Will formatting my hard drive remove my bootcamp partition? Also, downgrading...?

Hi!
I have 2 partitions, one for Mavericks and one for Windows 8. I would like to do a clean install of Mavericks. I have already redownloaded Mavericks and I'm about to put it on a USB so I can boot from it and reinstall the operating system. I read somewhere that to format your hard drive and do a clean install, you have to boot into the USB and then you'll have an option to format your hard drive from there. I'm not sure if that's correct so that's another thing I would like to inquire about.
Another thing I would like to know about, although not relevant to my previous questions, is this: Is it possible to get a free download of Mountain Lion (legally, of course)? I would much rather do a clean install of Mountain Lion than Mavericks, but I've searched google and there seems to be no way to get it for free. However, I did read that it's possible to get it free within 30 days of purchasing your Mac but that 30 days have long passed for me.
So my 3 questions are the following:
1) Will formatting my hard drive remove my already existing bootcamp partition? (If it does, I don't mind but I would still like to know)
2) How exactly do I format my hard drive?
3) Is it possible to get Mountain Lion for free so I can downgrade?
Thanks to anyone who helps!

Formatting a HDD will delete all user data on the drive. Yes you can do it on an older MBP by connecting to it via USB, but do you really want to? If the repair shop says the HDD is functional, there is no need to wipe it and reinstall the OSX. The problem then is something else.
It would be helpful if you indicated the EXACT model/year MBP that you have.
Ciao.

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Missing hard drive space after bootcamp partition

After making a 60gb partition with Boot Camp Assistant, Bootcamp closed without error message (i assumed it was trying to restart but i had programs running). However now in disk utility or when i try to run the windows disc, there is no partition available even though the 500gb hard drive shows up as 420gb used and 18gb unused (and 499gb big).
I have tried repairing in disk utility on startup
i have reset the NVRAM or whatever it is called.
Can't run boot camp assistaint again because it says i require at least 10gb of space.
Can anyone help me finish the installation?

If done correctly it should not be necessary to reinstall anything, just restore the clone.
Buy 2 drives, a backup drive should be at least as large as the drive it is backing up, and yours is almost full at the moment.
My suggestion, clone your internal drive to an external, this is for restoration. The restoration can be done to any compatible drive so buy the biggest you can afford/fit.
Backup is another issue, if you choose Time Machine your existing internal drive will be too small to accommodate a 1Tb replacement drive for very long, but it's a start.
Choose what you wish to do, post back if you need assistance.

Upgrading MacBook Pro Hard Drive - cannot get Bootcamp partition to work

Hello,
The other day, I decided to replace my 320 GB hard drive with a 1 TB hard drive/SSD hybrid. I did a little bit of research about cloning the drive before that, and it seemed pretty straight forward to clone the OS X partition, but I wasn't really sure about cloning my Windows partition. Originally, my 320 GB hard drive had 2 partitions: 220 GB for OS X Mavericks, and 100 GB for Windows 8.1.
I bought the new drive with an external enclosure and plugged it in. The first thing I did was open Disk Utility and partitioned the new hard drive (750 GB HFS+, 250 GB NTFS). I figured I would need to partition it first and clone each partition separately. I used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the OS X partition, and it worked with no problem (I immediately could restart my computer and boot with the partition on the new drive, while it was still plugged in by USB).
Next, I tried using CCC to clone the Windows partition the same way (I realize now that CCC cannot do this). 7 hours later, the cloning was complete, but there was an error that a couple files couldn't be copied. I tried copying them manually but it didn't work. I wasn't sure if the Windows partition would work, so to find out, I switched the hard drives and put the old 320 GB one in the external enclosure. I booted my computer and it booted the new OS X partition with no problem. It also mounted the Windows partition that I cloned with CCC, and I can access all of the files in it. However, when I restarted and held down "option", it would not let me boot the Windows partition.
After some googling, I realized CCC is not able to clone a bootcamp partition and make it bootable, so I opened disk utility and deleted the Windows partition (using the minus button), then recreated it (using the plus button). I downloaded Winclone (paid $30), which supposedly can clone a bootcamp partition. I opened Winclone and it seemed pretty simple: you just choose the source partition on the left, and the target on the right. I plugged in the USB enclosure with my old hard drive, and in the Winclone menu the original Windows partition popped up. I chose that as my source, and chose to copy it to the new NTFS partition on the new drive that I created. I left it on overnight, and when I woke up it said it was completed.
I now had two drives mounted: my NTFS partition that I created, and a new one that said "EFI". I have no idea what EFI is. My NTFS partition looks like it has all of the files from my original Windows partition on it; however, when I restart it does not allow me to boot with it, although I now have the option to boot EFI. When I select EFI, I am given the Windows 8.1 start up screen (with the blue Windows logo), but then an error message pops up saying something like there is an issue and it needs to restart (it restarted before I could read the whole thing).
When I boot in OS X, I only have the NTFS partition (with all my Windows files) mounted, and no EFI. When I restart, I can still boot EFI, but I always get the same message and then it restarts.
Is there any way I can fix my Windows partition so that it works the same way it did on my old drive? What is EFI? Can I delete it? How can I make the NTFS partition, which seems to have all of my files, bootable? I only want 2 partitions: one for OS X, and one for Windows. Also, can I do all of this without having to reinstall either of the operating systems?
Thanks

Hmm, that's a good question!
I headed over to the twocanoes website (the folks that make Winclone) and their guide mentions something about running Sysprep before you create the Windows image. If you skipped that step, that may be why you're having issues
http://www.twocanoes.com/support/winclone/migrating-a-bootcamp-partition-with-wi nclone/
Step 24 in that guide also mentions copying a Boot file - were you able to/did you do that?
You may have better luck over in the Bootcamp forum, which is here.
~Lyssa

Change Hard Drive Icon for Bootcamp Partition

I'd like to change the desktop icon (on the Leopard side) for the Vista Bootcamp partition, however, the normal strategies don't work (presumably due to the read only properties of NTFS). Is that icon stuck as the generic one until I make NTFS writable?

Well, NTFS is not writable by OS X, but you can change the name and possibly the icon when booted into Windows.
Although you can read/write NTFS in OS X by installing MacFuse and the NTFS-3G_2009.2.1u1-ublio-catacombae filesystem, I don't know if it enables changing the Desktop icon. You will find both items at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.

How do I format the hard drive on my Imac without losing the applications etc?

I am fairly new to mac computers. and was wondering if there is anyone out there who could help. I have an Imac running Snow Leopard which is becoming very slow in starting up. I want to format the hard drive but still want to retain the applications etc already on the Imac. Can I just time machine the computer then insert thte OS disk which will format the hard drive? Will this give me a better start up time?
Many thanks in advance.

If you format the hard drive, you'll lose all your data. You can make a Time Machine backup, format the disk and restore from the backup only what you need

Hi, I need to re-format my hard drive, as it has a virus, so will lose all my data including itunes. I therefore need to reinstall itunes - but if I do this will I lose all the music that I have bought? How do I reinstall music to the new itunes?

Hi, I need to re-format my hard drive, as it has a virus and is corrupted- so I will lose all my data including my itunes software. I guess I will need to reinstall itunes again - but if I do this will, I lose all the music that I have bought or imported into my library? How do I reinstall my library/playlists to the new itunes?
Thanks

Make a backup of your media and other important files.
Just to be safe, make a backup of your entire iTunes directory.
Restore computer or do whatever it is you need to do.
Restore your media and other important documents.
Install iTunes.
Try using search next time... this gets asked way too frequently.

How to access a PC formatted external hard drive

I am trying to access a PC formatted external hard drive, however when I attempt to mount it I get a message saying the drive is not recongnized and if I want ti initialize, which i believe if I execute will remove the files I am trying access..Is there a way to access the files on the external hard drive...it is a avi file i need to edit..

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/26288/ntfs-for-mac-os-x
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/
Paragon also has a program (suite) that will convert NTFS <=> HFS+ without data loss (but have backup never use something wo one!)
And Pargon has kept up with Lion while others have not or have stopped development and works best with PC drive cases with low overhead and fast reliable copy operation.
The demo is also fully functional for 30 days.

Format new hard drive

Hello,
I have some issues with the new hard drive I am currently installing. My old hard drive crashed on my MacBook Pro (Mid 12) and I bought a new hard drive to use. The problem is that I can not erase and format the hard drive to work with the operation system in the Disk Utility. I managed to partition it on a different mac, but then only changed the external settings. Is there any way I can change the internal settings through a USB with a different MacBook?
Thank you for any suggestions!
Tobias

Do this:
Install OS X Using Internet Recovery
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall OS X: Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

I just formatted my hard drive and I need to find out what my "wireless password is"

I just formatted my hard drive and I need to find out what my "wireless password is". I was in a hurry when I did format my PC that when I got to given my wireless a password, I used the same one as before. Now I have tried to finding what it is for my other products, I don't know where to look. Do I or can I change the password without losing anything? Need help PLEASE
[Personal Information Removed]

Hi:
You need to read your router's configuration instructions on how to access the router's menu.
Hopefully you can access that and in the wireless security menu you will find the passkey to use.
Paul

Formatting a PC-formatted External Hard Drive to work in Mac OS

So I have a 300 gig external hard drive formatted for Windows XP with NTFS. I recently got a Macbook Pro and as it stands in Mac OS X the hard drive is read only. I can copy files from the hard drive to my Mac, but I can't edit files on the external HD or copy from my Mac to my external HD. This of course is a problem and so I need to reformat it to work in Mac OS. While I will not be using PCs anymore, if possible I would like for the external HD to be Mac and Windows compatible.
First things first I have to get all 300 gigs of files off the external HD in order to reformat it. This will be a pain but I have the means to do this. Once I get everything off, how and with what method should I reformat it to work in Mac? Should I use the HFS file system or MS-DOS? Also, what utility in Mac OS lets me reformat it. As I said, I probably won't be hooking up this external HD to Windows anytime soon, but if there is a way to format it in Mac to work with Windows, then fine.
So what exactly are my options here? I understand that I can format the hard drive in Mac OS with either MS-DOS or FAT32. I just don't know which is better/faster/more reliable in Mac OS, as I'm still a Mac newbie. I don't have files that are over 2 gigs as far as I remember, so I don't think that will be an issue. If it helps, it is mostly media files (videos, music). I've read up online about formatting a drive to work with Mac OS, but there's just so much info I'm getting confused. Thanks.

Thanks for the suggestions so far.
So from what people are saying, I can format the drive in Mac OS as FAT32 (aka MS-DOS) and it will work fine between the two operating systems.
I've been reading more though and it seems that FAT32 drives can not be larger than 130 gigs? Or is that just for partitions.
I have a 350 gig hard drive and I don't plan on having any partitions. Can I just format the drive as FAT32 in Mac OS and the whole 350 gigs will be available? There's so much conflicting info in articles I've been reading.
thanks

Can I install my time machine back up onto a properly formatted external hard drive?

I have a MacBook Pro with a 750GB harddrive, with 500+ Gb of data on it. Just before I traverse to Europe, I did a TimeMachine back up.
I now want to give my Mac to a friend, and buy a AirMac when I get home. Even if I get the one with the largest drive it will not hold the full 500+'back up.
I have an 8 year old Mac Book pro at home as well. It will be a few months before I can buy the new AirMac. So my question is ....
Can I install my current backup on a properly formatted external hard drive, and will it then run like a computer --until I get my new AirMac?
Thanks for your help (and please don't be too tough on me for what may see to de a dumb question)
Soper777

The Time Machine backup is not bootable
You will have to install Leopard first

Formatting NAS hard drive as Mac OS Extended HFS+

I just got a NAS enclosure for my home LAN and two SATA hard drives to fit.
Installed fine, even using the Windows-oriented browser interface installation.
The drives show up nicely in the finder, and some files copy over without difficulty. HOWEVER, some don't. I'm pretty sure that the problem is that the install utility formatted the hard drives in Windows format, because the files that they will not now accept are ones with Windows-disallowed filenames, such as those with long filenames or Windows-illegal characters.
SO:-
I suspect that my problem would be solved if I could re-format the drives in the NAS enclosure to Mac OS Extended HFS+ format. BUT, the Windows-oriented installation utility provided by the NAS manufacturer (Linksys -- don't believe them when they glibly say their NAS boxes are Mac-compatible!) doesn't offer Mac formatting.
And unfortunately, while the NAS drives show up nicely in my Mac finders (both 10.3.9 and 10.5.5), they don't appear in Disk Utility, which is where I usually go to format hard disks.
SO:
Is there a way to format a NAS disk in Mac format over my home LAN?
As a workaround, i could try temporarily installing the SATA drives internally in my G4 and format them that way, then put them back in the NAS enclosure. But it would be a bit of a kluge, and I'd have to re-transplant them every time I needed to undertake disk maintenance.
Any ideas, anyone? Thanks v. much.

Thank you for your response. I was able to successfully format the drives Extended journaled when they were out of the raid configuration. I was not able to format as Extended (not journaled) in the Raid configuration.

Not able to view exFAT format external hard drive in my macbook pro 10.8.2.

I have formatted my hard drive in exFAT format from a windows notebook. I am not sure what to do as I am not able to view my hard drive in my macbook.
Can somebody please help me out in this regard.?

Try connecting the exFAT drive back to the Windows notebook and use the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in your Taskbar.
Run a updated malware scan and/or remove any original data and reformat the drive again.
Your issue doesn't appear to be widespread, so I'm leaning towards something that got messed up somehow.
Mac's can read/write MBR/GUID and FAT32/exFAT drives, only can read NTFS, so it shouldn't be having a problem.

HT1338 I was backing up my MacBook with Time Machine on my new (correctly formatted) external hard drive. It was going fine when my 2 yo knocked the hard drive. Now TM said "failed" and the Mac refuses to recognize the external hard drive. Help please?

I was backing up my MacBook with Time Machine and using my new (correctly formatted) external hard drive. All was going well when my 2 yo knocked the disk leading to a "failure" by time machine (Latest Backup: Failed). Now the MacBook will not even recognize the hard drive. I have rebooted, tried all I can think of, but no acknowledgement of the drive. The drive itself makes noise and vibrates as if working, but nothing from the Mac. Please help or $100 down the drain... Thank you.

You may have already done these resets in the "tried all I can think of " portion of your post.....if not then here they are.....
PRAM
support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
SMC
support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
.....hopefully that is all that is required.....

Hey, can i clone my Macbook Pro internal hard drive and then paste it all onto a formated external hard drive, then make the Mac use the external as the primary hard drive?

hey, can i clone my Macbook Pro internal hard drive and then paste it all onto a formated external hard drive, then make the Mac use the external as the primary hard drive? please help for i only have around 618mb left out of 189GB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If what doesn't work?
If cloning your internal drive to the external drive is not successful, I expect CCC will tell you so. Assuming that doesn't happen, you will have a bootable replica of the internal drive on the external drive once CCC has finished.
You can then do any of several things:
1. Replace your internal drive with a much larger one (320GB or 500GB, or even larger), and clone the external drive's contents onto the new drive so you'll have all your data in one place. Note that if you do this, you'll also need to buy an external drive that's large enough to back the new internal drive up on.
2. Boot from the external drive as a temporary measure while you clear at least 30-40GB of data off the internal drive, allowing you to keep using it and saving small amounts of data to it. The external drive will then contain the only copies of the files you've deleted from the internal drive, so you'll need a seond external drive large enough to back both the other drives up on.
If you can't comfortably clear a minimum of 30GB off the internal drive, you really need a larger internal drive right now, and you shouldn't bother fooling around with the inadequate one you have — you'll just quickly overfill it again.
3. Replace the optical drive in your MBP with a large conventional hard drive, giving you two hard drives inside the machine. You will then need one or more external drives large enough to back up both of the internal drives.
If you sense a theme here — back up, back up, back up — you are correct. It's flat-out foolhardy to own or use a computer without maintaining complete, up-to-date backups of everything at all times.

Will formatting my hard drive remove my bootcamp partition? Also, downgrading...?

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