How to partition in order to run Boot Camp

I have an iMac 9.1 Intel Core 2 Duo running Mac OS X 10.6.8.
I have also downloaded the correct version of Boot Camp and saved to an external USB formatted for MS-DOS (FAT32).
I am running Boot Camp Assistant. Problem is when I get to the option where I am to download the software to install the Boot Camp drivers (I select "Download the Windows support software for this Mac" because I do not have the Mac OS X installation disc that came with my iMac), it tells me the following:
"The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition. The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows."

It is not giving you that message because you do not have the original start up disc for your Mac.  It is giving you that message because you have more than one partition on the boot drive in your Mac.  The way that BootCamp works is that it creates the required partitions on your Mac boot drive.  Due to limitations of Windows, you can only have up to 4 primary partitions on your drive, and the Boot Camp installation process wants to use at least 3 of those.  If you already have more than one partition on the drive, they can't guarantee that you will be able to access all your partitions properly, so it tells you that you need to re-create a single partition on your boot drive.
If you have a good system clone, you should still be able to use the Disk Utility to restore the drive back to a single partition.  Doing this could cause corruption if not done properly, that is why I suggest having a good clone before you try.

Similar Messages

  • How do I partition my hard drive for boot camp?

    Model Name:          MacBook Pro
      Model Identifier:          MacBookPro1,2
      Processor Name:          Intel Core Duo
      Processor Speed:          2.16 GHz
      Number Of Processors:          1
      Total Number Of Cores:          2
      L2 Cache:          2 MB
      Memory:          2 GB
      Bus Speed:          667 MHz
      Boot ROM Version:          MBP12.0061.B03
      SMC Version (system):          1.5f10
      Serial Number (system):
      Hardware UUID:          00000000-0000-1000-8000-0016CB982183
      Sudden Motion Sensor:
      State:          Enabled
    Okay so this is my machine. I want to run Boot Camp and to install Windows XP onto the machine as I need to use certain windows programmes for my business as well as the Mac stuff.
    I have no idea how to partition some of my free 26gb space to create a drive to install windows onto?
    Can any help please?

    dpx wrote:
    If you do really want to partition your hard drive then you need to look in your utilities folder for disk utility.
    Once this is open, click on your hard drive image in the left hand column and then you will see a partition tab. Here you can split your HD into two partitions. Call one of them XP or something like that so that you know where to install windows.
    It's quite safe and you can always go back to one big partition if things do not work out.
    Remember though to backup first...
    To the OP
    Do not heed this advice, you should use Boot Camp Assistant to create the partition for Boot Camp, do not use Disk Utility.

  • How much disk space is needed to run Boot Camp using Windows XP?

    How much disk space is needed to run Boot Camp using Windows XP?

    The hatter wrote:
    But you can't install XP if you have a new Mac.
    Try running XP in a VM or aquire Windows 7 which is the only one supported now.
    And you will need more like 60GB for Windows 7, so I would skip on 20GB just to be safe.
    20G is a fine minimum for XP, I was not responding to any inquiry about Win 7.

  • How do i uninstall Vista when i can't run Boot Camp Assistant Beta?

    Recently, i posted a topic on how i can uninstall windows on my mac but as i tired to run Boot camp assistant, i got a message saying "Boot Camp Assistant Beta has expired"
    PLEASE HELP!
    I really want to get rid of Windows!
    Thanks

    manually change the time myself?
    Yes. The beta assistant won't run unless the time is manually set backwards.
    (42532)

  • Running Boot Camp partition via a VM?

    Can someone comment on their experiences running Boot Camp through their VM software?
    Does it prevent you from booting into the Boot Camp partition?
    I know you have to install the tools for your VM onto the Boot Camp partition to keep your activation active? What happens if one uninstalls the VM? Can the tools be uninstalled to and the Boot Camp partition work like normal again?
    Most importantly, can running the Boot Camp partition through a VM cause any damage?

    It seems to be hanging, it's actually listed as Not Responding by the force quit menu.
    Though I did just check the HD in Disk Utility, and it seems like there is a Windows Partition of the correct size, so I am starting to think BCA just crashed after successfully partioning.

  • Can you run Boot Camp and Fusion at the same time?

    Hi,
    I had boot camp installed on my mac pro and loved it. I decided to get greedy and install Fusion using the boot camp partition. The Fusion install went ok but then Microsoft started to get fussy. Every time I would do something on Fusion it would ask me to "Re-activate Windows" when I logged into boot camp. Maybe if I saw Fusion fully working I wouldn't want to run boot camp any more but I think I want to have the option to run either. Right now I only have 1 gig real memory on my mac pro and Fusion seems a little slow compared to native boot camp. Can I run both boot camp and fusion without having to buy two native copies of Windows XP pro? I don't want a "sensible" answer, I want an answer that takes into account how Microsoft treats this re-activation situation.
    I guess Leopard might make this all obsolete, but until then .....
    ... Flash Gordon

    You need to make sure to install VMware Tools into your virtual machine (while booted into Windows via Fusion). Once you do this you shouldn't have to continually activate Windows when going back and forth from Boot Camp to Fusion. I've seen this discussed over on the VMware Fusion discussion boards, so you may want to look there for more details.
    Also, if Windows starts telling you it's been activated too many times, you can call Microsoft and they'll give you an alternate activation key. The phone number is listed on the Windows error screen. I had to do it and they were very accommodating. I just told them I was running Windows in a virtual machine, and there were almost no questions asked.
    You don't need to buy 2 copies of Windows to run both Boot Camp and VMFusion.

  • Does anyone know what the partitions look like after installing boot camp on a 3T fusion drive

    I installed a boot camp partition on a 3T fusion drive.  Running disk utility afterward it looks like this.
    Is this what it should look like?  I understand about the need for bootcamp to create 2 physical drives in core storage in order to install boot camp on a 3T fusion drive but should I see both drives after it is done?

  • Running Boot Camp Assistant after NetRestore

    In our environment we are running OS X Server 10.6.8, and our labs have Snow Leopard Macs that are running Boot Camp with Windows 7 on a second hard drive. I want to be able to deploy a NetRestore image and have it automatically partition the second hard drive for Boot Camp and install Windows 7 afterwards. Is there a way I can automate the Boot Camp process, or at least have the Boot Camp Assistant open post-install?

    Cheers ^^
    You have no idea how many hours I've been trying to get round this 'broken' problem.
    Just ignored that part, formated, then re-formatted in windows and installed no problem.
    I guess it's plainly obvious to you guys, but not so to those of us struggling with 2 OS's
    thanks again.

  • While i was running boot camp to install windows 7 i had to cancel operation. Now my mac comes up black screen with a curser at top

    while i was running boot camp to install windows 7 i had to cancel operation. Now my mac comes up black screen with a curser at top

    First of all, start your Mac with the Alt key pressed until the boot manager apears. If your keyboard is wireless probably you should press the power button at the same time you start the Mac.
    After, go to Bootcamp Assistant and remove the windows partition and do all the process again.
    Remember to remove all the USB/Firewire/Thunderbolt devices that are attached to the Mac during the windows installation.
    Once windows boots for first time, install windows support software with all the drivers.
    IMPORTANT: If the windows partition doesn't boot correctly (Black screen with white blinking cursos at the left top corner) do this steps to boot windows:
    1- Start the Windows Installation DVD at system start.
    2- Click on Repair System, not install.
    3- Select Command Prompt
    4- Run these 3 commands: (Press enter for each command)
         Bootrec.exe /FixMbr
         Bootrec.exe /FixBoot
          Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd
    5- Exit command line (type exit)
    6- Click on Restart button.
    7- Boot the Mac and you will see that It automaticaly loads windows
    Tell us how it goes!!
    PS: Sorry for my bad english!!!

  • How to uninstall parallels prior to install boot camp

    I am using IMac with latest software up-date. In order to install boot camp for some specific windows applications ( change from XP to 7)
    I have to uninstall parallels. How shall I proceed?
    Thanks for any help.

    The following from the Parallels support site may help:
    Parallels Desktop 9: http://kb.parallels.com/en/116992
    Links to uninstall instructions for other versions are near the top of the above link.

  • New mac book pro - to run boot camp or not?

    hi,
    im a brand new mac user and have had a brief browse of some problems that others have encountered with boot camp and possible crashes during partitioning...
    i'm not sure if anyone can help but i was wondering if it would be safest to run boot camp and partition my hard drive before i even use my new mbp? or to not run it at all - i will only be using windows to play the odd computer game, for everything else i will use my mbp as it was originally intended.
    what is the level of risk involved with boot camp? ...should i just run it before any data is saved onto the drive and hope for the best...?
    or fork out the cash for the mac versions of the each game (3 max)?
    i just don't want to screw it up, as my brother has had similar problems with his... and i've been saving for months!
    thanks for reading this far and thankyou for your help in advance!

    Boot Camp works beautifully if you follow directions. BC is merely an installer (and a good one). Windows works perfectly well on a Mac (better than some PCs). Windows is Windows - it has it's needs. If you are familiar with Windows no problem. Or - if you are willing to learn - no problem. There IS wisdom in installing BC right away. I found that if I install BC right after OS X, it is a good idea. As soon as I loaded the OSX updates there was potential trouble in that the updates were placed right in the spot where I needed my partition to go - requiring the Apple equivalent of a defrag. This happens rarely, but it does happen. Install OS X > Open BootCamp & Install > Partition for Windows > Update OS X - you'll be fine.

  • Can I delete the mac partition used to create the boot camp partition?

    I am using Mac OS 10.9.5 on a late 2011 17" Macbook Pro.
    I currently have an SSD in the primary drive slot with my primary Mac partition and an HDD in the Superdrive slot that has one unused Mac partition that I would like to delete and a Windows 8 partition that I would like to keep.
    Can I delete the extra Mac partition on the HDD so I can use that as spare space? It was the Mac partition that was used to run Boot Camp and create the Windows 8 partition that is on the same drive so I am nervous that the Windows 8 partition needs to rely on that Mac partition to work for whatever reasons.
    I recently went through a huge ordeal to create a Windows 8 Boot Camp partition as I wanted it on my computer. I had previously taken out the Superdrive and replaced it with a data doubler and the original hdd, and I had an aftermarket SSD in the primary drive bay. I had been using the SSD as my Mac partition and the HDD as spare storage space. For my Boot Camp config, I wanted to split the HDD into 2 partitions and make one Windows 8 and the other spare storage space while keeping the SSD dedicated to my Mac partition. Achieving that required removing the SSD, removing the data doubler, reinstalling the Superdrive, putting the original HDD back in the primary drive slot, installing and updating Mac OS on the HDD, using that Mac install to run Boot Camp and create a second partition for Windows 8, installing Windows from the Superdrive, and then putting everything back by taking out the Superdrive, putting the HDD back in the data doubler, and putting the SSD back in. Everything works now. Understandably I don't want to break anything and have to redo this process.
    That said I do want to delete that extra Mac partition and use it as extra storage, if I can do so without breaking the Boot Camp Windows 8 partition.

    ilovemac wrote:
    Use Disk Utility and remove the "BOOTCAMP" partition. Then make "Macintosh HD" all the way to the bottom to regain space.
    Wrong advice. Do not use Disk Utility. Use Bootcamp Assistant to remove the Bootcamp partition and return the drive to a single OSx partition. Using Disk Utility will result in lost space, lost data, and possibly an unusable OSx partition. Read the Bootcamp help and user guides.

  • Can i just partition my HD by using boot camp 4.0.1 without install window?

    Can i just partition my HD by using boot camp 4.0.1 without install windows?
    cox i want to use rEFIt to boot up my pendrive to install windows.
    Due to some reason the boot camp 4.0.1 cannnot detect my usb drive (that contained windows 7), so thats why i use the rEFIt to boot from my usb drive

    Yes, you can.
    Let the BootCamp Assistant just make the partition and do not click on "Install Windows"-button.
    The result is a preformatted FAT32-partition on your Mac.
    Stefan

  • How do I install Windows XP with boot camp assistant, on my IMac?

    How do I install Windows XP with boot camp assistant, on my IMac?

    Lion cannot BootCamp XP.
    You can install XP under virtual machine software (Parallels, VM Fusion, VirtualBox).
    And Windows 7 Pro has XP mode.  XP will requires probably days of pathing after install and will be completely unsupported by MS within 1 year, but Windows 7 Pro still has great support from MS.

  • How can I install windows XP with Boot Camp 4.0.4 in Mac OS X 10.7.5?

    How can I install windows XP with Boot Camp 4.0.4 in Mac OS X 10.7.5?

    You can't. Only Windows 7 is supported in that configuration.

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