bootcamp

Question

Level 1

14 points

bootcamp

how to uninstall a windows7 OS from my macbook?

Bookcamp assistant gives this message "The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume or already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows."

Posted on Nov 29, 2020 12:37 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Nov 29, 2020 3:13 PM in response to w dfrombutte

The normal method is Remove Windows from your Mac using Boot Camp - Apple Support. It can fail if the partition layout does not match a designated set of schemes.

Can you post the output of

diskutil list

from macOS Terminal?

Reply

Answer 2

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Nov 29, 2020 6:48 PM in response to w dfrombutte

This layout seems to have been created in an attempt install Windows using an external disk.

What is the year/model of your Mac (do not post the serial number)?
What is the current macOS version?
If you want Windows removed, we can merge these partitions, and then let BC Assistant remove it. Is that what you want to do?

Reply

Answer 3

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Nov 30, 2020 5:01 AM in response to w dfrombutte

Since you have backups, run

diskutil eraseVolume jhfs+ BC1 disk0s3

diskutil eraseVolume jhfs+ BC2 disk0s4

diskutil eraseVolume jhfs+ BC3 disk0s5

diskutil eraseVolume jhfs+ BC4 disk0s6

diskutil mergePartitions jhfs+ BCMP disk0s3 disk0s6

diskutil eraseVolume fat32 BOOTCAMP disk0s3

Now run BC Assistant and click on Continue -> Remove/Restore.

Reply

Answer 4

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Nov 30, 2020 10:46 AM in response to w dfrombutte

Now run...

diskutil mergePartitions jhfs+ BCMP disk0s3 disk0s6

diskutil eraseVolume fat32 BOOTCAMP disk0s3

Be aware that you are missing Recovery HD. What is the current macOS version?

Reply

Answer 5

w dfrombutte Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 30, 2020 10:26 AM in response to Loner T

billjaonmacair:~ Bill$ diskutil eraseVolume jhfs+ BC1 disk0s3

Started erase on disk0s3 BOOTCAMP

Unmounting disk

Erasing

Initialized /dev/rdisk0s3 as a 128 MB case-insensitive HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal

Mounting disk

Finished erase on disk0s3 BC1

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS MAC 311.0 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_HFS BC1 134.2 MB disk0s3

4: Apple_HFS BC2 7.9 GB disk0s4

5: Apple_HFS BC3 180.3 GB disk0s5

6: Apple_HFS BC4 471.9 MB disk0s6

Reply

Answer 6

w dfrombutte Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 30, 2020 11:18 AM in response to Loner T

the disk is now merged and boot camp is gone

the current OS is Sierra and I am in the process of installing High Sierra

Reply

Answer 7

w dfrombutte Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 29, 2020 7:45 PM in response to Loner T

thank you so much for your attention, here is the background.

The machine is a Mac Air (2017 I think)

it has Sierra as the OS. I’m trying to upgrade it to High Sierra to use a new version of MS 365 for the Excel program, it will not install on Sierra. The upgrade fails because it won’t overwrite the boot camp volume. I have wincloned boot camp and carbon copied the Mac side. I need to remove the boot camp to upgrade and this is where I stand

Reply

Answer 8

w dfrombutte Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 30, 2020 9:46 AM in response to Loner T

same message

heres the diskutil list

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS MAC 311.0 GB disk0s2

3: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 134.2 MB disk0s3

4: Apple_HFS BC2 7.9 GB disk0s4

5: Apple_HFS BC3 180.3 GB disk0s5

6: Apple_HFS BC4 471.9 MB disk0s6

if i could reformat the drive I could replace the mac side using the Clone. I need the Bootcamp for windows 7 i believe to create the partition that would allow the Winclone to place the saved BOOTCAMP partition

Reply

Answer 9

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Nov 30, 2020 6:22 PM in response to w dfrombutte

w dfrombutte wrote:

It’s hung up for more then a couple hours in the “performing fsck_apfs -n -x -l /dev/disk0s2”

macOS High Sierra has many APFS bugs. Mojave is a better choice. Also, High Sierra cannot correct APFS corruption.

Reply

Answer 10

Dec 1, 2020 4:56 AM in response to Loner T

Hi LonerT

I have been trying to install windows 8.1 on my late 2011 Macbook pro without the optical drive (Its broken) I tried different methods but all to no avail. Finally after more googling I came to the conclusion to clone my previous HDD bootcamp partition with Winclone.

The problem is that after a successful clone (claimed by Winclone obviously LOL) the Bootcamp partition doesn't boot in legacy mode (showing me No bootable device found Insert a floppy disk and .....) BUT if I change the boot mode to EFI, windows boots up and everything works except that the sound driver wont work.

From what I gather my mac doesn't support EFI booting and I have to make the window boot in legacy mode.

This is a screenshot of my diskutil list:

I would really really appreciate any help on how to make my already installed windows bootable in legacy mode.

Thanks in advance

Reply

Answer 11

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Dec 1, 2020 6:41 AM in response to Appleeuserr

Appleeuserr wrote:

I have been trying to install windows 8.1 on my late 2011 Macbook pro without the optical drive (Its broken) I tried different methods but all to no avail. Finally after more googling I came to the conclusion to clone my previous HDD bootcamp partition with Winclone.

Can you start a new discussion to avoid confusion with OP?

Reply