Bootcamp partition not visible from OSX

[Nevalite]

Hello everyone,

I just used bootcamp to install Windows 7 on my new SSD but I am having a small problem now.

When I am in windows 7 I can see both the BOOTCAMP partition and the OSX partition in "My Computer".

When I am on OSX I cannot see the BOOTCAMP partition in finder.

When I go to disk utility I see this:

I think the problem is that Windows 7 installed a 100MB reserved partition during the install and now the MBR and GPT partition tables are out of sync.

I have Tuxera NTFS so that is not the issue.

Any ideas?

 

[Nevalite]

I noticed that this person seemed to have the same issue as me:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/979951/

Should I delete the 100MB reserved partition and then use the method from that thread to fix the boot tables?

 

[Nevalite]

I have run the partition inspector from rEFIT and the problem is that the GPT table and the MBR table are not the same:

*** Report for internal hard disk ***

Current GPT partition table:
 #      Start LBA      End LBA  Type
 1             40       409639  EFI System (FAT)
 2         409640    116991959  Mac OS X HFS+
 3      117254144    234440703  Basic Data

Current MBR partition table:
 # A    Start LBA      End LBA  Type
 1              1       409639  ee  EFI Protective
 2         409640    116991959  af  Mac OS X HFS+
 3 *    116992000    117196799  07  NTFS/HPFS
 4      117196800    234438655  07  NTFS/HPFS

I guess the option are to either merge the two NTFS partitions from within windows so that it will match the GPT table or to modify the GPT table in order to match the MBR table?

Any advice on this?

Thanks

 

[jenzjen]

Outside the box, if you just installed Windows and have a fast/newer machine, just re-install Windows. On the latest 2013 machines, you'll be up and running in 30 minutes.

 

[Nevalite]

Outside the box, if you just installed Windows and have a fast/newer machine, just re-install Windows. On the latest 2013 machines, you'll be up and running in 30 minutes.

What?

 

[Quackers]

Did you install Windows in to free space or to a previously created NTFS partition?
When installed to a free space Windows can create this extra 100MB partition. If you install Windows in CSM (bios) mode it probably won't.

Anyway the 2 partition tables definitely don't agree. In fact nothing at all agrees after the second partition.

It may be easier to remove windows through Bootcamp and then check the partition tables again. You can then start again.

If you leave things how they are, though it may work ok, you are likely to have problems in the future.

 

[Nevalite]

Did you install Windows in to free space or to a previously created NTFS partition?
When installed to a free space Windows can create this extra 100MB partition. If you install Windows in CSM (bios) mode it probably won't.

Anyway the 2 partition tables definitely don't agree. In fact nothing at all agrees after the second partition.

It may be easier to remove windows through Bootcamp and then check the partition tables again. You can then start again.

If you leave things how they are, though it may work ok, you are likely to have problems in the future.

When I did the Windows install the BOOTCAMP partition which had been created by the bootcamp assistant was not working, the installer said I could not install there. I deleted that partition from the installer and then installed to the free space (assuming it would create a proper partition with that space). I should have created the new partition first and then installed to that partition, I think that using the free space is what caused all the problems...

Is there any way to fix this partition/table mess or am I better off re-installing? Keep in mind that will involve removing my optibay, re-installing the optical drive etc etc...

Any help to fix this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jenzjen]

When I did the Windows install the BOOTCAMP partition which had been created by the bootcamp assistant was not working, the installer said I could not install there. I deleted that partition from the installer and then installed to the free space (assuming it would create a proper partition with that space). I should have created the new partition first and then installed to that partition, I think that using the free space is what caused all the problems...

Is there any way to fix this partition/table mess or am I better off re-installing? Keep in mind that will involve removing my optibay, re-installing the optical drive etc etc...

Any help to fix this would be greatly appreciated!

I still stand by my earlier post and just reinstall it. You were supposed to install it into that boot camp partition. IIRC there's a format button or something similar that you need to select for that partition on that screen where you pick the location, and then windows will install properly.

 

[Quackers]

When I did the Windows install the BOOTCAMP partition which had been created by the bootcamp assistant was not working, the installer said I could not install there. I deleted that partition from the installer and then installed to the free space (assuming it would create a proper partition with that space). I should have created the new partition first and then installed to that partition, I think that using the free space is what caused all the problems...

Is there any way to fix this partition/table mess or am I better off re-installing? Keep in mind that will involve removing my optibay, re-installing the optical drive etc etc...

Any help to fix this would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know tbh. I would start afresh and if you have the same problems again you should create a new partition and format it in the Windows installer, as you said. This should stop the 100MB partition being created.