, as you won't need that).
10.On the OS selection screen, choose your newly installed SL on your MINI.
a. Go through the set up process....

D. You'll find SL works remarkably well. but there's a few things you need to fix.

1. Open the applications folder
2. Find Netbook Installer, and run it.
a.The most important thing is to install chameleon. But at this point I'd just run it without changing any fields.
3. Once that's done, eject your USB stick
4. cross your fingers, and reboot. you should be starting up in OS X SL.

E. Notice that this method makes SL your default OS. To startup in Win7, just interrupt (press any key) the startup when you first see the Harddrive icon appear, and you will be presented with an option to boot from either OS.

[Oscar]

>1. What size should I make the partition in Win 7? Should it be half of my available HDD space, or the same size that I will make in the External HDD?
2. When would you suggest I add Chameleon?
3. If something does go wrong, do I need to change the BIOS to boot from external CD drive so that I can reinstall Win 7? <

1. what size this partition should be is up to you (half/half, maybe). you can repartition your drive within win7, but it's limited. i recommend you use a different utility. i used Easeus Partition Master home edition, and that did the job nicely.

2. Netbook installer will install Chameleon when you run that.

3. Right.

I left this out because i figured you've ran across it in your own search; in bios, turn legacy usb on, and i think there's options for bluetooth (if you have that) and wifi in bios also, make sure those are on.

[lgb]

Thanks, Oscar...

Frustrating evening.... So I am anxious to get this project completed, but after numerous tries, and tons more reading and research, I simply cannot get my Dell mini 10v to boot from the USB drive. Late this evening (for now it is very early this morning!), I found this website which has provided me an inkling of hope (even though it doesn't provide me with the exact file/s I need):how install OSX 10.6.2 on an regular PC « OSX86SV
The hopeful thing was that I did effectively boot from my dvd/cd drive and the iso image of the boot cd actually did work - however, when I was prompted to input the retail OS and did so, the mini seemed to try to read it, but ultimately gave up and just booted on through to the HDD. I suspect this might have to do with the fact that that file was for a different version of SN??

Can anyone direct me to a place where I might get the correct iso file from which to boot my retail disk? I think this is the best solution at this point - right?