How do I remove the Windows partition? Boot Camp Assistant does not allow me to select the remove option.

Question

I am using an iMac, 8.1, early 2008. I installed Windows XP at that time. I am now using OS 10.8.5 and want to remove the Windows partition to free up disk space. Boot Camp Assistant does not allow me to select the "install or remove" option. How can I get rid of the Windows partition?

Answer 1

You can try removing it in Disk Utility.
To resize the drive do the following:
1. Open Disk Utility and select the drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list.
2. Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility main window. You should see the graphical sizing window showing the existing partitions. A portion may appear as a blue rectangle representing the used space on a partition.
3. Select the bottom rectangle/partition. Click on the Delete [-] button below the sizing window to remove it. Click on the Apply button. Wait until the process has completed.
4. In the lower right corner of the sizing rectangle for the remaining partition is a resizing gadget. Select it with the mouse and drag it all the way down to the bottom. Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed. 
You should now have a restored single volume on the drive.
It would be wise to have a backup of your current system as resizing is not necessarily free of risk for data loss.  Your drive must have sufficient contiguous free space for this process to work.