iMac hard drive not detected after installed XP

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I got my brand new iMac 24 inch 3 weeks ago...I decided to purchase XP Pro and run it via Boot Camp...I started the installtion but XP seemed to repeat the installation till I stopped it and tried to go back to mac ox but I got a flashing "?" folder...I popped in X install OS but it cannot find hard drive...What!?!?

Can anyone help me try to reinstall everything new OS X and I ain't gonna install any kind of piece-of-CRAP Windows ever again! my imac was running PERFECTLY for 3 weeks (since purchase).

Hope you can help. Thanks mucho gacias!
 
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You can try to install again the Mac OS X and at the begging of the installation wizard there is an option like "install a fresh copy of OS X" or "install OS X for the first time", i do not remember well the label of this option but it is something like that. If you click this option, probably the installation process will try to install the MAC OS X in the default hard drive (Macintosh HD). If you do not see the default label and you see Untitled, do not panic. After the installation, you can click in the finder window the Untitled and rename it. I think this will help you
 
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Now, if you finally install the new copy of OS X, probably you will have 2 partitions of the Hard drive. One partition for the OS X and one for the previous installation of XP. If you want to delete the XP partition and merge the 2 partitions in one, and in this one fully partition to install the OS X, then you have to do to the disk utility and from that utility to merge the 2 partitions. After merging you must install again a new copy of the MAC OS X.
 
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Vagzaf,

OK, I will attempt to try that this evening after work and pray it will work. I transferred thousands photos and hundreds of documents all probably are gone but I still have them in my old Windows-based PC (whew) and I learned my lesson to BACK THEM UP!!!! Ugh!!!

Thanks!
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Al iMac 20" 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
You didn't try to install XP over your OS X partition did you?
 
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This happens when people inadvertently click on the wrong option during the BootCamp installation process. Others have had the same experience and posted here as welll It's not Windows or Boot Camp, but the user who made the error, unfortunately. Boot Camp can be confusing and it's not uncommon. The precise steps are laid out in the Boot Camp installation guide (which the FAQ recommends that you print out in advance and follow exactly). Of course, you can reinstall OSX pretty easily but it is a pain and you lose a lot. Also a good reason to back up frequently. Good luck with the reinstall.
 
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When Bootcamp came up for the first time it asked if I want to use Windows 32GB which I clicked on and popped in XP Pro CD to start the installation.

Is that wrong way to do it?



You didn't try to install XP over your OS X partition did you?
 
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Now, I only see "No Bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key"

I put in Mac OS X CD but nothing happens

i'll stay online
 
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Is anyone here?

I tried pretty much everything...I'm no mac expert.

Choose Startup Disk shows the following:

Windows on Untitled

Mac OSX, 10.5.6 on Mac O...Install DVD

Network Startup

I tried all three but it doesn't work!
 

dtravis7


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MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
With the OSX DVD in the drive, power down. Power back up and hold down the C key and keep it down after the startup sound.

OSX should start from the DVD. When it gets to the installer, look at the toolbar up top and from the menu and find the Disk Utility. Once in there find the drive and click on it. Click on the Partition Tab. Then click on where it says Volume Scheme (Current) and change that to 1 partition. Then click on Options toward the bottom and be sure GUID is checked which is the first option. Then click on Apply. It should make the new Partition. Then quit Disk Utility. You might have to restart with the C held down, then the drive should show as an option. Reinstall OSX.

This will zap the Windows install but at this point I doubt you will care!

Let me know if this works. It should.
 
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dtravis: I did, but partition, erase, RAID, etc... when clicking any of these buttons...everything else are grayed out so there's no way for me to do it...am I missing anything?

With the OSX DVD in the drive, power down. Power back up and hold down the C key and keep it down after the startup sound.

OSX should start from the DVD. When it gets to the installer, look at the toolbar up top and from the menu and find the Disk Utility. Once in there find the drive and click on it. Click on the Partition Tab. Then click on where it says Volume Scheme (Current) and change that to 1 partition. Then click on Options toward the bottom and be sure GUID is checked which is the first option. Then click on Apply. It should make the new Partition. Then quit Disk Utility. You might have to restart with the C held down, then the drive should show as an option. Reinstall OSX.

This will zap the Windows install but at this point I doubt you will care!

Let me know if this works. It should.
 

dtravis7


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Is there one or two entries for the hard drive in Disk Utility?
 
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it says:

596.2 GB WDC WD6400...

and

Disk0

pioneer dvd-rw dvrtso8 (mac ox s install DVD)
 

dtravis7


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If you highlight 596.2 GB WDC WD6400 does Partition show up or grayed out?
 
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hightlighted 596.2 for partition shows up grayed out

when highlighted disk0...there's no partition button
 
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I guess nothing....I'll make an appointment at Apple store's Genius Bar and see what they can do
 
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Went to Apple store and they fixed it within 5 minutes! They used USB portable drive that has Mac X OS in it and forced to install from there. *whew*

Now my question what is the best way to install XP if any (I dont wanna deal with bootcamp anymore) if there are none then I'll just learn to live without windows! :)

Thanks!
 
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Install Windows as a virtual machine under Parallels, Fusion or VirtualBox. While you won't have full access to graphics hardware (meaning: gaming is limited), you'll have full functionality and can run Windows programs in Windows while simultaneously working in OSX (at least under Parallels and Fusion, don't know about VB). You can download trial versions of P and F (VirtualBox is free) and check them out. Lots of support on here for that solution (I use Fusion myself and have several virtual machines - 2 Windows versions and Linux, all on an older macbook with only 2 GB of RAM).

Cheers
 

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