I installed Windows using bootcamp to partition my hard drive and windows ended up having problems so I want to delete the partition and start over. My problem is I'm not a computer expert and don't really know what to do anymore. I tried to delete the partition using bootcamp and bootcamp cannot be used because it says "this start up disk is not supported." So then I went to disk utility thinking I could get rid of it that way and erased it but the partition is still there. Because of all this I can no longer run the mac installer. When I insert the snow leopard disk it doesn't recognize either of the hard drives. It gives the message "This disk cannot be used to start up the computer." I've also tried defragging and repairing the hard drive and get numerous error messages. What do I need to do to get my computer to work right again? Any help is much appreciated!
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Hardrive, Partion, & Windows problems
- Thread starter oles0041
- Start date
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Erase just reformats the partition, so you should currently have a clean partition.
Simply insert your install CD, reboot your Mac holding down the Alt/Option key and select the install CD at the boot selector prompt. Perform the install as you did before. Just make sure you select your Boot Camp partition as the target of the install and not your OS X one.
B
How would we be able to "Just make sure you select your Boot Camp partition as the target of the install and not your OS X one."
al right
i also have a similar error, i have now check out all the error messages and tried to write them down
i saw stuff involving ; XMS driver, A20 line, Command.com missing(file not found) Same error with :/extract.exe and :/readme.txt
however the largest error message is windows could not create temp drive for the diagnostic tools
honestly, at the stage where im pulling my hair out..
parallel's desktop 5 worked like a beaut, just was laggy when it came to the gaming level i play at
PLEASE OH GURUS OF THE MACINTOSH
i also have a similar error, i have now check out all the error messages and tried to write them down
i saw stuff involving ; XMS driver, A20 line, Command.com missing(file not found) Same error with :/extract.exe and :/readme.txt
however the largest error message is windows could not create temp drive for the diagnostic tools
honestly, at the stage where im pulling my hair out..
parallel's desktop 5 worked like a beaut, just was laggy when it came to the gaming level i play at
PLEASE OH GURUS OF THE MACINTOSH
The windows installer asks you where you want to install. Unless you have made the two partitions about the same size or given them similar volume labels, I would hope you can tell them apart.
In most cases the OSX partition will be first and larger, while the Boot Camp partition will be later, smaller and named BOOTCAMP.
This would not happen to be XP with no service pack or XP SP1, would it?
B
arrrrrrrghhhh
i seem to have windows 98
but since i don't actually own an original copy..
ive been trying to find a legit bootable disk I could use for a little over 2 weeks
now
ive done everything in my power to make one...
im at the end of my wits and am extremely close to buying a full retail price
copy
p.s. I used to be a windows fan-boy so i wouldn't be stealing. Just tired of buying microsoft *****.
any suggestions?
chrisveres@hotmail.com
i seem to have windows 98
but since i don't actually own an original copy..
ive been trying to find a legit bootable disk I could use for a little over 2 weeks
now
ive done everything in my power to make one...
im at the end of my wits and am extremely close to buying a full retail price
copy
p.s. I used to be a windows fan-boy so i wouldn't be stealing. Just tired of buying microsoft *****.
any suggestions?
chrisveres@hotmail.com
I tried what you suggested. I can install snow leopard onto the disk "disk0s4" which is the old bootcamp partition. I have another disk called "EFI" and my hard drive "Mac OS X." I want to get rid of "disk0s4" and "EFI" and install snow leopard onto my hard drive. How do I do this? If I try to install snow leopard to the "Mac OS X" it says that it can't be used for the install.
I'm confused. Are you trying to start over with everything or just Windows?
Do you have, or can you borrow, or otherwise obtain an empty external HDD? If so:
Connect the external drive.
Boot from the Mac OS X install CD.
Install OS X to the external HDD.
Boot from external HDD.
At this point you should have a working system again, and you can try to repair the internal drive at a more leisurely pace with the internal drive not mounted.
NOTE: You generally don't want to remove the 200 MB EFI partition. OS X uses it for firmware updates, so you might not be able to update firmware if you eliminate it.
B
Do you have, or can you borrow, or otherwise obtain an empty external HDD? If so:
Connect the external drive.
Boot from the Mac OS X install CD.
Install OS X to the external HDD.
Boot from external HDD.
At this point you should have a working system again, and you can try to repair the internal drive at a more leisurely pace with the internal drive not mounted.
NOTE: You generally don't want to remove the 200 MB EFI partition. OS X uses it for firmware updates, so you might not be able to update firmware if you eliminate it.
B
I want to start over with Windows. So I want to keep my Mac Hardrive and the EFI hardrive and get rid of the Bootcamp/disk0s4 hardrive.
I do have an external hardrive. So the way to do this is to follow your advice?
No you confused me by inserting the OS X install DVD. I meant, insert the Windows install CD/DVD in my first response.
So, I assume you are booted to OS X, and OS X is working fine and you want to keep it that way.
Use disk utility to erase (reformat) disk0s4. Select the partition in the left partition list, unmount it using the icon at the top of the window, use the Erase tab choose Format:"MS-DOS (FAT)" as the Name:"BOOTCAMP".
At this point you should be at the same place that Boot Camp Assistant leaves you at. Now:
Reboot holding Alt/Option.
Insert the Windows install CD/DVD. [*]
The Windows install CD/DVD should appear in the boot selector.
Select the Windows install CD/DVD from the boot selector.
Proceed as per the Boot Camp instructions.
B
[*] These first two operations can be reversed, but I read on another thread that this order, boot first, insert CD may be smoother in some cases.
I got the Bootcamp partion erased but now when I try to run Bootcamp I get the message. "The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition." "The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume or already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows." How do I fix this part? Thank you for your help!
You don't need to run Boot Camp Assistant.
Follow the rest of Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide found here http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6.pdf from step 3.4 on page 8 "4 Follow the onscreen instructions."
B
What would I need to do to get rid of the partition and not install windows? Just unmount? It seems it would still be taking up space then. Also I'm running leopard right now and have a copy of snow leopard I want to install. When I choose my OS X hard drive to perform the install/update to it says that this volume can't be used for start up. What do I need to do to get that to work?
That's a different question. This is why I keep asking you to clarify what you are trying to do.
Open Disk Utility. Select disk0s4, unmount it using the icon at the top, remove it by using the minus sign (next to the plus sign) under the graphical partition map.
You should then be able to drag the lower right corner of the OS X partition in the graphical partition map to make use of the space you freed up.
If you have trouble doing this from within Leopard, you may have to boot to your Snow Leopard disc and access Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. You might also have to verify or repair your internal HDD from your Snow Leopard disc.
B
Sorry, I'm not trying to lead you astray. I do want Windows, but want to start completely over because I suspect there is something else wrong with the computer that I need to get figured out first.
I went to disk utility and unmounted disk0s4. I didn't see any plus or minus signs. I believe the graphical partitions map you're talking about is at the far left of disk utility where all the hard drives are shown? I tried this again from the snow leopard disk and verified the OS X drive. It said that it was fine. Am I just missing the +/- signs and graph map you're talking about?
This is what it should look like (from another thread). You have to click on the partition tab near the top of the screen. The +/- are then under the graphical representation of the partitions near the bottom middle of the window and they are only active when you have selected a part of the graphical map above them.
Again, if you want to start over from scratch with both OS X and Windows. Boot from your Snow Leopard disc, open Disk Utility from the Utilities menu at the top of the screen. Select the drive. Hit the partition tan, and then remove (hit the minus sign) for all of the partitions you see. Then above the partition map, pull down the "Volume Scheme" selector until it says 1 partition. Make you are using GUID Partition Table. Then exit Disk Utility and install OS X Snow leopard on the fresh, clean partition.
B
Sounds like you did not remove all partitions and then make a new 1 partition volume scheme. Were you at least booted to the Snow Leopard disc?
B