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Windows on Macbook Air

post #1 of 7
1/19/08 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
How do you load Windows on a Macbook Air-with no optical drive
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post #2 of 7
1/19/08 at 12:04pm
  • Kickaha
  • Really Fast Typing Member
Remote Disk, just like you would reinstall MacOS X.
My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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post #3 of 7
1/19/08 at 1:04pm
Wouldn't the optional optical drive work? Or any other external optical drive? Does Windows require an internal drive to install?
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post #4 of 7
1/19/08 at 2:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post

Remote Disk, just like you would reinstall MacOS X.

It seems the software uses Netboot to allow booting wirelessly. The MBA is the first Mac that lets you use Netboot wirelessly and the software that runs on the optical drive host runs a Netboot server:

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?...80118143319155

Whether or not it allows you to boot a Windows disc isn't clear though. I imagine they'd have tested that. Since they adjusted the EFI firmware, maybe they've changed it to allow booting Windows from a USB drive, which Windows typically won't install with.

I guess it's down to someone to try it out.
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post #5 of 7
1/20/08 at 12:30pm
I was aware that Windows won't install TO a USB or FireWire hard drive, but I always assumed it could install FROM a USB disc drive to an internal hard drive. Is this not the case?
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post #6 of 7
1/20/08 at 6:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karelia View Post

I was aware that Windows won't install TO a USB or FireWire hard drive, but I always assumed it could install FROM a USB disc drive to an internal hard drive. Is this not the case?

absolutely can. People have even done it from a bootable flash drive. This is what people are doing with the Asus eee pc.
:-D * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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:-D * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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post #7 of 7
1/21/08 at 3:39am
Why would you buy one of these pancake laptops in the first place?
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