Dual Boot OS X and Windows XP Working on Mac Mini

Posted by jonathan on March 18, 2006

Ok, it took a couple of tries to get it all nailed down, but here’s the main points:

  • Internal drive partitioned for OS X and XP

  • xom.efi bootloader installed and blessed
  • Windows XP SP2 (Orange and White) patched with OEM xom screen driver
  • Windows XP installed ok
  • Chipset driver installed
  • Yukon drivers (gig ethernet running)
  • Wireless drivers (running - IBM driver)
  • Airlink 101 USB wrireless also running
  • Sound installed (but not tested)
  • Video is unaccelerated, but good enough for serious work, not gaming.
  • Shutdown/Restart hangs (though disc sounds like it parks)

Ok, if anyone was hanging around waiting for someone to confirm that this works on a Mac Mini, then here’s the news, it works! And it works pretty good.

I’ll update with links to the various resources, but the main resource I used was:

Windows XP on a Mac [onmac.net]

Mac Mini-Specific Problems and Solutions

- Not seeing the boot-prompt:
Did you copy the xom.efi file onto your OS X partition, and correctly bless it? See the text instructions in the patch.

- Seeing only the crystal Apple logo:
Hit down arrow and return to boot the Windows partition.

- Windows starts to boot, then looks like it hangs:
Give the enter key a stab. There may be a prompt in there we’re not seeing.

- My partitions got messed up:
Following the instructions about partitioning in OS X. You may need to repartition in OS X if you mess it up.

- Windows XP installer hangs at copying files on 0% progress:
Reboot back to OS X and set the screen resolution to higher than 800×600. This resolution is adopted and ‘fixed’ by the xom framebuffer, and can’t (yet) be changed in Windows. I set mine to 1400×1050@85 which is working great in both Mac OS and Windows XP. Files will start copying now. Just reboot to the XP disc, no need to go through the OS X reinstall again.

- Many missing drivers:
Driver Wiki is here.
Support forum is here.

- Screen redraw is very slow:
Turn *off* hardware acceleration in the troubleshooting tab of the Windows XP display properties dialog. Go figure! You can also look at how the xom.efi stuff presents itself as a driver. Hint: it’s the silent type.

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