I am trying to set up a windows partition using bootcamp in leopard but it tells me some files cannot be moved and it cannot create a partition. I verified and repaired permissions and tried again but still no go. any thoughts? what isnt working?
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Bootcamp cannot partition disk?
- Thread starter lazymuoio
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I had the same problem and to this day I have only found one fix for this.
You need to defrag your system.
I recommend iDefrag ($30), but it's completely worth it. Once it's installed, you'll need to create an iDefrag boot disk (CD/DVD) using the Coriolis software that's included in the license that you purchase. Boot into the DVD, then 'convert' your drive (essentially quick defrag, if you don't want to wait for the full defrag). this will take an hour or two to complete.
You need to defrag your system.
I recommend iDefrag ($30), but it's completely worth it. Once it's installed, you'll need to create an iDefrag boot disk (CD/DVD) using the Coriolis software that's included in the license that you purchase. Boot into the DVD, then 'convert' your drive (essentially quick defrag, if you don't want to wait for the full defrag). this will take an hour or two to complete.
ok i have looked up idefrag and it says it supports Tiger filesystems. did anyone try to use it with Leopard installed and have it work properly because i am getting this same error and really want to put XP on my MB. Thanks
Same problem here. Does Apple provide any sort of solution to this problem? I know iDefrag would work, but it's not Leopard compatible yet.
This worked for me
i was having the same problem. but with some serching, i found this article
http://blogs.technet.com/seanearp/archive/2007/07/21/going-back-to-boot-camp.aspx
really helped. turns out bootcamp partition can seem to move big files (video podcast for example) so i temp. moved them to an external and ran bc assistant again and worked like a charm.
i was having the same problem. but with some serching, i found this article
http://blogs.technet.com/seanearp/archive/2007/07/21/going-back-to-boot-camp.aspx
really helped. turns out bootcamp partition can seem to move big files (video podcast for example) so i temp. moved them to an external and ran bc assistant again and worked like a charm.
Same problem here...
but I have no big files.... I have 77GB free....the rest are aps and word documents.... all my media stuff is on an external already.
BTW: Bootcamp worked for me 2 weeks ago... but I reverted, and now it won't work.
here is how my drive works.... and with 77GB free.. you would think it would have enough space to make a 5GB partition.
Attachments
booted to the leopard disk, and ran Disk repair (not permissions) and it worked after that.
GilGrissom
macrumors 65816
I have exactly the same problem on my iMac.
iDefrag unfortunately does not fully work properly on Leopard, they are working on it. The bootable CDs it makes however should be fine. For some strange reason they work on my PowerBook running Leopard (managed to defrag that nicely) but the iMac (C2D) running Leopard refuses to boot off it and this is using the latest version of iDefrag and the CD Maker, strange.
I have however just tried running Disk Repair (aka, NOT Permission Repair) as Draddy suggess. Unfortunately that didn't work for me either.
But, it's worth everyone else giving it a go, your Intel machines might boot off the iDefrag CD fine. If not then it's down to Apple to add this bit into Bootcamp, or iDefrag to be updated, or you reinstall your entire computer.
One other suggestion if you suffer the same none-booting issue for iDefrag on Intel machines is to run it off a PowerPC machine, put the Intel machine in Target Disk Mode over FireWire, and let iDefrag defrag it that way. (I don't have a 6pin to 6pin FireWire cable at the moment so can't physically do it my end.
iDefrag unfortunately does not fully work properly on Leopard, they are working on it. The bootable CDs it makes however should be fine. For some strange reason they work on my PowerBook running Leopard (managed to defrag that nicely) but the iMac (C2D) running Leopard refuses to boot off it and this is using the latest version of iDefrag and the CD Maker, strange.
I have however just tried running Disk Repair (aka, NOT Permission Repair) as Draddy suggess. Unfortunately that didn't work for me either.
But, it's worth everyone else giving it a go, your Intel machines might boot off the iDefrag CD fine. If not then it's down to Apple to add this bit into Bootcamp, or iDefrag to be updated, or you reinstall your entire computer.
One other suggestion if you suffer the same none-booting issue for iDefrag on Intel machines is to run it off a PowerPC machine, put the Intel machine in Target Disk Mode over FireWire, and let iDefrag defrag it that way. (I don't have a 6pin to 6pin FireWire cable at the moment so can't physically do it my end.
Not to resurrect this long-dead thread, but it ended up being tops on my Google search on this topic.
I have a 120GB HD on my MacBook. When I decided to install the Boot Camp partition, I had 105GB of content on that drive. I got the partition/defrag error, and then I whitted the content down to 37GB by moving files to external drives.
With over 67% of my drive open as "free space," I could not even make a partition 5GB in size without getting an error. My project requires me to have at least 30GB of space on the Windows side.
I misplaced my original install CDs, and I needed to get this project done now (relatively), so iDefrag was my only choice. $35 is quite a chunk of change to pay for immediacy, but I had to do it.
As I sit here, iDefrag is going to town cleaning up my drive, which was terribly, awfully defragmented, worse than I ever remember seeing in my pre-OS X days. So maybe the speed bump I'll realize will be worth the $35, in addition to running XP. Boot Camp won't have an excuse not to give me my partition now, hopefully.
I have a 120GB HD on my MacBook. When I decided to install the Boot Camp partition, I had 105GB of content on that drive. I got the partition/defrag error, and then I whitted the content down to 37GB by moving files to external drives.
With over 67% of my drive open as "free space," I could not even make a partition 5GB in size without getting an error. My project requires me to have at least 30GB of space on the Windows side.
I misplaced my original install CDs, and I needed to get this project done now (relatively), so iDefrag was my only choice. $35 is quite a chunk of change to pay for immediacy, but I had to do it.
As I sit here, iDefrag is going to town cleaning up my drive, which was terribly, awfully defragmented, worse than I ever remember seeing in my pre-OS X days. So maybe the speed bump I'll realize will be worth the $35, in addition to running XP. Boot Camp won't have an excuse not to give me my partition now, hopefully.
ok guys heres an answer to the problem. the data on your HD needs to be compacted at the START of the drive so that bootcamp has completely free space at the END of the drive to create the windows partition. there are 2 easy ways to solve this.
first... get idefrag (there are many different ways to obtain a copy 😉) and run it from the bootdisk. idefrag should come with coriolis disc maker and have easy to follow instructions to help you make your bootdisk. you don't need to run a full defrag as compact will do the job of moving all data to the start of the drive, this takes less time. if you are having troubles creating a bootdisk (like i did) you can run idefrag from another mac with your own intel mac in targetdisk mode.
second... get a copy of superduper or any other image backup software and create a backup image to an external HD of some sort, then all you have to do is copy that image back to your internal. after that all your data will be compacted to the start of your disk. this can take some time but saves you having to run a defrag which can (in very rare cases) cause data errors.
on an end note... its also possible after creating a backup image to boot into your external HD, although it won't boot unless you have a firewire drive for earlier versions of OSX, but USB2 drives should work with the latest versions, just experiment as i'm not sure of version numbers. simply plug the drive in, hold down the option key straight after you hear the familiar mac startup sound, select your external drive and once your in you can run any utilities you want such as idefrag or disk utility from your external to fix up your internal (could be an option if you can't create the idefrag bootdisk). you could maybe even create a DVD image of your drive with just a few apps/utilities to boot from and keep it as a disk maintenance bootdisk... also if you have a small HD get a copy of 'macdrive' once you have windows installed, this will allow windows to access the mac partition of your drive (read AND write) so you can have a relatively small windows partition, just enough for apps and stuff, and keep all your data/media on the mac partition. be creative, have fun.
first... get idefrag (there are many different ways to obtain a copy 😉) and run it from the bootdisk. idefrag should come with coriolis disc maker and have easy to follow instructions to help you make your bootdisk. you don't need to run a full defrag as compact will do the job of moving all data to the start of the drive, this takes less time. if you are having troubles creating a bootdisk (like i did) you can run idefrag from another mac with your own intel mac in targetdisk mode.
second... get a copy of superduper or any other image backup software and create a backup image to an external HD of some sort, then all you have to do is copy that image back to your internal. after that all your data will be compacted to the start of your disk. this can take some time but saves you having to run a defrag which can (in very rare cases) cause data errors.
on an end note... its also possible after creating a backup image to boot into your external HD, although it won't boot unless you have a firewire drive for earlier versions of OSX, but USB2 drives should work with the latest versions, just experiment as i'm not sure of version numbers. simply plug the drive in, hold down the option key straight after you hear the familiar mac startup sound, select your external drive and once your in you can run any utilities you want such as idefrag or disk utility from your external to fix up your internal (could be an option if you can't create the idefrag bootdisk). you could maybe even create a DVD image of your drive with just a few apps/utilities to boot from and keep it as a disk maintenance bootdisk... also if you have a small HD get a copy of 'macdrive' once you have windows installed, this will allow windows to access the mac partition of your drive (read AND write) so you can have a relatively small windows partition, just enough for apps and stuff, and keep all your data/media on the mac partition. be creative, have fun.
same problem
Hey so I have the same problem too and I am not sure I understand all of this but by the sound of it my computer is most likely very badly defragged ( if this is the correct term for files scattered all over the place ) I have downloaded disk inventory and have alot of stuff to get rid of. I am thinking that this will take alot of time and was wondering is it fool proof if you re install mac osx that you will be able to install boot camp? I have the original disks and really need xp but don't want to take the time to reinstall if it will maybe not even work. I have already backed up all pictures, movies, music, documents its just the small files that are causing me problems. please help
thanks,
Jesse
Hey so I have the same problem too and I am not sure I understand all of this but by the sound of it my computer is most likely very badly defragged ( if this is the correct term for files scattered all over the place ) I have downloaded disk inventory and have alot of stuff to get rid of. I am thinking that this will take alot of time and was wondering is it fool proof if you re install mac osx that you will be able to install boot camp? I have the original disks and really need xp but don't want to take the time to reinstall if it will maybe not even work. I have already backed up all pictures, movies, music, documents its just the small files that are causing me problems. please help
thanks,
Jesse
balamw
Moderator emeritus
You couldn't pick one of the plethora of more recent threads on this issue to revive. e.g. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/775452/ ? 😛
Your best bet to guarantee success is to reserve the space you want for Boot Camp manually before you even install OS X. Try this without even reinstalling. Boot from the OS X install disc, run Disk Utility and try to manually reduce the size of your OS X partition bit by bit until you have enough space for your desired Windows partiiton.
BTW Disk Inventory X is a great tool, but it doesn't tell you anything about where the files are on disk, just how big they are compared to other files.
B
Your best bet to guarantee success is to reserve the space you want for Boot Camp manually before you even install OS X. Try this without even reinstalling. Boot from the OS X install disc, run Disk Utility and try to manually reduce the size of your OS X partition bit by bit until you have enough space for your desired Windows partiiton.
BTW Disk Inventory X is a great tool, but it doesn't tell you anything about where the files are on disk, just how big they are compared to other files.
B