Mac book pro / boot camp "answers" for dummies

Question

I followed the Installation and Setup Guide word for word...there were just a few words missing that really made it difficult, caused much frustration and almost had a mbp fly out a car window. I am a dummy!
Always print off the Guide and read it first, I read it as I went along and that was a mistake.
Step 1: Updating Firmware
My MBP arrives June 19 and already had the firmware updates. I did need to update OSX to 10.4.7.
Step 2: Download Boot Camp
Visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/
Click download. (here is where the installation guide failed to mention some key instructions) Before you can "Burn a Macintosh CD" you must follow the next few steps.
a.) Agree to terms
b.) Select the Macintosh HD
c.) When its done downloading double-click the package icon on your desktop
d.) Put in your blank recordable cd, go into your HD, Applications, Utilites folder, double-click the boot-camp icon.
e.)This is where the installation guide picks up the rest of the instructions. A screen comes up that allows you to burn a macintosh driver cd. Follow the instructions in the guide.
Step 3: Creating a partition
In the guide they don't mention FAT or NTFS formats until after you create the partition. That was dumb! (if you read all the instructions first, instead of following along you would have partitioned differently)
a.) FAT-Provides better compatibility, but must be 32 GB or smaller...now you tell me!
Step 3 continued: Selecting the Windows partition
Here they scare the crap out of you by telling you not to do anything other than select the C drive.
a.) The first screen that comes up is the Windows XP Professional Setup, looks like the one in the Guide but without an option to select C:Partition3. Your only option was to "Install". My jaw dropped..now what??
b.) Click install, the next screen gives you the options. (boy, I was lucky)
c.) Remember what I said about the size of your partition and FAT vs NTFS
Step 4: Installing Macintosh Drivers
They mention here that there "may be" hidden windows that you must respond to or nothing will happen, THERE ARE GOING TO BE AT LEAST 3 HIDDEN WINDOWS....just be aware of that so your not sitting like a dummy waiting for stuff to happen
The rest of the Guide is pretty word for word and easy to follow. Good Luck, hope this saves you some of the frustration I experienced, boy, do I feel dumb!
Simple things you may need to know...
1. "Right-click" by holding the control (ctrl) key and click the mouse at the same time.
2. Select operating system by holding option key at start-up
3. Back up your domain files if use iweb or else you will lose it all....talking from experience here!
Good Luck

Answer 1

Very nice write up.Should help more than a few dum...er,uh...people.
Jim
PowerBook G3 500 Mhz "Pismo" (Wonna buy it so I can get a MacBook?)   Mac OS X (10.4.7)