bootcamp problem?

[jlindmeier1]

I've been having some trouble with installing windows with bootcamp. The first thing I do is make a ex-fat partition which works fine. However when i run bootcamp, the only option is to remove windows, even though i don't yet have it installed on my computer. When i follow through and "remove" it, so i can try it again, it formats the hard drive back to just 1 mac partition. However when i try this process starting with bootcamp instead, it will say install windows. From here, when i attempt to install, it then says i need a partition to install the os on. This is an endless loop. Any suggestions? Thanks guys!

I am using a macbook pro 13 inch running osx lion. I have attempted to install windows 7 and 8, neither has worked.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Make a FAT32 partition using Boot Camp Assistant, do not use exFAT, and during the installation of Windows, format the FAT32 formatted partition to NTFS, if it does not so automatically.

 

[jlindmeier1]

i meant ms-dos Fat, not exfat. it will not provide me with any option to format within bootcamp, it says to do that in disk utility. When i do this in disk utility to prepare for installing windows (just like bootcamp says), i then go back to boot camp and my only options are to remove windows.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

i meant ms-dos Fat, not exfat. it will not provide me with any option to format within bootcamp, it says to do that in disk utility. When i do this in disk utility to prepare for installing windows (just like bootcamp says), i then go back to boot camp and my only options are to remove windows.

Okay, should have worded it differently, and probably linked you to one of those dozens available guides on "how to use Boot Camp to install Windows 7".

Anyway, you do not format the second partition via Disk Utility, Boot Camp Assistant (BCA) does that upon creating the second partition. Leave Disk Utility out of it, it destroys what BCA created for it to work.
When BCA is finished, follow its instruction to INSTALL Windows 7.