Windows XP Booted on Intel Macs

By Geoff Duncan Published March 17, 2006

A challenge to successfully dual-boot Windows XP and Mac OS X on Apple’s new Intel-based Macintosh computers has been met by two enthusiasts known only by the online handles Narf and Blanka. Although the news broke slowly and via questionable images posted to the photo sharing site Flickr, Narf and Blanka’s feat has now been confirmed, and the two have won a pool of $13,854 prize, made up of individual donations.

The dual-boot contest was launched by Mac enthusiast Colin Nederkoorn, who seeded it with $100 of his own money; as speculation grew, so did the contest pool.

Recommended Videos

Rumors and speculation about dual booting Apple’s new Intel-based Macs under both Apple’s Mac OS X operating system and Microsoft’s Windows XP has been rampant ever since Apple announced a switch to Intel processors in mid-2005, although technical expert had deemed the feat unlikely due to core technical differences between Apple’s systems and everyday Intel-based PCs. Apple’s Macintosh systems use EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) rather than standard PC BOIS: EFI is a BOIS replacement developed by Intel in the late 1990s which can initialize hardware before an operating system is loaded. Only 64-bit versions of Windows currently offer explicit support for EFI. Microsoft recently stated Windows Vista wouldn’t work on Intel-based Macs, except for possibly the server version of the forthcoming operating system, due in 2007.

Although more-streamlined solutions are expected to be developed from Narf and Blanka’s solution, in essence, the winning workaround involves using a Windows PC to create a custom Windows XP boot disk on which several of Microsoft’s original files replaced with versions patched by Narf. The user then installs Windows XP onto a customized disk partition on the Mac. The technical Web site ArsTechnica has posted a summary of the solution; appropriate materials are currently available for download from the contest site. Although the legal ramifications of altering Microsoft’s XP installation discs aren’t clear

Former Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Deepfake bosses are crashing video calls, and researchers are trying to expose them

Seeing your boss on video no longer proves they are real

Researchers at Fraunhofer SIT are fighting against deepfake meeting video calls

Entering into a meeting with your boss and several familiar coworkers inside a video conference is the next area vulnerable to cybercrimes, and it's all because of deepfake technology. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT are working on a real-time warning system designed to identify attempted fraud during corporate video conferences.

The report states that criminals are increasingly targeting video meetings for identity theft and financial scams, taking advantage of the trust people place in familiar faces and voices. The intention is to flag suspicious activity while the meeting is still taking place. This gives an employee a chance to stop before following an expensive instruction from an AI-generated executive.

Computing

Apple will finally stop making iPhone-to-Windows copy-paste such a chore

Your iPhone may finally copy and paste with a Windows PC like it should

Apple Universal Clipboard feature

Copying something on an iPhone and pasting it onto a Windows PC should be one of the least remarkable features imaginable. While this simple process seems effortless between an iPhone and Mac, Windows users are still left waiting.

Now, Microsoft is formally asking Apple to provide interoperable clipboard access through the company’s European Union interoperability process. The request, submitted on March 25, argues that iOS restrictions prevent third-party platforms from creating an experience comparable to Apple’s Universal Clipboard. Apple has now reached Phase III and committed to developing a solution.

Computing

Chrome wants more extension reviews, but good ratings won’t keep malware out

Google is testing built-in extension review prompts, but good ratings can still hide malware

malicious-google-chrome-extensions-on-web-store

Google is preparing to add extension review links directly inside Chrome, putting feedback closer to the menus people already use to manage their add-ons.

A Chromium change, first spotted by Windows Report, points to review options in the Extensions menu, the chrome://extensions management page, and extension context menus. Only eligible Chrome Web Store extensions in good standing would qualify, and the feature is still under development.