Bootcamp - the disk cannot be partition because some files cannot be moved

Hi, I have been using boot camp for a while and everything was working fine but over time, windows were picking up some virus so I did a stupid thing of removing the whole partition thinking that I can re-partition again and install a clean windows system.
But to my horror, I got an error message saying "the disk cannot be partition because some files cannot be moved". So I decided to defrag my MBP, after almost 14 hours later the MPB is defrag but I am still getting the same error.
Looking around, I found this quote "On a side note, it actually doesn't have anything to do with fragmentation. It has to do with compacting the disk so that no files are on the outer sectors of the drive. You could have a 100% no fragmented file system but still have gaps between data and data on the outer sectors of the disk. They need to be moved to the inside of the disk. Boot camp will usually do this for you but the problem is if a system file, swap or something can't can't be moved while the OS is running is out there it can't be moved.. thus the error."
Bottom line is what can I do to install bootcamp again? will wiping OSX and reinstall from Time Machine solve this problem? I don't want to waste another day wiping everything when it's not going to work.
Thanks in advance for any help!

Just a quick update, I made sure I had the latest backup on my Time Machine and then I wipe my MBP and restore from Time Machine. The restore was completed however, when I try to boot up from my MBP, it wouldn't start.
I get to the Apple logo screen with the loading icon under that and it stays there forever. The only thing I can do is a hard shut down (press the power button for 10 seconds).
This is turning into a bit of a nightmare!

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Bootcamp - The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved.

I know what you're thinking; this question has been posed before. But my circumstances are different.
Sooo I bought a brand new Macbook Pro 15" Retina, late-2014 model on Monday. After some initial setup (moving my music, downloading programs etc.) I moved onto the last thing I needed to do - set up bootcamp (primarily for gaming I admit).
Specs: 2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
1TB PCIe-based Flash Storage - In total the files I moved onto it left me with about 890GB free on the HD.
At this point I had made sure everything was updated as far as I was aware.
I received the error message "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved." I was trying to make a 151GB partition but also tried going down to 40GB and received the same message. I tried several solutions I found online including booting in cmd+s and typing in some codes, I checked the disk with disk utility and it was fine.
Nothing much for it and I was feeling lazy, I backed up with Carbon Copy Cloner (I much prefer this program to time machine) and reformatted. Clean install of OSX Yosemite and the Macbook looked like it had just come out of the box. Before I even attempted to restore using CCC I started up bootcamp again: same error. With essentially a brand new Macbook Pro right out of the box, near to 1TB HD space free.
I've taken it to the local Apple store but they "Don't have any support for bootcamp in-store" and I'm out of the house for 12 hours a day with work (I'm actually at work now). Plus you know, I require food and such, so I don't get much time to get in touch with Apple support directly.
The guy at the Apple store recommended Parallels or Visualbox; note that I want to use bootcamp. I like the extra power and I have a copy of Windows 8.1 from a previous Macbook Pro that worked wonderfully through bootcamp. This should work as far as I am concerned and I don't want to accept anything less to be honest.
Any ideas?

Hi Loner T,
Thanks for your suggestion, however I did a step wrong and I am facing another bigger problem.
Step 1 was to use time machine to backup OSX, looks like I failed to do that, and only backed up the data instead. Because after I erase my internal disk, I cant restore from TM.
So now the situation is that I can't access my HD, can't reinstall Mac to that hard disk (it is not detected), Cant use DU to repartition the hard disk as well, option not selectable.
What can I do now?

Hard disc wont partition to load bootcamp It says that the disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved

Using Bootcamp Assistant I cant partition my harddrive - get message "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved" The following instructions have been followed with no result "Back up the disk and 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." This is a bit sketchy for someone like me. Do I back up the whole system ie the OS as well or just my data? Can anyone help please?

First take a look at this docuemnt, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2414. When you backup your hard drive it is best to back up all files and the OS, a better option would be to clone the hard drive with Carbon Copy Cloner.

What are the steps if; the disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved

I'm to install windows XP software, and I can partition the disk. If state, "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files canot be moved." What are the steps to complete partition to install windows XP?

Ok what happens with Bootcamp is it needs to carve out a contiguous free space at the bottom of your hard drive.
If it can't do that then it can't make the partition.
What has happened is there are some files down in closer in the bottom part of the drive, this occurs if you've had a hard drive nearly full, performed a software update, installed programs and then removed some files leaving parts and large empty spaces.
So what to do to fix this?
Well your going to have to learn how to clone your OS X boot partition, with all your programs and files to a external drive, which you can then hold the option key and boot from it.
Then you run Disk Utility from the clone, erase the OS X partition on the internal drive and clone everything right back.
This will place everything in order, move everything up and nice and compact at the top of the drive, which will allow you to make a BootCamp partition as big as you have room for.
It will also make your comptuer perform a bit faster too.
Cloning back and forth is rather safe, because you always have a hold option key bootable clone, either on the internal drive or the external drive, your computer will work from either.
What you don't want to use is Defrag software, that moves things around while the computer is running and messes things up quite a bit and really doesn't optimize as well or as safely as a clone.
In fact I just assisted a person who did just that and royally messed up their machine, requiring a complete rebuild of everything.
So read through this thread of mine and grasp things and you'll be cloning your boot drive in no time.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201
Remember that cloning can't clone Filevaulted drives or Bootcamp partitions, also it only (at this time) clones the OS X partition, which for Snow Leopard is the whole drive usually (minus Bootcamp partition.)
However if your on Lion, Carbon Copy Cloner doesn't quite yet clone the hidden Lion Recovery Partition, so when you clone you won't have it on the external drive but the computer will boot off the external drive just fine without it.
So when you go to erase the Lion internal drive, you need to erase only the OS X Lion Partition not the entire drive before reverse cloning.
You should make a Lion Recovery USB if you have Lion, as only through Lion Recvoery can you reinstall Lion now. Instrucitons are in my thread.
The way you can tell if your selecting a partition or a entire drive in Disk Utility is how far left it is.
The far left are devices and the slightly indented items are partitions or media using that device.
Good Luck

Boot camp "the disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved." what to do?

I am attempting to reinstall windows on my MacBook via bootcamp. I have done this before but at the advice of the genius bar today, uninstalled it due to some problems. Now I am reinstalling but after being told the partition size was too small, after making it larger, I am now getting a message that says "the disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved". I don't know how to get past this. Any advice? What is the proper partition size for windows? Thanks in advance.

Hi,
In essence the BootCamp Assistant cannot find a free contingeous diskspace of the size you want to use for WIndows partition/installation and thus fails.
The easiest approach is to clone your OSX to an external harddisk, reformat your internal harddisk and then restore your OSX from the external HD to the internal one.
This 'defrags' the OSX volume so that the BC Assistant can find the diskspace he needs.
SuperDuper and/or Carbon Copy Cloner can do this quite 'painless'.
A Time Machine backup also works.
There are also some commercial solutions for defragging like iDefrag and Drive Genius.
For Windows XP the partition size should be at least 10GB plus the diskspace needed for the Windows programs and files you work with.
Regards
Stefan

HT4818 When I try to partition my hard drive for Windows 7, I get an error saying The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. I have a 2006 Macbook Pro I believe and I really need assistance as soon as possible.

I have Windows 7 Premium Home and I have downloaded the Drivers and when I click Boot Camp Assistance to partition my hard drive, it says, "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up the disk and 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." I can't do any backup really because I don't have an external hard drive to work with. I tried repairing disk permissions but that did not do anything. I really need a lot of help with this with some easy, step-by-step tutorials or something. I believe I have a 2006 version of Macbook Pro(4,1).

Once you have obtained an external drive and connected it you will 'clone' your internal drive to it.
Download Carbon Copy Cloner (it is not free but there is a fully functional trial version which is). Use it to clone your internal drive to your external drive. When that is done you will reboot from the clone and use Disk Utility to erase the internal drive (choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)) as the format (this is normally preset, but check). Make sure to give the external drive a 'distinctive' name, don't want to get drives mixed up in this process.
Once that is done you will use Carbon Copy Cloner (from the clone) to restore the external to the internal.

Boot Camp 2" The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be.."

*" The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved."*
I'm seriously at wits end with this problem, and still looking for a solution. If any of you want to chime in with an answer, I will eternally grateful.
Oh, and just to get it out of the way;
+"defrag your drive with ____"+
Tried it, didn't work.
+"repair your drive using Disk Utility"+
Tried it, didn't work.
+"restore your OS using the start up disk."+
Tried it, didn't work....and now have to upload all my music files the hard way. Why can't iTunes just take it from your iPod? Who knows.
+"Try lowering the Gs to be partitioned."+
Tried lowering it to 30g, didn't work, and can't sacrifice more.
+"use an external Hard drive to copy your Hd...."+
No. I'm not about to blow money on an external HDD, nor do I feel like I should have to.
Specs: Boot Camp 2.0, Mac OS X 10.5.8. (didn't see a way to DL the newer version of Boot Camp.)
Message was edited by: Jtanny

How large is your HD and how much room do you have left?
There can't be ANY files at all in the new partition and there must be room in the old partition to move the "loose" files back to the old area.
I think I read that most "Defrag" programs won't move an "Anchored" file. Meaning it's used buy the 'Root' part of the Mac OS. If any of those files are in the new partition Boot Camp won't install over it, or move it and will just give a warning about not being able to move the files, etc. And it's not suggested to move it unless you knew what you were doing.
"+""use an external Hard drive to copy your Hd....""+
+""No. I'm not about to blow money on an external HDD, nor do I feel like I should have to.""+
What are you going to do when your internal HD dies?
They "rarely" give you any warning at all. You can get an External for as little as $50+- at Amazon, EggHead, etc, just get the size you have now or slightly bigger and then you have a "Backup" drive for the Mac AND Windows to use. Apple even has a BackUp program you can use. At the very least if your internal HD dies then you have another bootable drive to use until you buy another one.
Unfortunately, if you want the Windows install, your best best would be like @Csound1 mentioned, get CCC or SuperDuper and "clone" the drive onto another HD and just copy it back. Takes a couple of hours and your done. Copying it back like that automatically defrags the files as they are copied back. You CAN'T just copy/paste the HD onto another drive as the Finder can't copy the invisible" Root" files.
OR you can wipe the hard drive and start fresh and then spend a half a day to reinstall the Mac OS, then Software Update everything, then install all your third party applications, update those, music, movies, etc, then install Windows, etc.
"""+restore your OS using the start up disk+."""
+""Tried it, didn't work....and now have to upload all my music files the hard way. Why can't iTunes just take it from your iPod? Who knows.""+
I don't think "Restore" works because you may have some "Root" files that don't get erased?
And "Restore" only reinstalls the MAC OS and nothing else, so you shouldn't of had to do anything with ITunes. You definitely want to back everything up anyway, but in theory, it doesn't touch any applications or 3rd party stuff.
+"Specs: Boot Camp 2.0, Mac OS X 10.5.8. (didn't see a way to DL the newer version of Boot Camp.)"+
Boot Camp "Assistant" reboots and set's up Boot Camp to partition, install drivers and start the Windows installer. Boot Camp is actually an exe program. If you have done the Mac Software Update it's probably as high as you can get with 10.5? Go to the Boot Camp main page and check out the "downloads" section and see if they may have a manual download for you. You also can update the Apple drivers from the Windows side once you get there.

The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved is the error?? please help

i want to donwload windows and i have a cd for it but the disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved is the error.please help i dont have the cds that came with the imac . can time machine work for this?

You will need to get the original DVD that came with your iMac it you are using Mac OS X 10.6.8 or if you have the Snow Leopard DVD that will work. Follow these instructions,http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2414

The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved (BOOT CAMP)

"The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved
Back up the disk and 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."
I came across this message a few hours ago and did a quick but thorough research on the topic. It seeeds that the only solutions available were:
-To move large files onto an external drive
-Defragment the hard drive
-Reinstall Mac OS X
I was not willing to do any of the latter two, being time consuming and somewhat hard to do. But then, I came across this post on macworld:
"...thanks to a tip elsewhere, I booted off my Snow Leopard install disk (hold the C key as you boot until the language selection screen appears.) From the Utilities menu on the install screen choose Disk Utility, then Repair Disk"
This appears to be the easiest, less time consuming solution to this popular problem.
(from http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=72767)

For some it works,and always worth a try.
Of course the instructions are to backup your system first which some fail to do.
And repairing should just be normal thing, done regularly, though I prefer to boot from my bootable backup (clone) instead of a DVD.
sometimes even SuperDuper erase and restore works, but in 5% of cases even that doesn't (or the user did something we can't see and didn't occur to them).
If the DVD works, then something was likely wrong to begin with is my own feeling, plus the fsck command should be easier and do the same.
Lion has a hidden feature to check the health of all partitions, all, from the Recovery mode partition.

Error: This disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved.

So I'm trying to partition and install windwos with bootcamp, but all I got is this error while partitioning that:
"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."
Um, what am I supposed to do?
(I heard that i need a defrag,but.. not really? I'm so confused @_@)

I never used iDefrag myself but you are correct, sems like the website if off-line.
I used the Cloning approach that I described in the other thread:
If you have an external HD you might use SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner for cloning your OSX to the external HD; check to see if the external OSX boots; erase your internal OSX; restore OSX from your external HD to your internal HD.
During the clone/restore process the fragmentation that now hinders the partitioning with BootCamp is gone.
Carbon Copy Cloner has an excellent documentation.
For safety you shouldn't use your current Time Machine external harddisk but rather a second one.
And you should try to get your Time Machine running correctly.
Pondini's Time Machine FAQs and Troubleshoot http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html is a good starting point.
Stefan

Disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved

my boot camp assistant says "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up the disk and 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."
can anyone help me figure out what that means?

Hi,
have a look at this thread http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10540273&#10540273 for solutions.
Regards
Stefan

"..cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved."

So here's what happened.. I had WinXP SP2 running on a 20GB partition with my leopard on the other. I needed a little more space on my XP partition, so I erased the partition so I could create another.
However, when I try to create a 30GB partition, I get the error message:
"The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved."
I heard the simplest way to fix this is by using iDefrag or some other programs like that. However, is there a FREE way to fix this? I'm not exactly bursting with extra money right now, it would be great to be able to get my XP partition again without having to pay for it >.<
Any suggestions? This is really frusturating! I tried repairing disk permissions and all that jazz, but it's just not working =[

Defragmentation complete
Defragmentation of the disk MacHD has finished.
NOTE: Some files were skipped due to lack of contiguous free space and therefore remain fragmented. Some other files were skipped for a different reason (code 35)-- please contact our support team to find out what that error means.
For some reason the text didn't copy in >.< but yeah, that's what it says on iDefrag after I run it for my MacHD.

"Disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved" NO RECOVERY PARTITION

After defragmenting my disk the old-fashioned way, I lost my recovery HD partition. I am currently working to get it back.
That was in an attempt to create contiguous space for Boot Camp Assistant. While that error is now solved, a new one has popped up: it says some files cannot be moved.
I am hesitant to repartition the entire drive again. Is this the only thing to do at this point?
I tried running FSCK from single user mode. It didn't help. I can run disk utility from an external backup drive, but isn't that the same as FSCK? I'm honestly not sure so please answer if you know!
(Click thumbnail to enlarge)

You just run Boot Camp Assistant and that downloads drivers.
Using Disk Utility does not setup the Master Boot Record for native dual boot.
BCA or CampTune does.
If you had 10.6.x DVD that has Apple drivers (wish they would just NOT call them also "boot camp" it confuses people).
Print and read the pdf, the FAQ, the install guide.
Draw inside the lines.
Boot from Windows 7 to format.
But yes a lot of people can avoid and still use most non-gaming, non-3D or hardware gobbling resource intensive apps with a VM.

The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved.

everytime i try to partition my hard drive i get this error message.
im not exactly sure if it means to burn it to a disk or back it up on a separate hardrive.
any help with this matter would be GREATLY appreciated
Back up the disk and 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

Hi Travis,
have a look at this just started thread http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2449678&tstart=0
In essence the BootCamp Assistant cannot find a free contingeous diskspace of the size you want to use for BootCamp Assistant and thus fails.
The easiest approach is to clone your OSX to an external harddisk, reformat your internal harddisk and the restore your OSX from the external HD to the internal one.
This 'defrags' the OSX volume so that the BC Assistant can find the diskspace he needs.
Regards
Stefan

"The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moves.

I have seen so many threads about this, but in addition to the solution i was hoping to find out what exactly this problem means. Dont we use disk utility first to partition the drive and then run bootcamp? or do they both do the same thing.
thanks

when that message appears it either means that the windows partition is still on the mac HD or there are some corrupted files on the HD.. there are several ways to solve it, most involve the use of disk utility. in recovery mode, we can validate the HD and then followed by repair. this will patch up any corrupted files on the HD. generally removing the windows partition can be done via bootcamp assistant, in which you press the restore button to completely remove the partition. by doing so, it will also resolve the above message. alternately, you can use disk utility to remove the partiton. this can be done by entering disk utility and clicking on your main HD. under partition options tab, you should see your main HD partitioned into windows and mac HD. you can press the button located at the bottom to remove the windows partition followed by restoring the mac space by dragging the bracket downwards. this is a manual process to remove the windows partition and restoring the mac HD. likewise, this will resolve the issue at hand... quite alot of words but i hope it answers your question.. xD

Bootcamp - the disk cannot be partition because some files cannot be moved

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