Uno Question

badd · #1 08-10-2009, 04:24 PM

No not the game silly...
I installed OSx86 formatting my drive completely. I was wondering if there was any way I could install Vista again without destroying my Hard Drive.

Its an HP tx2500z Laptop.

Thanks,
Brandon

Imkantus · #2 08-10-2009, 09:17 PM

After disbaling the Journal, you can resize the OS X Partition using parted, easiest to do so would be to use gparted Live CD, which contains a graphicals frontend for this tool.

Then install Vista, after that the MBR is overwritten by the Windows Setup, but you should be able to boot into OS X again by using the rd=diskXsY Parameter at the DVDs prompt, from there on you can Reinstall a Bootloader, I recommend to use Chameleon, which should make you able to boot both OS again.

Good Luck!

badd · #3 08-10-2009, 11:15 PM

I hate to be a noob, but you lost me at the use the gparted live CD.
Ive only been using the piece of crap mac for 3 days.

If you could go into noob detail, you would be my god.

Thanks

PS. This forum is waaaay better than insanely mac

Imkantus · #4 08-10-2009, 11:49 PM

Well OK, I will try to do so.

First to disable the Journal, what is necessary to resize, open Terminal and hit the following:

Code:

sudo diskutil disableJournal /

Later when you are finished you can reactivate this feature again by using "enableJournal" instead.
Then use parted or gparted from some Linux CD System, like the one I recommend above to resize.

In the space you set free with doing this you can create your NTFS Partition for your new Windows Installation.
When you now install Windows onto this new partition, the part of the OS X Bootloder which is present in the Master Boot Record will be overwritten with Windows Defaults, due to that you are no longer able to boot into OS X again - just Windows only.

From there on you have the option to install some Bootloader which supports both Systems (like Chameleon), what I would recommend you - or there are even some solution which make you able to add OS X to the Windows Bootloader (which I haven't tried personaly as I am no Windoze user) - this is your decission.
Installing Chameleon is easy - graphical installer guiding you step by step - and for howto boot into your System by using the DVD just hit the rd=diskXsY parameter on google, you'll find explained on how to do that.

You might have trouble with this and that, as this is some more complex procedure, if so try to descripte your problems with as many details as possible & I am sure a solution will be found.

badd · #5 08-11-2009, 03:34 AM

You are my god.