Boot Camp keeps uninstalling?

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Boot Camp keeps uninstalling?

Hello there forum,

Let me provide a bit of background. I recently purchased a Macbook Pro 13" mid-2010 and I love it. The keyboard is great to type on, Snow Leopard is amazing, and I'm really enjoying the experience being a first time Mac owner (though I had used them in the past).

But I'm having trouble with Boot Camp.

The first time I tried to install the Mac Drivers and Boot Camp it just wouldn't work and the computer kept turning off before it finished. I called Apple Tech Support and they told me to just try re-installing Windows (I am using Windows XP w/ SP2) so I did that. At this point when I inserted my Mac OS X CD to install the drivers, it worked! Eureka! I was thrilled and proceeded to install all of my other Windows Applications.

However now it seems that Boot Camp has been... uninstalled? With no input from me. I can no longer use two fingers with my trackpad to right click, and the Function key commands stopped working. It's back to what it was the first time when Boot Camp and the drivers wouldn't install, but it was working yesterday!

I tried to re-install again using the Mac OS X disc (I had planned to hit the repair button) but it acted as if it was doing a clean install. It didn't complete or manage to do anything to fix stuff.

So I'm at a loss. And I'm very frustrated. I love the Mac side, but I need (and want, honestly) to use Windows as well.

I ran the following programs that may or may not have had something to do with it: CCleaner, Advanced System Care, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, and Avast! Anti-Virus.

Any ideas or tips?

Macbook Pro 13" mid-2010, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Boot Camp with XP

Posted on Aug 31, 2010 11:36 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 31, 2010 11:43 AM in response to OrangeWolf

Not really knowing what you did all I can suggest is opening Boot Camp Assistant and clicking on the left button to read or print out the documentation. Read it carefully, then remove your Windows partition, repair your hard drive, then start from scratch by creating a new Windows partition, installing Windows, and installing the Boot Camp drivers.

Be sure you are using the latest version of the Boot Camp drivers by downloading and installing the appropriate drivers updater from support.apple.com/downloads/. Your Windows XP installer disc must be a retail installer, not an OEM installer from a Windows PC. I have done this countless times on a wide variety of Apple products and have never encountered any problem let alone one like yours.

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Answer 2

OrangeWolf Author

Level 1

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Aug 31, 2010 12:10 PM in response to Kappy

I thought I described what I did -- is there something else I need to add?

There is no more Boot Camp assistant in Windows -- it uninstalled or something.

I have already removed and re-installed the Windows partition once in an effort to fix this problem, and I'm right back where I started.

I updated all the software Mac side before removing the Windows partition the last time, is what you refer to included when you click the Apple button in the top-left on the Mac OS and update all your software? As for updating Boot Camp windows side -- I did download some updates from the site you mention, but I can't install them because it says it's an update for a program that isn't there because Boot Camp isn't there anymore.

I had no trouble installing Windows XP this time or the last time, so I don't think it's the disc. But even if it is it's not an OEM as far as I know -- if it was would it have installed just fine like it did? I'm not sure.

My concern is that one of my Malware/Virus/Registry programs screwed with Boot Camp. CCleaner and Advanced System care both affect the Registry as well as delete temporary files and the like. I wonder if one of them is the cause? Or could MalwareBytes or my Anti-Virus be seeing part of Boot Camp as bad?

I don't want to do what you say and just re-install everything AGAIN because I did that already and I'm back where I started -- if I do it again I want to try to get some idea of what went wrong so I can avoid it, rather than getting in a vicious cycle of it never working (esp now that I've spent hours installing all my other programs on Windows now).

Thanks for your help so far. I really, really appreciate the fact that you responded so quickly with a suggestion. Please let me know if you can think of anything else.

Cheers

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Aug 31, 2010 12:33 PM in response to OrangeWolf

Since you don't want to start from scratch I assume you wish to continue from where you are. So I can't be of any more assistance.

Boot Camp Assistant is in the OS X Utilities folder. It's what you used to set up the Windows partition as well as remove it.

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Answer 4

OrangeWolf Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 31, 2010 12:39 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for your help 😉

I thought you meant the Boot Camp assistant that used to be in Windows, not the one on the Mac side. My bad. There used to be one in Windows where I could set things like how to right click, and whether I wanted F5 to act as F5 or as Light Dimming with Fn pressed, etc.

I am willing to start from scratch if there is anything different I can do, but I tried that once and ended up where I am. 😟

Anyway, thank you again. I do appreciate it! If I can't figure anything out in the next few days I'll probably start from scratch again like you suggest.

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Answer 5

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Aug 31, 2010 12:40 PM in response to OrangeWolf

Too many cooks can spoil the soup. From my experience CCleaner is fine and just use one; same with malware, I'd stick to MS Security Essentials alone actually though Windows 7 was built with security in mind. XP was not and so you do need something, but carefully.

there is no more Boot Camp assistant in Windows -- it uninstalled or something.

I have already removed and re-installed the Windows partition once in an effort to fix this problem, and I'm right back where I started.

Assistant is ONLY in Mac OS; is only used to partition or remove, and do not under any circumstance use Disk Utility or something else to remove the Windows partition.

Uninstall and rollback drivers, go to earlier restore point, make a system image and backup of Windows (and Mac OS) when you can and when one of them is working.

As to what sounds like minor issues with trackpad and such, can't help, those are mentioned.

I don't see that something is being uninstalled. If so, there is a corrupt disk or file system more than likely.

In MSCONFIG you'll find Apple startupitems for OSSwitcher and TimeServices and others. In Programs control panel there is MobileMe, Bonjour (neither is essential) as well as BootCamp; and, Boot Camp control panel to change the default boot OS.

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Answer 6

OrangeWolf Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 31, 2010 12:54 PM in response to The hatter

What was uninstalled was whatever Boot Camp Utility that was installed on the Windows side with the drivers.

At that point there was an icon in the bottom right corner of my task bar in Windows XP labelled "Boot Camp." I think that's the ... notification area? of the Task Bar.

Upon clicking on this icon in Windows, it could bring up something that was called Boot Camp something or other, and I could change settings such as how to right click using the Trackpad or how the Fn keys worked. Within Windows.

That is what is no longer there and I assumed had been uninstalled (I could be wrong of course). The folder in Program Files that was labelled Boot Camp also has fewer things in it than it did before -- this folder was added along with the drivers and whatever else the Mac OS X CD installed.

When the Boot Camp icon disappeared from Windows is when my mouse and function keys -- which had been working perfectly in Windows -- ceased to work.

I can drop Advanced System Care, since it does much of what CCleaner and MalwareBytes can do. Perhaps that will help. I'll google and make sure Avast! should be alright.

You say that the issues with the Trackpad and whatnot are fairly minor -- yet to me those are the only real issues here. I assumed that they stopped working because I saw the Boot Camp whatever that was in Windows disappear at the same time. Windows appears to work just fine itself, it's just not working with the Mac trackpad/keyboard/etc.

Also yesterday I could access the Mac partition from Windows but now I can't do that.

Thank you as well for your help -- great forum support here!

If I do end up re-installing or finding a fix or figuring out just what is going on I'll be sure to post back.

Much appreciated you two. Anyone else?

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Answer 7

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Aug 31, 2010 1:37 PM in response to OrangeWolf

Do chkdsk to find errors and attempt to map out bad blocks.

also, run system file checker sfc \scannow

When you install Boot Camp (Apple setup.exe actually) is that 3.0?
Do you upgrade to 3.1? manually? or through Apple Software Update?

I tend not to trust ASU that much. It also will likely download and install many other items like iTunes, Safari 5, etc.

And, that you have "sufficient" free space on your Windows volume.

I couldn't really care about notification, as long as the actual real Boot Camp Control Panel is there.

Sounds like a corrupt file system more than anything, and whether you have upgraded to SP3, there were issues with that step as well. SP2 is no longer getting updates for fixes.

Uninstall drivers, restart, let Windows install basic generic and reinstall what you need.

COPY everything from Apple Boot Camp that shows in Windows to a folder on your Windows volume and run from there.

But #1 chkdsk and sfc
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310747
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

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Answer 8

OrangeWolf Author

Level 1

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Sep 1, 2010 4:07 AM in response to OrangeWolf

Ok. I tried everything that the previous poster suggested. Check Disk found nothing, and I assume that the sfc /scannow didn't either -- though I was fixing lunch when it apparently finished. Still having the same issue.

Since there seems to be some confusion about what I'm talking about I checked around the internet to find a better way to describe it and the following link seems to illustrate what I am saying has been uninstalled.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31012_7-10431386-10355804.html?tag=mncol;posts

The Boot Camp Control Panel picture there. Yesterday I had that. Now I do not and all of the options it provides are what is gone (no more double tap for right click, etc.) so I am trying to figure out why it isn't there anymore and what I did so that I can avoid doing it again.

Also this next link confirms that I should be able to access the Macintosh drive from Windows side, which again, I could do yesterday but no longer can.

http://www.cnet.com/8301-17914_1-10315168-89.html?tag=mncol;txt

So it's this Boot Camp Control Panel thing that isn't there anymore when it was before.

I'll probably end up trying to re-install again, but as it takes hours to get Windows back working properly especially once I've installed all the programs I need to have on it, I'm really just trying to figure out how to avoid having this uninstall (or whatever) when I re-install Windows for the 3rd or 4th time.

I hope that helped to clarify what I was talking about when I said something was uninstalled?

Cheers, and thanks again everyone so far.

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Answer 9

The hatter

Level 9

61,031 points

Sep 1, 2010 4:30 AM in response to OrangeWolf

Does the problem begin only after running Boot Camp 3.1?
If you are using Apple Software Update, turn off automatic updates, please.

Have you looked at how to make a good system image so you don't have to reinstall?

You said your hard drive had to be replaced once before.
Maybe there is something else causing the drive to "go south."

Do you have clean safe shutdown and restart?
It can take awhile sometimes.

Does Windows have a large enough partition and 4-10GB or more free space?

Restore points are created automatically if there is free space, can use additional 4-15GB of space. That way you can restore to earlier last good boot point in time or earlier. Same for drivers.

Windows 7 takes about 20GB, maybe more with games and apps, and then 10GB for temp space and restore points.

Create a restore point before you install XYZ, after it is up and working.
And it must have worked for a few restarts as you installed software.

Don't install anything until you know why and what is happening.
Then do it gradual, slow, methodical. And watch and observe.

Casper 6, Acronis 2011 w/ Plus Pak (maybe, check their forum) or another backup manager.
Windows 7 System Image backup WILL NOT WORK with AppleHFS, it will with MacDrive8 possibly, so you can burn a DVD for restore purposes.
You will need a backup hard drive in any event.

Boot from Windows 7 DVD and System Repair and Restore to last known.
Use Safe Boot if it does not shutdown properly.

Drivers don't just uninstall. Unless the disk drive, or system memory, some kind of hardware failure or something else.

Use MSSE instead of McAfee etc for malware and security.

As for Cnet, that just looks like the marketing and what the Windows on Mac should be, not about your issue or how and why it goes wrong.

AppleHFS is a feature that works, but also can cause blue screen and somewhat buggy drivers on some systems, so I would, IF and when you get this working, disable that feature!

*Rename AppleHFS.sys and AppleMNT.sys*

By doing the following you will disable HFS mount / read mode on windows XP, Vista, 7.

Navigate to
c:/windows/system32/drivers/AppleMNT.sys

rename the AppleMNT.sys file to something like AppleMNT_keep.sys or something of your likings.

The faulty HFS driver is a valid concern. It seems to happen on many systems.
You find it in -

Windows/system32/drivers/ AppleHFS.sys

Renaming to AppleHFS_disabled.sys will avoid the blue screens until you have found another solution or Apple updates Bootcamp 3

----
After renaming both myself because they are no longer "*.sys" or something? they are gone. In my case AppleHFS prevented Windows Backup from running to end and was causing error "some files skipped" and while some might find reading convenient, I prefer Windows not have even read-only access.

You can probably do better with MacDrive8.
http://www.mediafour.com/support/downloads.asp

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