Windows XP Professional w/Mac BootCamp

**TestudoAubreii** · June 14, 2007, 09:41 AM

Greetings,

I'll try to get to the point; here is my situation: I installed boot camp to my iMac. On the partition created by boot camp, I installed my Dell oem Windows XP and it works fine...except for the fact that I cannot activate it. I just purchased Windows XP Professional and after reading up on it, it turns out that this will work with boot camp. This may sound completely novice, but that is what I sort of am right now; do I have to uninstall the Dell restore version or can I just install WinXP Pro on top of it? Second, I have RTW and MIITW installed. Do I have to have to unistall them and if so is it possible to save the patches, saved games, etc.? Finally, can I even install games on WinXP Pro?
I would really appreciate any and all advice that I can get. I am really trying to take the path of least resistance (although with these questions, it probably seems the opposite). A thousand thanks.

Best regards,
morrisonicus

**Cataclysm** · June 14, 2007, 05:06 PM

Re-install XP? Yeah, you can. Right over the old one, too. Everything will be annihilated, though. If you can, I think you can find the saved game files somewhere and copy them to a flash drive or somesuch.

I dont know how to do it on Boot Camp, but I expect it's not difficult or much more different than on a PC.

**TestudoAubreii** · June 15, 2007, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Cataclysm

Re-install XP? Yeah, you can. Right over the old one, too. Everything will be annihilated, though. If you can, I think you can find the saved game files somewhere and copy them to a flash drive or somesuch.

I dont know how to do it on Boot Camp, but I expect it's not difficult or much more different than on a PC.

Thanks for your response. At this point, I do not mind losing what I have on their, I am over it all ready. As long as I can install XP Pro over home edition without uninstalling boot camp, I am happy. I'll just have to bit the bullet and install all my games over again. However, I will try to save my saved games elsewhere. I wish I could do that with the patch and the mod as well. Thanks again.

**spartan_phalanx** · June 15, 2007, 09:06 AM

You can copy the patch files and mod install files, as well as the mod saved games. You just need a large enough Flash drive.

**TestudoAubreii** · June 15, 2007, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by spartan_phalanx

You can copy the patch files and mod install files, as well as the mod saved games. You just need a large enough Flash drive.

Thank you. I just had an idea, so let me run it past you guys, if you don't mind. Before I install WinPX Pro, Is there any way to just move the entire game (mod, patches and all) to an external hard drive, without having to uninstall everything? If I can do that, then I wouldn't have to worry about anything. All I really us it for is games. Thanks again.

morrisonicus

**Zuwxiv** · June 15, 2007, 09:42 AM

The problem is, games use more than just the immediate files in that folder. Information about the game is inside your registry, including information about its version. If you were to try to update it, the updater wouldn't even know you had a copy of Rome or Medieval installed in the first place.

*** Personal experience.

***

Anyway, I would just bite the bullet and install again. If you look in your C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome Total War folder (I think it is Activision), you can find the folders you want. Just copy the "Saves" folder to a CD or flash drive, and in a few hours of reinstalling windows, and reinstalling your games you should be fine.

I should know, my new computer is sitting unused because I messed up my partitions. I decided it was a good chance to get Vista and ordered it, but until it gets here my drive is basically empty.

**TestudoAubreii** · June 15, 2007, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by Zuwxiv

The problem is, games use more than just the immediate files in that folder. Information about the game is inside your registry, including information about its version. If you were to try to update it, the updater wouldn't even know you had a copy of Rome or Medieval installed in the first place.

*** Personal experience.

***

Anyway, I would just bite the bullet and install again. If you look in your C:\Program Files\Activision\Rome Total War folder (I think it is Activision), you can find the folders you want. Just copy the "Saves" folder to a CD or flash drive, and in a few hours of reinstalling windows, and reinstalling your games you should be fine.

I should know, my new computer is sitting unused because I messed up my partitions. I decided it was a good chance to get Vista and ordered it, but until it gets here my drive is basically empty.

Thanks you very much. I'll re-install everyhting. At least it is the weekend for me.
I know it was answered, but I want to be 100% sure I am doing this correctly. So, I can just install my copy of XP Professional over my XP home edition, eventhough home edition has not been activated and it is a Dell oem?
I really appreciate the help from all of you.

morrisonicus