My Partition Disapears: Basic Question

[chrl268]

Ok, for the basic question, when i partition my computer, when you start it up, should when you press option (alt) two hard drives come up, or when your in system preferences should there be a second drive to start up with?? cause i would of thought there should be, cause when i do, it doesn't appear, only my normal hard drive with my stuff on it, not the boot camp partition, not the partition i created in disk utilities, this is starting to piss me off... cause when i go to run windows installer i end up formatting my hard drive cause there is nothing else to format... argh... help??

 

[Palladium]

Hi,

I'm not sure I understand all you are asking and I have no experience of using BootCamp but I do know that partitions will only show up on an option-start if they are bootable. Simply creating them is not enough, they must contain all you need to boot into OS X or Windows. You should of course see any partition in Finder no matter what it contains but option-start will only show partitions or drives that you can boot from.

 

[Siron]

If you have formatted the partition (whether it be APS or NTFS) it should show up as a drive on your desktop (just as the Macintosh HD does). Even if you haven't formatted it but just partitioned it, it should show up in Finder.
If you are trying to install Windows all you need to do is partition the drive in Disk Utilities (or use Boot Camp Assistant - it doesn't matter as they both do the same thing), pop the Windows install disk in the drive, and reboot holding down the C key. The Windows installer will start up and when you get to the screen where you choose to do a Clean Install or Upgrade, select Clean Install and then select the partition you created earlier, select Format and then Windows will install. There is nothing complicated about it. When you are done and reboot holding down the Option key you will see two drives. The first is OSX and the second is Windows.
Hope this helps
Alan

 

[chrl268]

it shows up on the desktop, but when i go to install windows, it won't work as everytime i try, the partition i've create has dissapeared - or at least seems to, i go back into the mac side of my computer, and the partition is still there, but it won't be seen when starting my mac, and it in mac format - i think, cause i did it from disk utilities, cause i guessed thats when boot camp does - makes partitions for those who don't know how, but i can't use it, so its driving me nuts!!!

 

[Fuzzbear]

it shows up on the desktop, but when i go to install windows, it won't work as everytime i try, the partition i've create has dissapeared - or at least seems to, i go back into the mac side of my computer, and the partition is still there, but it won't be seen when starting my mac, and it in mac format - i think, cause i did it from disk utilities, cause i guessed thats when boot camp does - makes partitions for those who don't know how, but i can't use it, so its driving me nuts!!!

ok, im guessing you are trying to install windows onto the bootcamp partition?
Did you use the Bootcamp assistant? or are you trying to do this manually?

Bootcamp needs to partition the drive, and then you need to format it once the windows install program reaches the point where it asks where you want to install. Do not choose the "leave this partition as is" Even though it looks formatted to the windows installer it is still not bootable.


Like was said before, only bootable disc's will show up when you hold down option when starting up your mac.

 

[chrl268]

ok, im guessing you are trying to install windows onto the bootcamp partition?
Did you use the Bootcamp assistant? or are you trying to do this manually?

Bootcamp needs to partition the drive, and then you need to format it once the windows install program reaches the point where it asks where you want to install. Do not choose the "leave this partition as is" Even though it looks formatted to the windows installer it is still not bootable.


Like was said before, only bootable disc's will show up when you hold down option when starting up your mac.

i've done it both ways, neither work. i get to the point where i've partitioned my hard drive (evident from the new hard drive called 'BOOTCAMP' on my desktop, then when i go to format (i did take the right option) but there is only one partition called (C)'UNKNOWN' which i have come to call my hard drive, so if i format it, like i've done, i lose everything, so i want to know why this is not working!!!

 

[Fuzzbear]

i've done it both ways, neither work. i get to the point where i've partitioned my hard drive (evident from the new hard drive called 'BOOTCAMP' on my desktop, then when i go to format (i did take the right option) but there is only one partition called (C)'UNKNOWN' which i have come to call my hard drive, so if i format it, like i've done, i lose everything, so i want to know why this is not working!!!

So, even though theres a Bootcamp drive on your desktop in OSX, when your in the windows installer, the partition doesnt show up? Wow yeah that is a strange one.

Are you installing Windows XP? or Vista?

Oh and what size partition are you trying to create?

 

[JNB]

Only bootable partitions show up with the Option key boot sequence. All Mac-readable partitions will show up in Finder.

As for Boot Camp...

 

[RedTomato]

the partition i created in disk utilities, this is starting to piss me off...

partition the drive in Disk Utilities (or use Boot Camp Assistant - it doesn't matter as they both do the same thing),
Alan

it shows up on the desktop, but when i go to install windows, it won't work as everytime i try, the partition i've create has dissapeared - or at least seems to, i go back into the mac side of my computer, and the partition is still there, but it won't be seen when starting my mac, and it in mac format - i think, cause i did it from disk utilities, cause i guessed thats when boot camp does

Hello! Boot Camp Assistant and Disk Utilities are NOT the same.

NOT THE SAME!

1. Disk Utility can repartition a HD, but it does so destructively, i.e. erases ALL the data on a HD.

2. Boot Camp Assistant can repartition a HD non-destructively i.e. without erasing your OSX partition, keeping all your OSX data and files. Very useful. You can add, remove or change partition sizes. (max two partitions, and changing partition sizes will destroy the data on the non-OSX partition.)

3. Boot Camp Assistant ALSO has the right code to modify the extra partition and the HD master codes so that the Mac firmware will recognise and optionally boot from the extra partition at startup (i.e. before loading OSX). Disk Utility can't do this.

Hope that clarifies matters. Creating the extra partition in Disk Utility will give you the result that OSX can read the extra partition, but the firmware (similar to but not BIOS) in the Mac motherboard can't read it when first starting up (before OSX is loaded).

Hence it won't show up when you start up with Option pressed, only when the desktop is loaded, which is exactly what you're getting.

 

[chrl268]

yep, i honestly did, and i followed the instructions and lost my hard drive... and 26 pages... i'm installing XP home edition, which should be fine, i don't think its the windows, i think it may be a glitch with the partitioning, if anyone could tell me whats going wrong.. pictures::

First of bootcamp, second of bootcamp partitioning, third of it finished partitioning, forth of disk utilities - where the partition can be seen, and last of startup disk of only one partition, couldn't be bothered restarting my computer to get the last image of the one "unknown" partition, known as my hard drive, called c, which i have formatted so many times now...

 

[chrl268]

still doesn't work with boot camp!!!

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Everything looks normal thus far... when you go into Windows, and select a partition to install Windows on, select the one called BOOTCAMP. Remember to start the Windows installation by clicking the relevant button on the Boot Camp Assistant, and not by trying to tell your Mac to boot from the BOOTCAMP drive - that won't work.

 

[Fuzzbear]

I know this is gonna be a pain in the ass to do, but could you take a picture of the Windows XP partition screen when your in the process of installing?


Dont expect to see the Bootcamp partition in the Startup Disc selection window until AFTER windows has formatted the Bootcamp partition and made it bootable.




your saying after all the partitioning in boot camp assistant you do not see the Bootcamp partition on the screen above?

Sorry to keep asking the same questions.. im just trying to clarify.

 

[chrl268]

yep, there is no other partition!! see how you have E, F and C with unpartitioned space, i only have one, called Partition One "UNKNOWN", like the top one of yours, but no others, so if i continue with the formatting - cause i only have one option, i clear my hard drive which i have done, twice... and i really can't be bothered doing it a third time, but yes, its being a bastard...

and to wrldwzrd89, i do restart it from bootcamp, no difference, but i was saying, even if i partition it from disk utilities, i still can't load the second partition (so how would i put OSX onto it?? - i'm guessing it would come up at the whole - where do you want to install this? bit)

 

[RedTomato]

and to wrldwzrd89, i do restart it from bootcamp, no difference, but i was saying, even if i partition it from disk utilities, i still can't load the second partition (so how would i put OSX onto it?? - i'm guessing it would come up at the whole - where do you want to install this? bit)

Is that a typo - do you mean 'how would I put Windows onto it?'

Can you tell us exactly what model iMac you have?

I remember you said in another thread that you reinstalled OSX on this using a Tiger disk from a Mac Pro (then used your Leopard upgrade disk). As I said before, I suspect some of the Boot Camp drivers may be expecting a Mac Pro mobo / Open Firmware, not the iMac's laptop-based components.

If this is all too much hassle, (and it would be for me) maybe start using VMWare Fusion instead?

 

[chrl268]

nar, not a typo, i meant OSX, cause i was thinking, if i put mac onto it, then the windows disk could wipe it, haha, then we'd all be happy... bloody tedious though, i'd try VMWare Fusion, except i have no idea what that is.. haha, go me, google it is... thanks for the help though, i'm running a pretty standard imac, one of the white ones - got it a little before the shiney ones came out, i think last yr, it was running 10.4 when i got it. Love my mac, hate windows, but i needed it for work, but it looks like i'll be finding pc to use.... that might be it, with the mac pro disks, but it was doing this before i launched it with a mac pro disk, like the original two times that i wiped the disk, the first time it would of been solely imac disk, as it hadn't needed the mac pro disks then. Argh!! annoying, lol

 

[Fuzzbear]

nar, not a typo, i meant OSX, cause i was thinking, if i put mac onto it, then the windows disk could wipe it, haha, then we'd all be happy... bloody tedious though, i'd try VMWare Fusion, except i have no idea what that is.. haha, go me, google it is... thanks for the help though, i'm running a pretty standard imac, one of the white ones - got it a little before the shiney ones came out, i think last yr, it was running 10.4 when i got it. Love my mac, hate windows, but i needed it for work, but it looks like i'll be finding pc to use.... that might be it, with the mac pro disks, but it was doing this before i launched it with a mac pro disk, like the original two times that i wiped the disk, the first time it would of been solely imac disk, as it hadn't needed the mac pro disks then. Argh!! annoying, lol

ok next stupid question.. is your iMac a G5? or an Intel

 

[chrl268]

sorry, intel

 

[Fuzzbear]

sorry, intel

Dunno man youve got me stumped.. perhaps its time to talk to a genius.

VMware fusion as mentioned is a good alternative too.

 

[chrl268]

downloading the trial as we speak, i'll try it out, and later this afternoon i'll try installing mac on a partition then windows onto that partition... but yes, has me stumped too

 

[jjdaire]

Deleted Macintosh HD

I'm going to preface this, I did something really stupid. In an attempt to partition my drive a removed the "partition" that contained my OS X Leopard. After I figured this out and tried to calm myself down, I attempted to use the Mac Pro restore disk. It went through the first few steps and then when it got to the part about where to install the operating system, there were NO options. The field was completely blank. I then went to disk utilities (which was still available) and I tried to somehow get that drive back. The partition I designated for Windows showed up but I could not restore my "Macintosh HD". I know I screwed up bad. Can anyone supply some insight to my dilemma. Thanks.

 

[Fuzzbear]

I'm going to preface this, I did something really stupid. In an attempt to partition my drive a removed the "partition" that contained my OS X Leopard. After I figured this out and tried to calm myself down, I attempted to use the Mac Pro restore disk. It went through the first few steps and then when it got to the part about where to install the operating system, there were NO options. The field was completely blank. I then went to disk utilities (which was still available) and I tried to somehow get that drive back. The partition I designated for Windows showed up but I could not restore my "Macintosh HD". I know I screwed up bad. Can anyone supply some insight to my dilemma. Thanks.

When your in disk utility, what steps did you take to restore the HD? First aid? Erase?

 

[jjdaire]

When your in disk utility, what steps did you take to restore the HD? First aid? Erase?

Well, in the Disk Utility dialog box, it has the make and model of my hard drive and under that it has the image of the partition I designated for Windows XP. I tried to delete the old image in hopes that clearing out that partition would make it possible for me to do a restore. I also tried to create a new image but it asked me to find a source. Honestly, I don't know what else to do?

 

[jjdaire]

I found a solution. Thanks for the help.

When your in disk utility, what steps did you take to restore the HD? First aid? Erase?

I went into Disk Utility and overwrote my previous XP partition with 2 partitions and applied Mac OS X Extended preferences and selected GUID and I was able to install OS X Leopard. I really do appreciate your willingness to help. Thanks.