[mdaura]

I have a MacBook (13"). I bought Windows XP Home Edition with service pack 2. Full version, not an upgrade.
I installed Boot Camp then chose the option to install Windows. Put the XP CD in as instructed and clicked Install. I got an error message that said there was no installation disc in the drive. Wait a few seconds and try again.
Well, I have tried and tried and each time I put the XP disc in the drive it's as if my computer doesn't even know a disc is in there. It doesn't start running or anything. I tried another disc just to make sure my CD drive is working and it turned on and read the cd just fine. It just can't read the XP CD.
Does this make any sense? I'm not sure if this is an issue with my computer or with the CD. If it is the CD I am dreading the many hoops I'll have to jump through to get a new disc. Should I try the store where I bought it or call Microsoft directly? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[maflynn]

Lets go after the low hanging fruit first.
Are you running on the latest version of OSX 10.4.6?
Did just download bootcamp, or install then run boot camp assistant (that is found in applications->utilities). How large of a XP partition do you choose?
I'm not questioning you knowledge but lets get the easy stuff out of the way.
Do you have access to a PC, that you could reboot that computer with the install disk in the drive. If it boots up then that means the disk is good.
Also try booting up the MB with your install disk, if it reboots into the installer then you know you don't have an issue with the drive.

[mdaura]

I am running OSX 10.4.6.
I downloaded boot camp,installed boot camp, then ran boot camp.
My XP partitian is 10 GB.
I burned my Mac Drivers CD no problem.
run Boot Camp, Click Install Windows, insert my XP home CD with SP2 as instructed.
The CD drive doesn't seem to even "see" the cd I inserted then spits it back out 1 minute or so later.
I just put the XP CD in a PC computer and the CD worked fine.
Is there another way to install Windows on my Mac?
Am I doing something wrong?

[mdaura]

Also, the error message I get indicated that the XP disc is not a boot disc.

[zarmanto]

In reply to:

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Also, the error message I get indicated that the XP disc is not a boot disc.

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Did you try to boot off of the disk in the PC, or did you just insert it with Windows already running? Because if it's not bootable, then you may have an upgrade CD after all, and not an installation CD... or if it's a burned copy, then the person who burned it for you may have not known how to correctly copy a bootable installation CD -- you can't just copy over the files on the disk; you have to give the CD a valid boot-sector as well.

[mdaura]

I have an original, full version Windows XP cd.
Here's an update... I took my new computer (the one Apple Store swapped out for me a few days ago) back to the Apple store yesterday because by the time I got it home it could no longer "see" the XP CD.
Well, the Mac Genius wiped off my XP CD and huffed some hot breath on it, put it in my computer and it read it! I couldn't believe it was working.
So, before leaving I try installing it with Boot Camp...the XP is again unreadable.
After several hours at home I remembered that he fogged it up with his breath... so I tried it.
Guess what... my MacBook could the disc as long as it was fogged up. Of couse, this doens't last long. As soon as my fog disappears so does my MacBooks ability to read this XP disc. So I still can't get through an installation.
How do I make a bootable copy of this disk? I've tried nlite0S, but it's not working. I must be doing something wrong. What is the easiest way to make a boot copy of this XP disc?

[macbooker]

I too would like an answer to this problem. My MB just won't read my brand new, never-been-used Windows XP Home SP2 disc. What is the best way to get around this problem? I have access to both a PC and another Mac, what options do I have to make a bootable Windows CD to use instead of the offical disc?
Please help!!

[MacBookZebra]

If you are running with a "standard user" account, try switching to an admin account.
I was having the same problem - XP disc appeared on the desktop and I could open the disc to view the contents, but Boot Camp wouldn't recognize it as an installer disc. I had just used it two days before to reinstall XP on a PC, so I knew it worked as a bootable disc. How frustrating!
After trying several other things, including burning another copy of the XP disc, I tried switching to the admin account on my MacBook (like a good, security-conscious boy, I've made my primary account a "standard user" rather than an administrator). I fired up Boot Camp, hit the "install windows" button, put the disc in and poof, the installation process actually started. Windows is now installed and running well.
Just another thought/thing to try.

[mikejb]

I have a simular problem with XP on Bootcamp. I actually managed to install XP SP1, but the macbook p[ro refuses to run the SP2 file. It keeps saying it needs 4mb of extra disk space to run SP2 - there's actually over 3gb spare!
Anyone any ideas?
Someone suggested it might have to do with the fact that Bootcamp runs the initial boot not windows and SP2 doesn't like it.