Win 8 bootcamp problem - Am I out $

[jazzer15]

I have been having a few issues with my Mac and Apple support suggested I set up a new Mountain Lion Partition on my hard drive to test things out. Doing so has made my Windows 8 bootcamp partition unusable. I can see the bootcamp partition in finder, but the drive doesn't show up as a bootable option when starting the machine, so I can't use it.

I originally purchased and installed it through a download upgrade. I have the product key but I do not have an ISO file or physical DVD. Is there any way to reinstall Windows 8 now or am I going to have to buy it again?

 

[monkeycid]

There should be a link in the email you received after purchasing to download or click the "view account online" link at the bottom of the email. You'll need to fill in the form first before you can view your order details but there should be a download link available.

If it happens to be the Upgrade Assistant thingy then unfortunately you'll have to run it on a pre-Windows 8 machine again and when prompted, create media ISO or something like that.

I had to install Windows 7 on my MBP first before I could download the ISO file which I transferred to the Mac partition and eventually saved onto my USB after I installed Windows 8.

 

[jazzer15]

Thanks very much. It looks like I can order a backup DVD through the email. If I get the DVD do you know if I can do a new clean install or if I will have to reinstall Windows 7 first?

 

[balamw]

If you are not afraid of the command line, you might well be able to repair it yourself without a reinstall.

murphychris has been quite active in this area recently, so check out some of the threads he's been in for more info.

B