Can't add additional partitions to my mac without messing up Windows

[PlexiglassOnion]

I have recently began using linux as a virtual machine and have started to like it alot. I want to triple boot my mac so I can run linux by itself, but I'm running into some trouble. After partitioning my hard drive, whenever I try to boot up windows, it fails, and a get a blue screen and an UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME error.

I have my windows partitioned as FAT and its Windows XP. I have already attempted to repair permissions for Mac and repair disc for Windows.

Does anyone know how to fix this error

Thank you!

 

[balamw]

Triple boot pretty much requires rEFIt. http://refit.sf.net.

The problem is Windows, especially XP. It just doesn't understand GPT and you screwed up the MBR translation Boot Camp uses by adding another partition.

rEFIt might fix it on its own, but more likely you will need to reinstall to fix the boot structure, nd you may have to put the linux partition after the XP one.

B

 

[PlexiglassOnion]

Triple boot pretty much requires rEFIt. http://refit.sf.net.

The problem is Windows, especially XP. It just doesn't understand GPT and you screwed up the MBR translation Boot Camp uses by adding another partition.

rEFIt might fix it on its own, but more likely you will need to reinstall to fix the boot structure, nd you may have to put the linux partition after the XP one.

B

Yeah, I had installed rEFIt when I tried to do this a week ago, but it didnt fix the problem so I uninstalled it. I was hoping there'd be a way to avoid reinstalling windows.

 

[balamw]

Yeah, I had installed rEFIt when I tried to do this a week ago, but it didnt fix the problem so I uninstalled it. I was hoping there'd be a way to avoid reinstalling windows.

You might be able to use Winclone to clone the partition. Restore to a single OS X partition, create a new Boot Camp partition with BCA and then restore your clone to that, and hope that it becomes bootable again.

Might not work tough as Winclone doesn't like FAT32 partitions if I recall correctly.

B

 

[wrldwzrd89]

You might be able to use Winclone to clone the partition. Restore to a single OS X partition, create a new Boot Camp partition with BCA and then restore your clone to that, and hope that it becomes bootable again.

Might not work tough as Winclone doesn't like FAT32 partitions if I recall correctly.

B

Winclone can clone FAT32 partitions as well as NTFS.

 

[PlexiglassOnion]

You might be able to use Winclone to clone the partition. Restore to a single OS X partition, create a new Boot Camp partition with BCA and then restore your clone to that, and hope that it becomes bootable again.

Might not work tough as Winclone doesn't like FAT32 partitions if I recall correctly.

B

I have started to do this but I have ran into a problem. My I set it up as a 32 gig partition in BCA as I originally did. Then, I added the third partition for Linux. The problem lies within Winclone. When I am looking at my Bootcamp partition in the image section is says there are 34.1 GB of free space and the total size is 34.1. But when I go to the restore page, and attempt to load a 31.89 GB image of my previous windows XP, it says the file is too large. I calculate teh partition size of my bootcamp partition and it says it is only 31.77 GB.

Anyone know whats up and how to fix it?

EDIT: Problem fixed by restoring to single partition again, then adding a 33 gigbyte partition with BCA. For some reason, this made the total usable partition 33 gigs instead of 31.77, but I can't complain about that. I currently have my third partition ready on my computer, and I am about to install ubuntu.

EDIT: Everything is working now, after running into a few problems. rEFIt did not detect my Ubuntu CD, which apparently is a problem with newer macbook pros, but I remembered from tinkering before how to boot from CD directly (turn on the comptuer while holding down C). Then, once Linux was installed I had to deal with drivers and the like, but now everything is running smoothly. Thanks everyone for your help!