My recommendation is to make a dual boot. This way, if Mac OS X ever decides to roll back its functionality that you can still use Windows peacefully.
If you don’t want a dual boot and want Mac OS X only, then you can skip this step.
Most Netbooks come with Windows XP pre-installed by default. Some may already have Windows 7 Starter. Whether you decide to dual boot with XP or Windows 7, the procedure is the same.
First you are going to shrink the Windows partition. If you are using Windows 7, simply type partition in the start menu and you will be taken to Disk Management. If you are running Windows XP, you will need to download a partition manager. A good, free one, is EASEUS Partition Manager – download link will be found at the end of the article.
Once you have chosen your appropriate partition, you shrink the Windows partition to make a second partition which will likely be unallocated space. Then, you format the new partition that you created and you will be set to go.
The method is the same using both programs, but the approach is somewhat different. In Windows 7’s partition manager, you right click on the partition and choose Shrink Volume.
Then you type the size that you want the new partition to be and it will appear as unallocated space next to the main hard drive where you right click and create a New Simple Volume and format it as NTFS.
In EASEUS, use the slider and the onscreen instructions.
Once complete, mark the new Mac partition as active by right clicking and choosing active in Disk Manager to prevent the Mac installer from overwriting the Windows boot manager in case all goes south.
Download EASEUS Partition Manager for Windows XP
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