[MrTfromPV]

mfruit, thanks for the update on how you did your install.

I did mine something similar (after reading your post), I had XP already working. I redid the OS X install & ran the DellEFI 1.1 script and . . . it's alive!

Thanks to all for their hard work on this!

[mfruit]

From this message...

my-xp-osx-dual-boot-saga,-with-a-happy-ending%C7%83-t7169.html

...it sounds like this thread is very dated now.

Highlights:

1. Use DellMiniBoot123 instead of Type11 disc.
2. No need for EFI partition.
3. XP can be installed in partition 1 and OSX in partition 2.
4. Use DellEFI instead of manually copying kexts.

Edit: Looks like a custom installer is still needed.

[jeddeth]

Originally Posted by mfruit

1. Created modified OSX MBR Installer on USB HD using G5.

thank you for this amazing tutorial, after a few weeks of dual boot failures, I hope this will finally get me going. One silly question, what is "G5"?

[mfruit]

Originally Posted by jeddeth

thank you for this amazing tutorial, after a few weeks of dual boot failures, I hope this will finally get me going. One silly question, what is "G5"?

That's a PowerMac G5, the older PowerPC-based Mac tower system. I used it to create the custom MBR installer so I could skip one of the install steps in the original guide. Here's what should happen if you install XP first and then OSX second (using two partitions instead of the three outlined in the OP):

Hardware: Mini 9 with 32GB SSD. G5 with 10.5.6. USB-DVD. USB-HD.
Software: DellMiniBoot123v8.02b1 CD. GParted CD. OSX 10.5.6 Install DVD. XP Install CD. DellEFI 1.1.

1. Create modified OSX MBR Installer. (I used a USB HD & a G5, if you don't have access to a Mac, you have to use the steps outlined in the OP and install OSX twice on the Mini.)
2. Boot from DellMiniBoot123 on the Mini and point to the USB-HD's modified OSX Installer for booting. (You can also just boot from the install DVD but it's faster to use the USB-HD.)
3. Used Disk Utility to wipe SSD and create 2 partitions (partition 1 should be NTFS, partition 2 should be HFS+). Make sure the disk is MBR and not GUID.
4. Boot from XP Install CD and install XP into 1st partition.
5. Boot to make sure that XP loads from the SSD.
6. Boot from DellMiniBoot123 on the Mini and point to the USB-HD's modified OSX Installer for booting.
7. Install OSX on the 2nd partition. It will fail at the end.
8. Boot from GParted and made sure that the 2nd partition is marked "boot".
9. Boot from DellMiniBoot123 and point to the SSD for booting. Give it the "-f" option (not sure if you need this flag).
10. Complete OSX setup and then run DellEFI 1.1 in the default config. Bootloader should install now.
11. Boot to make sure that the bootloader loads and you can boot from either OSX or XP.

Look at that other thread for an alternate way of doing the install. This particular way is simply what worked for me given the hardware that I had access to.

[jeddeth]

G5 Power Mac, duh. I knew that was a silly question. This is my first mac in a loooong time, I am not familiar with the product lines. Sorry about that.


Could anyone be kind enough to write a step by step tutorial on creating a modified OSX MBR Installer? I have OSX running on my mini now, so I could use that to create the installer on a usb hdd. I also have an external dvd drive, a mac osx dvd, the DellMiniBoot123 cd, gparted (although I'm not 100% sure how to use it correctly), and my dellxp dvd. I think I am ready to go, but creating the process for creating the modified OSX MBR still eludes me just a bit.

Thank you guys so much!

[mfruit]

Since you already have OSX running, you should probably just image your install and then restore it once you've partition your drive. Look at the other dual boot thread for details.

my-xp-osx-dual-boot-saga,-with-a-happy-ending%C7%83-t7169.html

Otherwise, to create the modified MBR installer, just follow the OP starting here:

"Once this is completed eject both the DVD and the USB Key . Then plug the USB key back in (this makes sure it mounts with the right volume name). On your desktop create a new folder and call it OSInstall."

[Cyborgmatt]

If I already have OS X installed on my mini, is there a method to partition the drive off and install Windows? or would I need to go for a full fresh reinstall? thanks.

[mechdrew]

Originally Posted by Cyborgmatt

If I already have OS X installed on my mini, is there a method to partition the drive off and install Windows? or would I need to go for a full fresh reinstall? thanks.

Run the Mac OS X Installer again, and use Disk Utility to make a backup image of your drive (select the Mac OS partition, and then hit the little white button at the top right of the window, and then select New Image) to an external disk drive. Then, run the steps in order to install Windows, and when all is said and done use Disk Utility again to restore it to the empty partition. Run DellEFI and you're done!

I did this again last night with Windows 7, all I had to do was set up two partitions with Disk Utility, reformat the first one in Windows 7 and install to it, restore the Mac OS partition to the 2nd partition, and then run DellEFI 1.2 alpha 5, which has it's own dual-boot loader. Flawless!

[bouldermk]

Maybe this is a really dumb question, but after one installs OS X, is there any reason why one couldn't just run Apple's Boot Camp Utility to establish a separate Windows partition and then do the xp installation?

Thanks!

Mike

[mfruit]

Originally Posted by bouldermk

Maybe this is a really dumb question, but after one installs OS X, is there any reason why one couldn't just run Apple's Boot Camp Utility to establish a separate Windows partition and then do the xp installation?

From what I understand, Boot Camp doesn't work on the Mini 9 OSX setup. If it did, why would all these dual boot threads exist?

I believe it relies on a hybrid GPT/MBR setup that the latest Intel Mac firmware can utilize but the Chameleon bootloader can't.

http://refit.sourceforge.net/myths/