Windows 8-Parallels 8-boot camp-disk cannot be Partitioned

Ok, I wanted to try out Windows 8 on my Mac, so I got the Parallels 8 bundle pack...but after looking into it...I was led to believe that initially using boot camp and then migrating that to Parallels is a better route. So first question is...Is that true? Should I really start with Boot Camp?. Secondly...(which is what led me to ask if I should really do it this way) I tried to run Boot Camp Assistant and I got "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." Backup, Format, and Restore scares the crap out of me...I'm terrified that I'll lose everything. I have a TB external HDD to which some is partitioned for Time Machine and the rest partitioned as personal storage...personal storage is where I have my iTunes library and iPhoto library stored and a bunch of other stuff. Now some of what I've read is to get a new external HDD, zero it, back up and restore...my question is do I really need to do that with my current set-up? If I already have the external HDD with my time machine back ups on it? I've also read that this may not be necessary...and that it may be possible to restart in recovery mode and "Repair". I apologize for the long winded question...I just want to make sure I give enough info and that someone can help. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

You do not need to use Boot Camp nor install Windows on a Boot Camp partition in order to use Parallels. I think you may have misunderstood. If you already have Windows installed in Boot Camp, then Parallels is able to use that installation for it virtual machine.
On its own Parallels creates its own disc image on which it installs Windows. That disc image functions as a normal Windows hard drive. You can create any number of virtual machines where each one has its own separate disc image.
"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."
The above error occurs because you have asked for an amount of space for the Windows partition which cannot be accommodated because Boot Camp Assistant was unable to find sufficient contiguous space to satisfy the request without having to move some files. However, those files could not be moved. The solutions are: 1. reduce the size demanded until Boot Camp is able to accept it; 2. re-partition the drive back to a single volume, reinstall OS X, create the desired Boot Camp partition, then restore all your files.

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I just switched from pc to mac. what is the best way to keep Windows? Parallel or Boot camp?

I have just switched from pc to mac. What is the best way to keep Windows, Parallel of Boot camp?

Parallels should be able to handle that without any problems.
There is a version of both of those that will run on the Mac. So you might consider upgrading to that version instead of going with Windows on your Mac.
Allan

Boot camp - Disc cannot be partitioned....

I am trying to install boot camp but can't seem to get past the screen dealing w/partitions. When on the screen that shows Mac OSX 106 GB 87 GB free, Windows XP 5GB...I chose the 32GB and partition. Then I keep getting the "Disc cannot be partitioned because verification failed. Use Disk Utility to repair this disc. Then, when I go to Disk Utility, it is "greyed out" and I cannot select it. HELP! I need Windows to run a program asap. Thanks!

Hi Kimberly!
Try posting your question in the Boot Camp forum <http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1165>.
Good luck! bill
1 GHz Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Boot Camp + Disk Utility = no partition

I get told by Boot Camp Assistant that I need to repair the disk with Disk Utilities... yeah, doesn't do anything. Using the DVD doesn't make a difference... suggestions?

Well, moot at this point since I realized I had done a back up onto an external drive... so I just did a full clean install. And that worked... sort of. Now I get a Windows "Disk Error Press any key to restart" which happens to be the power button on my power bar since no keys do anything.
So, now to try another install of Windows. (Win XP Home Edition right out of the box from a Big Blue store.)

Windows on Parallels vs Boot Camp

Has anyone tried running Windows on Mac using Parallels?
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/workstation/mac/
Is it really "near native"?
If it's just another VirtualPC then forget it

I would be very very cautious about using this code. It looks to me like Parallels' system isn't really true hypervisor. It installs modules into the host's kernel which seem to create a hypervisor like subsystem of OSX's kernel. It does not actually slip in between your primary OS. Instead the execution environment of "hypervisor" code is shared with the primary OS's kernel.
This code installs new interupt descriptor tables (which defines which functions get called when interrupts are received), and installs its own virtual memory manager.
I don't think I'll be trying out this code anytime soon. This opens up the OS to massive security issues. Basically it is allowing this software to have complete control over the machine.
This software is installing a layer between OSX and the kernal with root privilages, so this is dangerous stuff right now.
I'm really disappointed about this right at the moment. To me virtualization is a holy grail and unfortunately this version seems way too sketchy for me to fool with.
HTH,
Peter

What is the differences between running windows with parallels or boot camp?

I am a Drafting and Design student so I need Windows for AutoDesk programs Revit and Inventor. I have a Mid 2014 MacBook Pro 2.2 GHz 16GB.

nkriss wrote:
I am a Drafting and Design student so I need Windows for AutoDesk programs Revit and Inventor....
A couple of differences which don't often get mentioned:
First, in Bootcamp, the size of the partition you create for Windows is fully taken over by Bootcamp. In a virtual machine, you can give Windows 100GB for the C: drive but if you're only using 20GB on it, that's about what gets taken up on your SSD - it expands and contracts based on actual use.
Second, a virtual machine is a file like most other files (actually, it's a collection of files in a folder) and that means you can duplicate it for backup purposes. You can also take snapshots to try things out and restore to the snapshot's state to eliminate everything done since the snapshot was taken. Try that with a real PC, or Bootcamp, which is pretty much the same thing.

Boot Camp error: The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition. The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Jounraled) volume or already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows.

Hi!
I am getting the error:
"The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition. The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Jounraled) volume or already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows."
I read up some on google, but all of them says that they have crated a partition and that is the problem, I only have the standard "Macintosh HD".
I tried to create a partition manually in disk utility but then the error message: "Partition failed with error message: Could not unmount disk."
Can anyone help me? It's driving me crazy.
Thanks.

This message, and threads like yours got asked daily for over two years, now it is only a couple times a week!!
Is it so hard to follow through? you were to have backup already, clones are best, then erase/format and restore.
Then partition.
Some have been able to use Disk Utility booted from OS X DVD or another drive, and repair the drive.
You have to use Boot Camp Assistant (99.9% anyway) to create and achieve a proper Windows Master Boot Record partition.

Boot Camp - The disk cannot be partition

Appreciate if someone advise how I can overcome this problem. I have installed the parallel desktop for Mac when I bought the IMAC. I have also later installed the Leopard. Recently, I was told that Parallel can't support any PC game with Direct X version 9 above and the suggested solution is to use boot camp to install XP window as this will allow direct access to 3D card. I have uninstalled the parallel and try to used the Boot Camp assistant to install XP. My 1st problem is it give the following error "The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved". Boot Camp assistant suggest the following"Backup 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 bring the Disk Utility and to be honest I have no clues what I need to do (as I am new to Mac operating system. Can someone tell me exactly what I need to do in Disk Utility. I am also think of reformat the whole harddrive and fresh anew however I would take the easier approach if someone care to share his/her experience.
Thanks

Hi,
I never used Bootcamp because it was just too confusing to use.
I have done 3 partitions in which one was for Leopard, another for shared data, and the last for Vista.
If you would like to do the same, then you would have to reinstall your OS X. Here is how I made 3 partitions.
1) I inserted the OS X disk during startup and went to Disk Utility.
2) I then had to erase my hard drive...which erased Leopard.
3) Once it was erased, I made 3 partitions in this order (with the 160gb hard drive)
*1st Partition - +HFS Extended Journal - 60gb - Leopard
*2nd Partition - FAT32 - 30gb - Shared Data
*3rd Partition - FAT32 - 60gb - Vista 'MAKE SURE YOU NAME IT WINDOWS/VISTA/WHAT EVER YOU WANT THE NAME TO BE' & THAT WINDOWS WILL BE ON THE LAST PARTITION THAT YOU MAKE
4) Re-install OS X back into the 1st Partition
Once your OS X is installed, now you can install Windows.
5) To install Windows, insert your Windows installation cd during startup and hold down the option key when you hear the chime sound.
7) When you see the Windows installation cd, click on it
8) Now since you partitioned your hard drive and had a FAT32 partition for Windows, you will have to format to NFTS. MAKE SURE THAT IT IS THE PARTITION THAT YOU MADE FOR WINDOWS--the one that you named!!!
9) Now you can install Windows
10) When Windows is installed, you can now install the Boot Camp Drivers.
BUT if you do not want to have a Partition for shared data, just skip that part so that you will have only 2 partitions.
Sorry if this was confusing.
Hope this helps...if you were interested

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.

Boot Camp Assistant tells me: The disk cannot be partitioned because...

When I try to partition my disk and install Windows on it, I get the message:
+*"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."+
My computer has a 160GB hard drive and there is 50GB free on it. I only want to give Windows 15GB, so I should have plenty of room, however I have tried as little as 5GB, and as much as 32GB, and nothing works. I have installed XP on this MacBook before and it worked fine. I have since uninstalled it, and now I can't get it to work again. Is there anything I can do without having to format the disk?
Thank you.

Hi and welcome to Discussions,
see this thread http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2274928&tstart=15
for solution.
Regards
Stefan

Boot Camp Problem (The disk cannot be partitioned because some files...)

Hey! So here i am. i open up Boot Camp Asistant, get to partioning. start partinoning then after about 5 minuets i get this message:
*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 have checked in Disk Utility & More and i am not sure hoe to fix it.
Here is a picture of both my "Disk Utility" and the Boot Camp Error:
BC ERROR: http://twitpic.com/ehre1
Disk Utility: http://twitpic.com/ehrdo
So if you could help me out here it would be great, as i have just brought a copy of Win XP SP3 and i really wanted to play my new game :P
Thanks
—Alex

First I can't say I'm a MAC expert, so keep that in mind. But if I tell you my interpretation of that issue, which I also have actually, it might help. I think the probably is that when you partition a HD you can't really be on it, so the Mac needs to allocate enough memory which is either the minimum needed for windows or the amount you choose then separate those needed memory cells from the other memory cells used by the Mac so it can create the partition. Then formats the memory in the partition. However if there isn't enough unused consecutive memory cells then the Mac needs to move files to create consecutive memory cells to partition. But, as you can see, sometimes those files cant be moved so the Mac needs to have the entire hard drive formated so the files can be moved. At that point the partition can be inserted without an issue. Of, course the idea of formatting your HD is not exciting to say the least. Its not hard but it can take awhile to do and then you'll have to reinstall all the third party programs you have. An alternative idea to explore is to use the firewire port on the Mac [if you have one] and you likely do. And get an external HD to run through that and put windows in the external HD. Firewire is a higher speed data transfer option then USB. You can run programs through firewire just as USB does to a lesser extent. But there are limits. So it may, in the end, not work for what you want.
But I think what it's telling you is you need to format your entire HD. But, like I said I'm no expert. If you find the solution let me know. Like I said, I have the same problem.

Windows XP and Parallels or Boot Camp

I'd like to run Windows on my Mac. I have a Windows XP Home Edition disc in my restoration discs from Gateway. Can I use this disc when I install Parallels or Boot Camp when it asks to insert my Windows disk? Thanks.

Where is the Gateway? You can't re-use a license for Windows on more than one machine. Since your Gateway license is OEM, you can't legally use it on anything but that Gateway. The disk may or may not work. There is no way to tell. You definitely won't be able to activate unless the Gateway is definitively dead.
My advice is to get yourself a new, legal license for XP from NewEgg for $137 (XP Pro) or $100 (XP Home). Newegg sells legal OEM versions that are usable. Don't buy anything from Craigslist or eBay.

I have a copy of Windows 7, and I am trying to bring up Boot Camp on my MacBook with Snow Leopard. But my Snow Leopard install disk is too old for Windows 7, so attempted Boot Camp install of drivers fails.

I have a copy of Windows 7, and I am trying to bring up Boot Camp on my MacBook with Snow Leopard. But my Snow Leopard install disk is too old for Windows 7, so attempted Boot Camp install of drivers fails.
I have hand-installed the NVidia graphics driver, and I have keyboard, minimal trackpad, and hardwire to internet all working. So the WIndows machine is usable. But I am hurting for wi-fi, better trackpad, and whatever else is delivered by Boot Camp. I can't use any of the Boot Camp upgrades because I do not have XP or Vista.

While we all have MacBooks in this forum not all of us use Boot Camp. There's a Boot Camp Support Community where everybody uses Boot Camp. You should also post this question there.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/windows_software/boot_camp

Stuck in Windows Vista on a 2012 13' Pro with a Boot Camp disk error

I am at the point in installation where I have just completed installing Vista. So I inserted the Boot Camp disk I was instructed to make earlier, and I receive the error message:
D:\
The application has failed to start because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please see the application event log for more detail.
Fearing I did something wrong, I tried to switch back to the Mac OS sore, but of course I can't because boot camp hasn't finished its process. What can I do?

Vista is not supported on newer computers nor by Lion. No Vista drivers for the newer hardware and operating system. Read the documentation which states that Windows 7 is required. http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

Can´t install windows 8.1 because boot camp can't partition the disk. I´ve follow many tips but they did´t work

I can´t install windows 8.1 because boot camp can't partition the disk. I´ve follow many tips but they did´t work (backup, reinstall os, erase space, etc.)
Macbook pro retina
os x yosemite 10.10.2
Thanks

There are several possibilities.
1. You do not have contiguous free disk space.
2. BCA has failed, or you may have a Fusion drive which is causing problems.
3. You have incorrect permissions on the disk.
4. Can you boot in OS X Safe Mode - OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? - Apple Support?

Windows 8-Parallels 8-boot camp-disk cannot be Partitioned

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