Windows 7 Dual Booting Windows 7 on Mac: Experiences, Tips, and Troubleshooting

[justondean]

This thread is for those of us Mac users that happened to install a dual boot of Windows 7 Beta.

I'm all about trying out new stuff, and I also like to keep a working copy of windows with me.

My hope is that there are others out there like me trying out Windows 7 dual booted on a Mac.
I will attempt to log back here every so often to update problems i'm having with Win7 on my Mac.

My list so far goes:

1. Apple's bluetooth Mighty Mouse Worked without even having to add a new bluetooth device.
2. I couldn't gain access to Time Capsule's hard drive until I went to use the backup feature. When selecting a
network place to backup to I was able to connect to Mystie, after that it seems that I can access the hard drive.
3. I inserted the MacOSX install disk, ran the setup.exe. Bootcamp control panel seems to have installed along
with the necessary drivers for the hardware (i.e. bluetooth, webcame, etc).
4. Mouse doesn't work anymore...trying to add bluetooth device. Not working.
5. I just had that 'vista' watchdog popup asking me to 'allow or deny'...HAHA!
6. Just ejected the MacOSX install disc using only the Eject Button on the keyboard!
7. The two -finger scrolling works on the trackpad, as well as the two-finger click to right click.
8. Windows 7 must not be able to use the speakers or headphone jack as no sound can be produced.

9. And I've noticed a weird red glow emanating from the headphone jack. Something to do with the sound problems?
10. I played around with the 'sleep' stuff on win7. Very impressive for windows, but still 3 times longer than
Mac's 'stand-by' mode when closing the lid.
11. Oh, yeah. Installed Guild Wars and have been playing it. Great game, and it's running great on here. I still
keep the graphics turned all the way down for performance but they looked good turned up. STILL NO SOUND!
12. I'm keeping the 'taskbar' on the bottom because it's basically serving as my Dock. I'm pinning all my common
programs to it so that they're only one click away. The 'start' button is just like the Apps stack on my OSX
Dock, I only click it when I'm looking for a less commonly used app (oops, program).

13. This isn't really about Win7 really, but why is it so hard for Microsoft to make an OS than can read from any
harddrive? I just think that my computer should be able to read ANYTHING that I plug into it. I suppose
Apple has brain-washed me into thinking that IT SHOULD JUST WORK.
14. Just found this on microsofts website (my comments in quotes)

Top 10 things you can do with Windows Vista "now that they copied MacOSX"
​

1. Find that file in a few quick clicks "OSX feature is Spotlight - first and better because visa search is
​

slow"
​

2. See everything you have open at a glance "OSX feature is Expose - ?first? and better because vista lags"
​

3. Keep photos organized—and ready to share "OSX feature is iPhoto- better"
​

4. Create a custom movie without a fine arts degree "OSX feature is iMovie- better"
​

5. Keep track of your music—and play it anywhere "OSX feature is iTunes - better because WMPlayer doesn't
​

organize coherently"
​

6. Surf multiple waves of the web at once "OSX feature - better because IE is super slow"
​

7. Record and watch TV on your time - If your PC has a TV tuner, you can "A mac could do this too"
​

8. Bring your TV and PC together—and take home entertainment to a new level "If you can manage to network
​

it all together"
​

9. Keep the things you need most at your fingertips "OSX feature is Widgets - first maybe better"
​

10. Help your kids stay safer "OSX feature is Parental Controls - better"
​

15. I've noticed the speed of Win7, but I also immediatly noticed the lack of adware, spyware, and other forms of
crapware. I personally wouldn't mind installing win7 when it comes out IF THEY KEEP CRAP OUT OF IT. One of
the biggest problems I kept encountering on OTHER PEOPLE's windows machines was sluggishness and lack of
response. I really feel that it was due to the crapware that came on their machines. Since I would randomly
reinstall everything after wiping the hard drive I was less prone to the effects.
16. I just got my first "Not Responding" issue. I am using ZOHO to create spreadsheets on the web. I was trying
to copy a selection of cells from one sheet to another. I began deleting info from cells quickly which I think
made the browser quit responding.
17. I keep noticing how much more I like the sound from my Macbook here on Windows 7 BootCamp than on the Mac side.
I wonder if reinstalling the Audio drivers on the Mac side will improve the performance?
18. And to explain #17, I finally got the sound working. Link Here.

19. I just got bluetooth working. I finally gave in to the general consensus that I had to unpair my Mighty Mouse
from OSX. I restarted into OSX and removed my mouse from the bluetooth preferences pane. Reboot to Windows 7
and Add a Device to the bluetooth popup screen. It found it, and installed it, and now it works.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've been actively exploring and troubleshooting your Windows 7 dual-boot setup on your Mac. Here's a summary and some insights on the points you've raised: 1. Bluetooth Mouse Compatibility: Apple's Bluetooth Mighty Mouse worked seamlessly without the need for additional setup on Windows 7. 2. Accessing Time Capsule's Hard Drive: Initially, you had access issues but managed to connect after using the backup feature. 3. Boot Camp Installation: Running the setup from the macOS install disk allowed you to install the Boot Camp control panel and necessary drivers for hardware components. 4. Mouse Connectivity Issue: You faced problems with the mouse not working, and attempts to add it as a Bluetooth device weren't successful. 5. User Account Control: Encountered UAC prompts similar to those in Windows Vista. 6. Ejecting macOS Install Disc: Managed to eject the macOS install disc using the keyboard's Eject button. 7. Trackpad Gestures: Two-finger scrolling and right-click through gestures worked on the trackpad. 8. Audio Output: Windows 7 had issues with using the speakers or headphone jack for sound output. 9. Strange Glow from Headphone Jack: Noticed a peculiar red glow from the headphone jack, possibly related to sound problems. 10. Sleep Mode Comparison: Windows 7's sleep mode performance was impressive but not as quick as macOS standby mode. 11. Gaming Experience: Installed and played Guild Wars successfully, albeit with graphics settings adjusted for performance. Sound output was still problematic. 12. Taskbar Customization: Used the taskbar similar to macOS Dock's functionality for quick access to pinned programs. 13. Compatibility Concerns: Raised the difficulty of Windows OS recognizing all external hard drives, highlighting the expectation of seamless integration similar to Apple devices. 14. Comparison to macOS Features: Found a list on Microsoft's website comparing Windows Vista features with macOS counterparts, expressing preferences for macOS tools. 15. Windows 7 Performance: Appreciated Windows 7 speed and lack of adware/spyware, emphasizing a preference for a clean system. 16. Application Freeze: Encountered a "Not Responding" issue while using ZOHO for web spreadsheet work, possibly due to rapid changes in data. 17. Audio Improvement: Noted better audio performance on Windows 7 Boot Camp compared to the Mac side, considering driver reinstallation for potential enhancement. 18. Sound Issue Resolution: Provided a link to a blog post detailing how to resolve the sound issue on Windows 7 Beta. 19. Bluetooth Setup: Successfully configured Bluetooth by unpairing and re-adding the Mighty Mouse as a device in Windows 7. It's great to see your efforts in exploring and documenting your experience with Windows 7 on a Mac. If you encounter further challenges or have more updates, feel free to share them here for assistance or discussion!