Bootcamp Install after HDD Repair

[dextr3k]

Hi All,

I have a really weird problem. I have a mid-2010 iMac, the harddrive died and I replaced it with a 3TB Seagate. However, after installing the harddrive, I find I cannot install windows via bootcamp.

I have tried all variations of backup, fresh install, different OSX versions, repairing drive, fix permissions, etc. I have tried to create a fat32 partition, but bootcamp just tells me a windows partition already exists and asks me to delete. If I dont do it, it gives me a "The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition."

However, enable journaling is greyed out in system restore, install windows is greyed out. I just can't get past this stage of bootcamp, and I have no clue why. Is it because the drive I am using does not support bootcamp or something? its so weird.


Screenshot of bootcamp:

 

[keysofanxiety]

Hi dextr3k,

Would you be kind enough to provide a screenshot of the hard-drive & partition in Disk Utility? All I can think of is that the partition with OS X may not have been formatted as being Journaled ... but I'd love to double-check this with you if I could.

Next thing would be to see if there's an EFI update via Software Update. But if you could please provide DU screenshot I'd really appreciate it

 

[dextr3k]

Sure,

Since this is my default OSX Drive, I can't think of why it cant be partitioned or journaled. When I make my own partition, it just tells me a windows partition exists and gives me a delete partition option....sigh...

 

[keysofanxiety]

What on earth?

No idea why it won't be working. Would you at all be able to go into the root hard-drive in DU, and click the 'Partition' tab (see below)?

Sorry for asking you to do all this

 

[dextr3k]

Its ok, its REALLY weird to me too, does not make sense at all. There are no updates in SU period, I am running 10.8.4 fully upgraded. Bootcamp just doesnt want to work for some reason.

Here is my partition map:

 

[keysofanxiety]

When you tried reinstalling the OS, can I just quickly check: did you go into the Recovery partition, wipe Macintosh HD completely, and then reinstall ML onto that?

If you just to to 'Reinstall OS X' through Recovery without wiping, that'll just reinstall the core OS X components rather than doing anything else. It's closer to a repair than a reinstall.

I know it's a PITA but that's the next thing I'd try. Recovery > Disk Utility > format Macintosh HD completely > Reinstall OS X (not from TM backup).

Hope somebody else can suggest something better, but ...

 

[dextr3k]

I have deleted the partition and reinstalled osx from nothing. It's the first thing I did with the new drive. I wanted to have bootcamp up before I restored from time machine. But I got this error right off the bat. So that suggestion, while good, does not help me either.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I have deleted the partition and reinstalled osx from nothing. It's the first thing I did with the new drive. I wanted to have bootcamp up before I restored from time machine. But I got this error right off the bat. So that suggestion, while good, does not help me either.

Hi dextr3k,

Apologies for my belated reply. This is possibly going to be one of the stupidest questions you'll hear from me, but I'd like to try it anyway.

If you could rename the 'OSX' volume to call it 'Macintosh HD' (rename by pressing 'Enter' on the volume on your Desktop, you can do this within the OS), and then try again?

Then if you could reboot and untick the option that says 'Reopen windows when logging back in'?

I'm currently running this by some of my colleagues and I'm hoping we can get to the bottom of this problem for you.

Speak soon

----------

Other than this, the additional thing I'd try to do is:

1) Create a FAT32 partition (as you did before)
2) But this time, restart computer, hold 'Alt' and boot into your Windows DVD. Then you should be able to select the FAT32 partition to install Windows on.

That's only if BootCamp fails. Might work?

 

[dextr3k]

I will give that a try. I speak from experience that some of the most unrelated things can actually fix a problem. So we will see if it works.

 

[dextr3k]

Hi dextr3k,

Apologies for my belated reply. This is possibly going to be one of the stupidest questions you'll hear from me, but I'd like to try it anyway.

If you could rename the 'OSX' volume to call it 'Macintosh HD' (rename by pressing 'Enter' on the volume on your Desktop, you can do this within the OS), and then try again?

Then if you could reboot and untick the option that says 'Reopen windows when logging back in'?

I'm currently running this by some of my colleagues and I'm hoping we can get to the bottom of this problem for you.

Speak soon

----------

Other than this, the additional thing I'd try to do is:

1) Create a FAT32 partition (as you did before)
2) But this time, restart computer, hold 'Alt' and boot into your Windows DVD. Then you should be able to select the FAT32 partition to install Windows on.

That's only if BootCamp fails. Might work?

So the renaming didnt work, same thing happened, and it wouldnt get past the partitioning.

Rebooting into selection mode, my imac won't detect my usb setup disk and my win7 disk. I will try to burn another copy and see if it can work.

 

[dextr3k]

So this is kind of weird. OSX doesnt like my windows boot DVDs at all. I have tried 7 and 8, both refuse to be detected in either OSX or Alt-Boot.

My windows 7 usb stick, which I used to install bootcamp on my MBA, gets detected in OSX, but not Alt-Boot.

So I don't seem to be able to boot off movable media.....