06-18-2008, 05:10 PM

Hi-

I tried to install windows xp on my new macbook but boot camp will not let me partition my hard drive. After trying to partition for a while I get this message:

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'm not that computer savvy and I went to disk utility to see what I could do but didn't know where to begin. Could someone help please?

Thanks a lot.

Brooklyn, NY.

06-18-2008, 09:59 PM

khorsani,

Go to your Applications/Utility folder and open the file "Boot Camp Assistant." When it opens you'll see the button to "Print Installation & Setup Guide." Print it as a pdf document and read it carefully; follow those instructions step by step. That should get you started correctly.

What you cited in your post is telling you to look at the hard drive in Disk Utility and erase the Boot Camp partition so you'll just have the OS X partition (ie, go from 2 partitions to 1 partition). Then start your Boot Camp Assistant using the Guide. Should go easy from there...

Good luck,

Noel

06-19-2008, 12:18 AM

Noel,

Thank you for your reply and assistance.

I did read the instructions from apple carefully but first I have to delete the boot camp partition which I'm having problems doing. I opened disk utility and tried various methods to erase/format the partition. I tried to follow the method listed here that I discovered online but I got stuck in step 2 as I was not able to select the drive I wanted to erase/format, there just wasn't an option. What am I missing?

Formatting a hard drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID partition scheme:

Open Disk Utility.
Select the drive you wish to erase (format).
Format the drive as “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”.
Still in Disk Utility and with the drive you just formatted selected, click the “Partition” tab.
Divide the disk into two partitions (the size is irrelevant, we’ll be deleting one of the partitions before we’re done).
For each partition again specify the “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” format type.
For each partition click the “Options…” button and select the “GUID Partition Table” option.
Partition the drive.
When the partitioning is complete, remove the second partition (select it and click the ‘-’ button)
Apply the change.
The result: a single partition hard drive which is formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID Partition Table. Now you can open Boot Camp Assistant, partition the drive, and install Windows.

06-19-2008, 09:38 AM

khorsani,

To start over, open Boot Camp and it will let you remove your Windows partition. Check page 22 on your Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide. That should lead you to remove the Windows partition. Then start over...

Noel

06-19-2008, 05:11 PM

To start over, open Boot Camp and it will let you remove your Windows partition. Check page 22 on your Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide. That should lead you to remove the Windows partition. Then start over...


Hi Noel-

Thanks for trying to help me with this. But I still have not had any luck with trying to delete the partition. As you instructed I opened Boot Camp but there isn't an option to remove or delete the windows partition. I've tried everything possible I think including reading scores of articles online and trying everything they suggest but I keep getting stuck on step two which is : Select the drive you wish to erase (format). Format the drive as “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”. Still in Disk Utility and with the drive you just formatted selected, click the “Partition” tab.

Thanks for trying to help me.

06-22-2008, 04:24 PM

khorsani,

Sorry for not replying sooner, I've been away for a few days on a trip...

When you open Disk Utility, at the top of the left side you should see your master hard drive. For example mine says "298.1 GB WDC WD3200" for my 320GB Western Digital hard drive. That has to be there... Right below that I have "Macintosh HD" for what I named my master hard drive. You probably have the same name because that's a default name for your master hard drive.That has to be there, too... Just below that there should be another drive named for however you named your Windows partition. If that's not there, then there probably was never a Windows partition created, I'd guess... That's outcome #1...

If there is a name there, isn't that what you named your Windows partition? If so highlight that name and you can erase that (Windows) partition... That's outcome #2...

So, now, for either of those possible 2 outcomes you can just use Boot Camp and try to start over. And this time just remember what you name your Windows partition - that'll be important for future use.

I hope this helps some, good luck,

Noel