Problems partitioning disk for boot camp

[questmcoupe]

I keep getting this error..."The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up disk use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again."


So I've checked and my HD is already a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. I've gone to Disk Utility and verified the HD, verified permissions, and repaired permissions. I don't know what else to do. I don't want to backup the entire drive and format it.

PS, this is on the iMac.

Any suggestions?

 

[sushi]

I keep getting this error..."The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up disk use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again."

Try what it says again. Sometimes it will work the second or third time.

If not, you can always clone to an external HD using Carbon Copy Cloner.

Then erase the internal iMac HD. Then reverse clone. Then you can partition the HD.

BTW, you should have some sort of backup for your iMac HD. Cloning with CCC to an external HD is a good way to start.

 

[MacDawg]

This gets asked a lot and I believe some have used iDefrag to resolve the issue

However, you can use MRoogle to search for other threads with the same issue

Edit: Sushi is right, you should always have a backup before attempting anything like this

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[questmcoupe]

Thanks guys. I'll try idefrag. I have an external HD as my time machine so I do have backups.

I'll report back soon!

 

[borcanm]

I had this problem too. I think its caused by system files that got fragmented and cant be moved. What you have to do is to defragment your hard drive.

Get a program called Drive Genius 2.0, burn it to a dvd using disk utility and then pop it into the drive and select it from the Startup disk in preference panel and then defrag your drive.

FYI After defrag, reboot and hold down the trackpad button to pop the disk out.

 

[MistaBungle]

I was able to get around this problem by clearing a bit of space and then rebooting.

 

[sushi]

The bottom line, is that the OS believes there are files that cannot be relocated where the partition will be created.

Once those files are moved, then the partition can be created.

Defrag might work depending on the files.

Deleting might work, again depending on the files.

I would suggest that Cloning to an external HD is the easiest and surest way to free up the space. Plus, as a side benefit, you have a back up copy of your internal HD. A copy from which you can boot from and thus do maintenance on your internal HD.

 

[questmcoupe]

Well iDefrag is not working. When I boot into the DVD, it keeps telling me it cannot write file to ~/Library/Application Support. So I went in and changed all permissions so that admin can read and write to this folder, still not working.

I thought about cloning the drive, but I wasn't sure if SuperDrive! was going to erase EVERYTHING on my external HD before cloning my internal drive...from the description it sounds like it will and I can't do that since I have other things I need on that drive.

Is there an option for me to clone my drive without erasing everything on the external drive first?

This is such a hassle and I haven't had any issues with the Mac until now.

EDIT: Going to try Drive Genius...

 

[MacDawg]

Well iDefrag is not working. When I boot into the DVD, it keeps telling me it cannot write file to ~/Library/Application Support. So I went in and changed all permissions so that admin can read and write to this folder, still not working.

I thought about cloning the drive, but I wasn't sure if SuperDrive! was going to erase EVERYTHING on my external HD before cloning my internal drive...from the description it sounds like it will and I can't do that since I have other things I need on that drive.

Is there an option for me to clone my drive without erasing everything on the external drive first?

This is such a hassle and I haven't had any issues with the Mac until now.

You aren't having trouble with the Mac, you are having trouble putting Windows on your Mac

I am not familiar with SuperDrive! Are you referring to SuperDuper?
I use Carbon Copy Cloner, and it does not completely erase the external drive unless you specify to do so

As Sushi has said, it is good to always have a backup anyway
You should determine your backup strategy and make this one step for it
If the files on your external are the only copy you have of them, they are not backed up either

Another possibility is to partition the external drive
That is what I have done
I have a 1TB external with partitions for:

Time Machine
Carbon Copy Clone
WinClone of my Boot Camp
Extra storage

Edit: Without a backup I see another "help, I ran Boot Camp and now I can't find my OS X partition!" thread

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[questmcoupe]

You aren't having trouble with the Mac, you are having trouble putting Windows on your Mac

I am not familiar with SuperDrive! Are you referring to SuperDuper?
I use Carbon Copy Cloner, and it does not completely erase the external drive unless you specify to do so

As Sushi has said, it is good to always have a backup anyway
You should determine your backup strategy and make this one step for it
If the files on your external are the only copy you have of them, they are not backed up either

Another possibility is to partition the external drive
That is what I have done
I have a 1TB external with partitions for:

Time Machine
Carbon Copy Clone
WinClone of my Boot Camp
Extra storage

Edit: Without a backup I see another "help, I ran Boot Camp and now I can't find my OS X partition!" thread

Woof, Woof - Dawg

True, it's a problem with Windows...not surprised! LOL

Yes, I meant SuperDuper, sorry about that. I'm going to try CCC now since Drive Genius is not free.

Looks like I need a 1TB to backup everything. I may go out and buy one today. Partitioning the external HD could be a solution, but I guess I would need a program to do that with.

Thanks for the help guys. I did a search and noticed there have been a few threads about this before.

 

[MacDawg]

I did a search and noticed there have been a few threads about this before.

Yes, there have been!
The best solution is the one offered here

The added benefit is that you will have a comprehensive backup strategy in place as well. I would encourage you to use WinClone as well for your Boot Camp partition once you get it set up. It is free, and it works great and will save you a lot of time and trouble when playing with your Boot Camp partition.

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[questmcoupe]

Thanks Dawg...I'll report back soon.

 

[questmcoupe]

Ok, so far I've cloned my HD and booted into it. I erased the Mac HD and am now doing a clone back to the HD. I will try to partition it again once it's done. I hope this works.

On a side not, I ran iDefrag on the Mac HD before trying the cloning, but it got to about 12% and then stayed at "letting drive cool" for too long. I put a big fan near the Mac and that did nothing so I stopped it.