Questions about partioning the drive, installing Windows, and bootcamp

I have a 2.0ghz Intel Core 2 Duo model Mac Mini model MB139LL/A, I upgraded the ram to 4GB and the HDD to 500GB.
I just partitioned off about 100 gigs of my 500 gig drive in my Mac Mini for Windows 7.
Before installing, I just want to know, is it safe if when in the Windows 7 installer, I delete the FAT32 partition that Boot Camp made and tell the Win7 installer to just partition the now unpartitioned space however it feels like? Or would this cause problems with MACOS or the Mac bootloader detecting the Windows installation if I did this (please note that I am ONLY touching the FAT32 Windows partition that bootcamp made, NOT any other partition)? Windows 7 sometimes creates a 100meg boot partition for features like bitlocker and other options, but it will not do this if you are installing on an existing partition, which is why I asked.
Also, is it possible (without hacking or third party boot software) to have three operating systems installed on the Mac Mini instead of two or no? Would bootcamp support booting more than two operating systems?
Finally, is there any way to read the NTFS Windows partition in Snow Leopard or the HFS+ Snow Leopard partition in Windows 7?

You need to tell Windows to format that FAT32 partition created by Bootcamp to NTFS. Don't delete it or create a new one. The reason is that OS X uses a partitioning layout called GPT, while Windows and most other OS's use MBR. Therefore, Bootcamp alleviates that by creating a special MBR partition.
Second, the only way to triple-boot OS X with two or more non-OS X operating systems (you can multi-boot with as many OS X installations as you want) is to use a third party loader, such as rEFIt.
Third, by default, OS X can only read the NTFS bootcamp partition, and Windows can only read the HFS+ OS X partition. You can install third party software to get around that, such as MacDrive for Windows, or NTFS-3g for OS X. Snow Leopard also has an experimental NTFS read/write driver, but it's disabled, and for good reason, for it is quite crash-prone.

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How do I install windows and bootcamp on my macbook Air

Hi
I need to install Windows and Bootcamp on my macbook Air, due to a software tool a customer needs that only runs on windows.
The initial instructions say I cannot do this with a remote DvDplayer,
Who has experienced this?
Chris

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/boot_camp_install-setup_10.7.pdf

Question about viewing hard drives in windows

So I just Installed windows on my macpro, on a second internal hardrive. Now when I run in OSX I can view the harddrive that windows is installed on, but when Im in windows I can't get into the harddrive with OSX on it.
I've looked in device manager and windows is saying that there is reading the OSX drive, but basically says its blank and I can't use it.
I really want to be able to swap info between these hardrives. Any advice?

You need to install the Boot Camp drivers from a Mac OS X 10.6 DVD or third-party software such as MacDrive.
(55693)

Question about message "The drive you inserted was not readable..."

This might not be a Snow Leopard question, but that's the most recent thing I've changed, so here goes (and my apologies for the length of this): I started with an Intel Mac Mini running OSX 10.5 (with all of the updates) which has a USB-connected HP printer/scanner. This has run well for quite some time. Subsequently, I purchased two Seagate USB external drives (an Expansion Hard Drive and a GoFlex drive). The drives themselves seem to work fine, everything shows up reliably and I've had no obvious problems. However, soon after the drives were connected, I started getting the message "The disk you inserted was not readable by your computer." I determined, by restarting with various components disconnected, that the message appears when I connect the USB cable of my printer to the computer. This did not happen before I purchased the Seagate drives. Thinking that I just had old software, I updated the HP printer drivers and updated to Snow Leopard; however, I still have the same issue. I have to respond to the message by clicking "Ignore". Looking at the console log, I can see that, when I connect the printer USB cable, it shows "com.apple.kextd: /System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0."

This might not be a Snow Leopard question, but that's the most recent thing I've changed, so here goes (and my apologies for the length of this): I started with an Intel Mac Mini running OSX 10.5 (with all of the updates) which has a USB-connected HP printer/scanner. This has run well for quite some time. Subsequently, I purchased two Seagate USB external drives (an Expansion Hard Drive and a GoFlex drive). The drives themselves seem to work fine, everything shows up reliably and I've had no obvious problems. However, soon after the drives were connected, I started getting the message "The disk you inserted was not readable by your computer." I determined, by restarting with various components disconnected, that the message appears when I connect the USB cable of my printer to the computer. This did not happen before I purchased the Seagate drives. Thinking that I just had old software, I updated the HP printer drivers and updated to Snow Leopard; however, I still have the same issue. I have to respond to the message by clicking "Ignore". Looking at the console log, I can see that, when I connect the printer USB cable, it shows "com.apple.kextd: /System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext does not declare a kernel dependency; using com.apple.kernel.6.0."

HELP! My Mac won`t wake up after installing Windows and Bootcamp

Hello,
I posted a message in another discussion earlier but I guess it is best to open a new discussion.
I upgraded to mac Leopard today (on a new 24 inch imac) and installed bootcamp.
In bootcamp I chose the 32GB FAT partition for windows, and everything worked fine until I had to choose the partition to install windows, where I could only choose a 115 GB (or so) partition. Fearing I'd mess up my Mac partition, I quit the windows installer (following the instructions in the installer) and since this, my mac wakes up with the mac sound and the screen remains blank. No matter what keys I push durin power up, or the installation CDs I insert, my Mac won't wake up!
Does anyone know what to do?
Is there a way to recover the master boot (or whatever it is called in mac?)
Thanks
Thanks!

I have had the same issue...
I just purchased my 20" iMac less than one week ago. I tried running boot camp and got an was not able to see my bootcamp partition in the windows installer. I quit the installer and now my computer launches into the white screen and will not progress further. I have tried various methods of recovery but to no avail. Here is a list:
_Using the iMac OSX Leopard installer disk_
• insert disk into iMac slot and boot pressing "c" - result = white screen
• insert disk into iMac slot and boot pressing "x" - result = white screen
• insert disk into iMac slot and boot pressing "option' - result = white screen w/ mouse pointer
• insert disk into Power Mac G4 in target mode and boot pressing "c" - result = white screen
• insert disk into Power Mac G4 in target mode and boot pressing "x" - result = white screen
• insert disk into Power Mac G4 in target mode and boot pressing "option' - result = white screen w/ mouse pointer
• trying to boot Intel iMac in Target mode pressing "t" - result = white screen
_Using General Purpose Leopard Disk_
Same results as above.
My question is there any way to get this system to recognize a boot disk or see any boot partition outside itself?
All of the above methods were done with the power cable being unplugged and plugged back in and being all sorts of careful. I have had the CAT-5 cable out of the system during whole process.
Is there some triple secret trick that I don't know about?
Note - I have worked on and serviced video and graphics systems on Mac 8200's on up (and others) for over 12 years. So I am not a babe in the woods. My guess here is that Boot Camp is doing something to the firmware and it is toast.
Message was edited by: Martin Mcgowan

Use external drive for windows and mac

Hello,
I just bought a external 320Gb Western Digital Drive. I would like to use
the drive for windows and mac.I will not like to make partation on the drive
to use it on both operating systems. Is there any formating system with which i can use in both operating systems? I would like to use time machine feature on that drive also.
Thanx.

If you want to use a disk for both PC/Mac file storage and Time Machine, you will have to create two partitions. Partitioning is sort of like creating multiple virtual disks on the same physical disk. One partition should be formatted for PC (which the Mac can also use) and the other should be formatted for HFS+ (Mac only) which is what Time Machine requires. The Disk Utility application makes partitioning and formatting very easy.

"The drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again."

Have an Envy M6-K010DX notebook. Due to an internet problem while upgrading from Win 8 to 8.1, the PC doesn't properly boot and Windows Explorer won't load. Decided to 'Refresh' the OS and went to the F11 restore utilities. When I go to the refresh utility and follow the prompts I reach a message that says, "The drive where windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again." I've searched support for unlocking instructions and aside from some bootrec commands (that didn't work - probably because I don't have a Win 8 disk) not much is available.
The only access I have for running commands is via the Task Manager and F11 command prompt. What is this 'locked' drive, anyway? Does anyone have any information on this?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Its hard to say if it the data is accessable or if the file system is corrupted or not.
Recuva is a free utility to recover files that are missing due to deleting or reformatting.
Not all of the data will be recoverable now but perhaps most of it is.
If Recuva cannot detect anything, I doubt a paid program will do any better.
You can plug the old drive into a sata port on a desktop PC or you can purchase a usb adapter to use on another laptop.
If you go with a USB adapter, get one thats usb 3.O if possible.
Example: for notebook drives...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812161005

Installed new hard drive in imac and i get folder with question mark, put in OS install disk and it does nothing? All I have is wireless key board and mouse, is this a factor?

Installed new hard drive in imac and i get folder with question mark, put in OS install disk and it does nothing? All I have is wireless key board and mouse, is this an issue?

Other than put disc in you don't give much info about what you've done. With the install disc inserted restart your Mac while holding the C key, that should start it up from the install disc. Should also work fine with a wireless Apple keyboard.

How do I install windows using BootCamp without cd drive fot the new MBP?

I need some softwares for my work (modelsim, altera, ltspices etc) but some of them only supports windows.
New MBP doesnt seem to have a cd driver.
How do I install windows using bootcamp without cd drivers?

You can use a USB thumbdrive to do this, assuming you have access to a windows machine to format the usb stick.
I installed Win7 on my MB Air (2011), which of course lacks a DVD drive altogether, using this technique.
Basically, you download a tool called rEFIt to your macbook. ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/refit/files/rEFIt/0.14/rEFIt-0.14.dmg/download ) When this is installed, it gives you a boot selector menu when you boot the Macbook ('Do you want to boot to MacOS or to the USB drive?')
Then you download and run an Apple tool called Boot Camp Assistant, which allows you to partition your HD for the two operating systems to share; it also pulls down all the windows drivers you need.
Then prep the USB thumbdrive on a windows machine to be a Win7 installer disk. You'll want a drive in the 4gb+ range I think. You have to set up the thumbdrive to be bootable (lots of tools for that available), and then copy all the windows installation files over to it.
Put the thumbdrive in the macbook and boot holding down the option key.
Choose the rEFIt icon on boot, then choose to boot from the thumbdrive, then format your new windows partition to something Win7 can handle, and install windows.
On my machine I followed a slightly more involved process and wiped out MacOS entirely. I would have kept it on a small partition if I'd had a bigger hard drive.
If you need super detailed instructions, CNET has some here:
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20020513-285/install-win-7-on-macbook-air-fr om-a-usb-drive/
Tech-Recipes has some similar instructions here:
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/9136/macbook-air-install-windows-7-with-boot-camp -without-an-external-dvd-drive/
If you have any issues after trying this, ping me and I may have solved them when I went through the same process.

Hi, I have macbook Pro, running Leopard OS X. I partitioned my hard drive a while ago to install windows and only allowed myself 10 Gig of data. Anyway, i deleted windows and want another OSX on there instead. How do i make this partition bigger please??

Hi, I have macbook Pro, running Leopard OS X. I partitioned my hard drive a while ago to install windows and only allowed myself 10 Gig of data. I deleted windows after i realised i wasnt enjoying using it at all and wasted my hard drive. I now decided that i want another OSX on there instead yet i have only allowed myself 10 gb on the partition. I have ben thru some programms but am struggling on making this partition bigger.
I only want it at 20gb but cant seem to make the partition bigger, only smaller or split it into further partition.
Is there a way to do this, i have all installation discs from original OSX so think this could help.
Any help please would be fantastic.
Thanks Chris

Hi, dragging the partition will only make smaller, not larger. In disk utility you can only split or make smaller the partitions. Yes i booted from installation disks also but still no help.
And Brody, I am willing to erase the disc completely, infact jus started doing a backup in order to do so but that failed also. And the information you gave on partition a hard drive, Although very simple and i already know how to do this, but it wont let me make the partition bigger, and i dont want to make a new partition, just enlarge the one i already have, which i dont see possible from disk utility.
Getting really frustrated now, even backing up is saying no to me. **** external being a douche.
I dont mind erasing the hard drive but surely this must be doable without deleting the secondary partition back t a single volume, and re partitioning into 2 volumes again.
Thanks again

All my hard drives (internal and external) have a small lock in the lower left corner of the icon and I don't have permissions to access. Permissions are set to 'Custom' in the get info window and I can't change them.

All my hard drives (internal and external) have a small lock in the lower left corner of the icon and I don't have permissions to access. I have 3 user accounts set up and I cannot access any of them. Permissions are set to 'Custom' in the get info window and I can't change them. Originally I had Snow Leopard installed on one hard drive and 10.5.8 installed on another. I started to have some problems accessing data between them and so I tried changing the permissions on ONE hard drive partition. The next thing I know, all my drives are locked (except the ones with the systems on them), the small lock appeared in the lower left corner of the drive icons and I don't have permissions to access any of them. In the get info window, permissions are set to 'Custom' and I can't change them.

There is suddenly a lock icon on my external backup drive!
Custom Permissions

Hi All, I am trying to install informatica 9.1 HF 2 connecting to 11g DB. when installing Informatica, I am at the DOMAIN CREATION windows and inputting the DB connect details and for some reason, it cannot connect to the DB. The DB is running any id

Hi All,
I am trying to install informatica 9.1 HF 2 connecting to 11g DB.
when installing Informatica, I am at the DOMAIN CREATION windows and inputting the DB connect details and for some reason, it cannot connect to the DB.
The DB is running
any ideas?
the error message states:
THE CONNECTION FAILED: CORRECT THE DATABASE INFO AND TEST THE CONNECTION AGAIN..any help please
thanks

Yup, that did it.
I actually had been made aware of the patch when I downloaded CF, but for some reason I thought it was difficult to install (I thought that you could only use the installer package if you could open Administrator). IAC I downloaded the appropriate patch file, ran it and Administrator ran. There was something in the install notes about reconfiguring the websites and removing the IIS6 Management feature but I'm not going to fool with anything because right now at least CF is running.
Thanks.

While installing windows with bootcamp error showing "A require Cd/Drive driver is missing" in the middle of installation. Please help what to do ??

While installing windows with bootcamp error showing "A require Cd/Drive driver is missing" in the middle of installation m not able to install windows on my mac . Please help what to do ??

What DVD drive are you using?

I need to install windows 7 on my iMac. I used the bootcamp assistant to partition the drive (101Gb). My bootcamp partition, when I am to choose a partitian, was deleted (by an instructor) I think I might need to repartition my hard drive. What do I do?

I need to install windows 7 on my iMac. I used the bootcamp assistant to partition the drive (101Gb). My bootcamp partition, when I am to choose a partitian, was deleted (by an instructor) I think I might need to repartition my hard drive but I am not sure. What do I do? I haven't ruined my iMac have I?

Help! I can't do my college homework if I can't run windows on my iMac! (school is on windows, limited access to the library)

I purchased the Logitech F310 game controller for my 2011 MacBook Pro. How do I get the driver installed for it. The Disk that came with the controller is a mini disk and will not insert into my laptop.

I purchased the Logitech F310 game controller for my 2011 MacBook Pro. How do I get the driver installed for it. The Disk that came with the controller is a mini disk and will not insert into my laptop.

May not make a difference anyway. The Logitech support site does not show drivers for Mac OS for the F310:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support/gamepad-f310?crid=411
I'd contact their support to find out if there is a Mac driver available, and if they can either give you a web link to get it, e-mail you the software, or snail-mail you a standard-size disk with the drivers.

Questions about partioning the drive, installing Windows, and bootcamp

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