I screwed up my MBA partition, need help from a pro.

[orfeas0]

First of all, I want to ask someone who knows about that stuff to have a chat with me (google talk-msn-skype) so we can fix what I did.
Basically I tried to install ubuntu alongside mac, but something somewhere went wrong and couldn't. And not only I lost my mac partition (had to reinstall Lion), but it's now 50gb instead of 60 (and I have another partition of 10gb left).

So what I need is a way to:
1)Either install ubuntu on the 10gb partition (preferred), OR
2)to merge the 50+10 partitions and have a big one just for macintosh.

I would really appreciate someone who can guide me and communicate with me via a chat protocol.

 

[Hellhammer]

You should be able to merge the partitions with Disk Utility. Just remove the 10GB partition and then drag the other partition to full size. If not, you can reformat the whole hard drive, which will allow you to set the partitions again.

 

[orfeas0]

You should be able to merge the partitions with Disk Utility. Just remove the 10GB partition and then drag the other partition to full size. If not, you can reformat the whole hard drive, which will allow you to set the partitions again.

What do you mean "remove the 10gb partition" ? When I click erase, it just formats it.

edit: I found it, thank you very much. But do you know about ubuntu installation on a macbook air?
First of all, 1 of my usb keys got kinda ruined, I can't format or do anything on it. Is there something I can do except disk utility?
It won't format neither on mac neither on my windows laptop.

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When trying to partition my usb key I get this:
"Partition failed
Partition failed with the error:
Unable to write to the last block of the device."

And another window with
"Mac OS X can't repair the disk "WININSTALL."
You can still open or copy files on the disk, but you can't save changes to files on the disk. Back up the disk and reformat it as soon as you can."

The problem is , I can't reformat it. I get the same message when I try to erase...

--------------
When trying to erase the WININSTALL partition (and not the "2GB generic flash disk"), I get
"Volume Erase failed
Volume Erase failed with the error:
File system formatter failed."

 

[antonis]

You should be able to reformat your usb stick if you delete entirely the partition configuration. Using disk utility, choose again the "1 Partition" option, which will allow you to recreate the partition and be able to reformat it normally.

 

[Kendo]

You should be able to merge the partitions with Disk Utility. Just remove the 10GB partition and then drag the other partition to full size. If not, you can reformat the whole hard drive, which will allow you to set the partitions again.

Not the OP but had a quick question.

If I need to restore my MacBook Air to factory settings, do I only reformat the "Macintosh HD" or can I format the entire hard drive? I'm afraid if I select everything, it will delete the OS X Lion recovery features.

 

[johnhurley]

If I need to restore my MacBook Air to factory settings, do I only reformat the "Macintosh HD" or can I format the entire hard drive? I'm afraid if I select everything, it will delete the OS X Lion recovery features.

You can go into the recovery utility and re-install ... at the end you will have a setup that still includes the recovery partition.

 

[orfeas0]

You should be able to reformat your usb stick if you delete entirely the partition configuration. Using disk utility, choose again the "1 Partition" option, which will allow you to recreate the partition and be able to reformat it normally.

steps:
1) Plug in the USB.
What I get: "Mac OS X can't repair the disk "WININSTALL"
You can still open or copy files on the disk, but you can't save changes to files on the disk. Back up the disk and reformat it as soon as you can.
2) Opening disk utility, choosing "2GB generic flash disk" (my usb key), -> partition, selecting "1 partition". I click apply and partition, and I get the same message I got in (1), and also get "Partition failed with the error:

Unable to write to the last block of the device."

3) I click erase, get the same things as (2).

4) I verify the WININSTALL partition of the usb key, I get "Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk."

5) I click Repair Disk. I get "Volume repair complete. Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required."

But the disk isn't really repaired, nothing has changed in any way.

Isn't there a way to COMPLETELY DELETE/FORMAT/WIPE/ZERO the disk, no matter what's wrong with it?

 

[neilhart]

I would just throw the 2 GB USB Flash drive out.

However, you could try downloading the "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" in Windows. If this tool does not reformat your device, then throw it away and move on.

neil

 

[orfeas0]

I would just throw the 2 GB USB Flash drive out.

However, you could try downloading the "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool" in Windows. If this tool does not reformat your device, then throw it away and move on.

neil

Thing is, what if it happens again?
Because that happened when I asked boot camp to install windows XP using the USB key...

 

[neilhart]

I may not be current. I did not know that there was a way to make a bootable Win XP USB installer (that works). To my knowledge you need an USB Optical Drive and connect it prior to starting the Boot Camp Assistant. Again my information is dated as I have not brought up Boot Camp in several years.

Once you have a solid Boot Camped Win XP installation, be sure to DL Winclone and make your self a backup. The Winclone file is nearly an image and can be stored off line until needed. You can use this file for restore and/or resizing the Boot Camp partition (as many find reason to change the initial size).


neil