Can't merge empty space into main partition

[temon]

Hello.

Any help will be appreciated.

After a failed Boot Camp Windows 8 installation my drive has 50 GB empty space (the former partition) that Disk Utility can't merge with the main partition nor format it.

And if I boot from the USB stick made by Boot Camp, Windows begins the installation, but inmediately reboots and I can't even access to insert the product key.

I've read about some other utilities that can fix this partition problem (Testdisk, GPT fdisk), but I'm not that advanced user and I think that I have messed up enough.

Thanks in advance and excuse my english.

 

[Weaselboy]

Try running the boot amp assistant and there is an option there to convert the partition back.

 

[Fishrrman]

Take Weaselboy's advice first.

If that doesn't work, you can do it the long way:
- Back up the Mac partition to an external drive (I recommend a "cloning" app such as CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper - either is free to download and use for 30 days)
- Boot from the external clone
- Re-initialize the internal drive (with one Mac partition)
- "RE-clone" the contents of the external back to the internal

This will get rid of the Windows partition, but again, it's more work.

 

[temon]

Thanks, Weaselboy. I tried that, but something is wrong with the partition because Boot Camps says that can't run on the disk because is partitioned. In DU appears as a partition with no format titled 'Free space' that can't be merged nor formatted.

Fishrrman, I'll follow the long way. I don't mind losing data, I keep a copy of main photos, music and work related files. I'm a little bit frightened by reinitializing the HDD because is a 1TB Fusion Drive. Thanks for your advice!

 

[Weaselboy]

Just to clarify I was talking about running the boot amp assistant app not windows in boot amp. Can you not run the bootcamp assistant app that you used to create to bootcamp partition to start with?

 

[temon]

Yes, the assistant starts and can't continue because it says that the disk is already partitioned. As the partition hasn't any format at all, is 'free space', Boot Camp can't restore it to normal. I can't format that 'free space partition' in Disk Utilities nor merge it.