Bootcamp won't partition...

[Dr. McKay]

I have an iMac with OS X.6.8, one HFS+ partition. Yesterday, I wanted to install Win7 using bootcamp.
Bootcamp gave me an error message saying the disc cannot be partioned or resized. I CAN however, partition or resize using Disk Utility (my hfs+ partition is GUID).

Using Partition inspector gave the following report :

*** Report for internal hard disk ***

Current GPT partition table:
# Start LBA End LBA Type
1 409640 624880303 Mac OS X HFS+

Current MBR partition table:
# A Start LBA End LBA Type
1 1 625142447 ee EFI Protective

MBR contents:
Boot Code: GRUB

Partition at LBA 409640:
Boot Code: None
File System: HFS Extended (HFS+)
Listed in GPT as partition 1, type Mac OS X HFS+

Now, I have installed Ubuntu using rEFIt a couple of months ago, but I erased everything and went back to one HFS+ mac os X partition. But maybe some files weren't completely wiped (the GRUB thingy in the report gives it away, I think).

Now, I could wipe my drive, reformat and reinstall everything and use my TM-backup to put all my apps and files back, but that's a bit drastic. Also, I used iDefrag (demo) to check my drive and apparently, it's heavily fragmented.

Any ideas ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

To circumvent all the installing and restoring *****, you can use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the Mac OS X volume to an external, properly formatted*, HDD, boot from that, erase the internal HDD via Disk Utility and its Partition tab, then clone the contents of the external HDD back to the internal HDD and run Boot Camp Assistant again.

*

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

If you only have your TM HDD at hand and it has enough free capacity, you can also use that, as it won't overwrite the TM backup folder (Backups.backupdb) with the correct settings, but when cloning back, make sure to exclude that folder.

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Maybe have a look at Advanced Search to find similar threads:

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[Dr. McKay]

About iDefrag : some say defragmenting the drive might do it, although I'm sceptic.
On the whole, does defragmenting an OS X drive help, or is it completely unnecessary ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

About iDefrag : some say defragmenting the drive might do it, although I'm sceptic.
On the whole, does defragmenting an OS X drive help, or is it completely unnecessary ?

It is unnecessary. I tried iDefrag on several of my external HDDs, which have gone through a lot of copying and deleting routines. iDefrag reported a fragmentation of less than 2 % on all HDDs. I had much higher numbers when using Windows 2000 and XP.

 

[Dr. McKay]

Is it possible to install Win7 using rEFIt instead of Bootcamp ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Is it possible to install Win7 using rEFIt instead of Bootcamp ?

I installed Windows XP and Ubuntu via rEFIt once, I guess Windows 7 should be the same. Maybe have a look at Advanced Search, as this is a topic, that comes up quite often.

 

[Dr. McKay]

Right, didn't work with rEFIt either. I can install Ubuntu, but not Win7 (disk is of the GPT style error message).

So all I can do is use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my disk to an external HD and do a reformat of my internal drive.
But how exactly does CCC work ? It creates a bootable copy of your drive on an external HD (in my case USB2). Suppose I do that, and I then use my SL disc to boot up and reformat my HD.
How do I put everything back ? Can I access my external HD when booted into SL using the DVD ? Can I boot the clone from my external USB drive (I doubt it) ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Right, didn't work with rEFIt either. I can install Ubuntu, but not Win7 (disk is of the GPT style error message).

So all I can do is use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my disk to an external HD and do a reformat of my internal drive.
But how exactly does CCC work ? It creates a bootable copy of your drive on an external HD (in my case USB2). Suppose I do that, and I then use my SL disc to boot up and reformat my HD.
How do I put everything back ? Can I access my external HD when booted into SL using the DVD ? Can I boot the clone from my external USB drive (I doubt it) ?

As CCC makes a bootable copy, be it to an external HDD connected via Firewire or USB 2.0 or an internal HDD connected via P-ATA or S-ATA, you can actually BOOT from that bootable copy.

1. Download CarbonCopyCloner
2. Connect the external HDD to your Mac, and either format it properly or have it already be in the proper format

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

3. Open CCC
4. Select "SOURCE" - which is your INTERNAL Mac OS X partition
5. Select "TARGET" - which is the partition on the external HDD you want to clone to
6. Click the "CLONE" button
7. Enter your password
8. Do whatever you want, spend time with the Mac or someone else
9. Cloning has finished
10. For easiness: Go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and select the clone and click "RESTART"
11. Wait for the restart to complete
12. Open Disk Utility
13. Format the internal HDD properly - see 2. for instructions
14. Repeat steps 3. to 11.

 

[Dr. McKay]

2. Connect the external HDD to your Mac, and either format it properly or have it already be in the proper format

My external drive (1.5Tb samsung Story USB2) has two partitions, one 500Gb HFS+ for Time Machine, the rest HFS+ with all kinds of stuff on it (including photos and music). Can I just clone my internal drive to that 1Tb partition and boot from that, or do I have to create an extra partition on that drive ? I don't have a second drive available...

 

[simsaladimbamba]

My external drive (1.5Tb samsung Story USB2) has two partitions, one 500Gb HFS+ for Time Machine, the rest HFS+ with all kinds of stuff on it (including photos and music). Can I just clone my internal drive to that 1Tb partition and boot from that, or do I have to create an extra partition on that drive ? I don't have a second drive available...

Yes, you can use that partition, just move all the contents of it into one folder, for easier recovery (as Mac OS X has quite some folders to copy), and make sure, the HDD is using GUID as partition map scheme (as pointed out in my earlier post at step 2).

 

[Dr. McKay]

Ok thx, I'll give that a try...

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Ok thx, I'll give that a try...

Also check the Advanced Settings to let CCC not delete contents on the target volume:

 

[Dr. McKay]

Good advice, thx !

 

[Dr. McKay]

I've used my TM-backup to restore my system. Worked like a charm !

 

[Dopeyman]

I personally have a small bootable external drive (120GB) with Drive Genius and that's how I defrag my internal drive..

Because if some files are "in use" any defrag app will not touch it..