Removing bootcamp

[golfgirlgolf]

I just got a new/used late 2012 iMac with a 3TB Fusion drive setup and Mavericks - and it has a bootcamp partition on it which I do not want or need.

I cannot get rid of it and it's eating up 500GB of space!

Using the program Boot Camp Assistant - the "off" switch in there doesn't work. I get this error - "The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition" - meaning I have to boot from something else to repartition - and maybe can not repartition it at all.

I tried both boot from recovery, and internet recovery next...but each time it's back to the same thing in Disk Utility - can't erase/repartition the whole drive. Partitions cannot be resized or deleted - every field in DU is greyed out.

Next - I created a bootable Mavericks thumb drive and booted from it - same problem. It makes no sense to me why, when booted from a thumb drive one cannot reformat or repartition the internal - but there it is.

Attached pics show what I get in Disk Utility. (The first one is while booted from the Mavericks thumb drive)

 

[maflynn]

Can you delete the OSX partition and then the bootcamp partition?

Did you try erasing the OSX partition?

Sounds like maybe Disk Utility is unable move things around on your Fusion drive, perhaps because its so full

 

[golfgirlgolf]

Can you delete the OSX partition and then the bootcamp partition?

Did you try erasing the OSX partition?

Sounds like maybe Disk Utility is unable move things around on your Fusion drive, perhaps because its so full

Thanks for the reply - no I cannot delete, erase or resize anything in Disk Utility - regardless if booted from recovery or external thumb drive. Everything is greyed out no matter what I try. (Edit - correction I can erase the 'Macintosh" volume but it doesn't help)

At the moment I'm preparing to reinstall OSX Mavericks - the the 3TB internal is only showing 2.59 as available - so I'm pretty sure that 500GB Bootcamp partition is still going to be there.

The disk is NOT full - this is an empty machine - not one user file on it.

 

[Quackers]

Try deleting the Bootcamp partition with something like gdisk (GPT fdisk). Be careful to read the information available first so you don't delete the wrong partition.
Once that's done Disk Utility may be able to make your Mac volume one-piece again.
I suspect it's got something to do with your 3TB drive and the BootCamp created hybrid mbr, as that can only read 2.2TB.
In fact, once you've deleted the BC partition you may be better off creating a new protective mbr with the same program so that the drive becomes fully GPT again.

On the other hand it could be the fusion drive that's causing problems. I haven't used a fusion drive so tread carefully.

http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/

 

[golfgirlgolf]

Thanks - a new OSX Mavericks install from the thumb drive worked, but the problem remains as I suspected - bootcamp partition still remains and nothing can be changed in Disk Utility or Bootcamp Assistant.

I've booted into -
1. Restore
2. Internet Restore
3. Mavericks Installer on external

NONE - not one will allow me to touch the 3TB internal HDD

No repartitioning
No resizing
No deleting or adding partitions
No reformatting
nothing
EVERYTHING is disabled.

Still stuck with no idea what to do with this other that return it to the seller if I can't format the drive.

GPT fdisk looks like it is beyond my skill set - and not sure I want to risk it. Applecare might be next.

 

[DeltaMac]

Here's an article about renaming a logical volume through the terminal.
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/74104/how-can-i-rename-a-logical-volume-group
You'll notice that even renaming means that the logical volume is removed, and recreated - which should get you closer to your goal.

 

[golfgirlgolf]

Thanks so much for the helpful ideas everyone - the seller has initiated a refund/return just as I was getting ready to try target disk mode and reformat it with my other iMac - so - it's going back.

I really appreciate the help though so thanks again!