I'm trying to install Windows 7 through Boot Camp. I get all the way to installing Windows and it fails because it needs an NTFS-formatted drive. I don't see anywhere in the BootCamp setup assistant that allows me to make that (or any, for that matter) choice about how the Boot Camp partition should be formatted. How do i do this?
It tells you. It is spelled out. There is a button below the box where you choose where to install. Click on Advanced Options. It tells you in the manual pdf guide. Somewhere right after page 21.
Instructions for all features and settings.
Get answers to commonly asked Boot Camp questions.
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Wow, yeah, that's not supposed to happen.
Condie, after doing a little research (Searched google for "setup was unable to create a new system partitition.") there could be a couple solutions.
Are you by chance installing Windows from a USB drive (not DVD) as the install disk? Or, do you have other external drives attached? Try pulling them all out, and trying again. That info was in here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3259726?start=0&tstart=0
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=83939
And: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2201043 which suggests that maybe you don't have to unplug the USB drive if you're using it to install Windows, just everything else.
Or, maybe you used a USB drive to copy the support files in Boot Camp Assistant, and left it plugged in? If so, try unplugging it and trying again.
If none of these apply to you, you could try going into the Windows command window by hitting Shift-F10, then doing the following:
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.ht m?page=4
Hope this helps!
Also, when Windows 7 Install is telling you that it can't install on a FAT partition, there's an option to format it with NTFS without having to go back to Boot Camp and re-do it from scratch.
In the window that gives you a list of partitions and asks you where to install, select the bootcamp / FAT partition you want to use, then click "Drive options (advanced)" on the bottom-right. Then select "Format" to format it for NTFS.
This guide might be helpful (it has screenshots) http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/02/05/exploring_windows_7_on_the_mac_ins tallation_via_boot_camp/
I'm having the same problem
Bootcamp assistant formatted the drive, but windows 7 won't install
I formatted the partition, deleted,bcreated and reformatted and it still needs NTFS.
Spent 40 minutes waiting on Support, then gave up after the Tech tried to find me a supervisor as she was STUMPED too
Then..... you didn't read what to do.
When you get to where you choose "BOOTCAMP" (page 22 in pdf manual), click on the button below (Advanced Options) where you convert/format MSDOS to NTFS.
It is easy, it is what everyone does, and has been part of install process since Vista and since Jan 2008 at least (or the release of Leopard and Boot Camp 2.0).
But I did that!
The Advanced option was Format, no Convert
I formatted. No luck
I deleted, created and formatted.
Still no luck
But shouldnt Bootcamp make an NTFS automatically?
I'm on Lion on new Mac mini. Is the Bootcamp Assistant different from the earlier version? Can I downgrade?
Re-reading your previous post, Hatter, it turns out I was basically repeating what you just said. Albeit with a graphical guide. Sorry about that.
Condie, just do the thing that Hatter and I mentioned you need to do. That will fix it.
Oh, really?
Yes, there's no "Convert". You can only re-format as NTFS.
After you've formatted, what happens? Does it still say the drive can't be used? Are you selecting the BOOTCAMP drive? Are you hitting "Next"? Is there an error that appears?
If you delete the Mac partitions, you will destroy your Mac OSX installation and all the data there. You'd need to use Time Machine or similar backup to restore. Honestly, you shouldn't have to do this, it doesn't make any sense. :-/ Let us know if the unplugging USB drives thing works...
Got it, finally, with a couple of mis-steps :-)
Extra USBs seems to have been the problem indeed!
I unchecked the USB option the first time, hoping to boot from external DVD. But Bootcamp still demanded a USB that it couldn't fiind.
Enabled just one USB the second time, and Windows installed off the DVD!
As long as it works . . .
Was delighted with installing the Support stuff on Windows, all those drivers just zapping in, plus the Taskbar bootcamp/Bluetooth.
This is better than most PCs!!!!!
OFF-topic, but while I've got you: Could I have used 64-bit? I can use only 2G of my 8G RAM.
Again,
THANK YOU!!!
Consider that install to be a test or trial run.... no way do you want 32-bit version, and yes you need 64-bit to make use of your hardware fully. Anyone with 4GB or greater.
Make sure you will have enough drive space, something like 60GB preferably if you want hibernation (8GB alone), 10GB temp (for updates), 20GB for just 'core' Windows. Plus page, apps, cache, data and stuff. I keep all the drivers and downloads as well.
I had the same problem with Windows 7. I clicked the volume in windows setup and hit format. The volume name BOOTCAMP disappeared. Then I clicked the same partition, clicked Next, and setup reported that it couldn't find a system partition. I think I understand what happened. When you partition in Bootcamp, it'll format the partition as FAT (allowing some versions of windows to install), but not NTFS since it is proprietary. When you hit format in Windows 7 setup, it probably keeps the same format type of FAT. So, in Windows Setup, delete the BOOTCAMP partition, Create a new one, then hit Format. Don't Delete or Format anything else unless you want to have to reinstall OSX or restore from a Time Machine backup.
TL;DR - Do all the Bootcamp steps from OSX, launch Windows 7 setup. In setup, Delete only the BOOTCAMP partition, Create a new one in the unallocated space it was in, Format, andclick Next. Enjoy watching windows setup.
No, it does not keep FAT32/MSDOS.
Apple during the beta did format to NTFS if larger than 32GB but dropped that, probably as you say, proprietary and other reasons.
When you hit format in Windows 7 setup, it probably keeps the same format type of FAT. So, in Windows Setup, delete the BOOTCAMP partition,
I have not read the guide again but I am pretty sure it says not to delete any partition, just click on BOOTCAMP and FORMAT is all you need to do.
If there is another drive present, if there is a 2nd HFS/GPT drive, Windows will not install until you remove it or reformat that drive to MBR or wipe out OS X and leave it GPT.
Oh ok. It does say not to delete anything, but I wasn't able to boot back in OSX after restarting. I'm new to Mac and am not familiar with Apple's EFI software options and how to change the boot device. So in my case, I created a 64gb volume for Win7, and after I clicked format in Win7 setup, the volume name BOOTCAMP disappeared. I clicked next and it said there was no system volume found on the system to install in. After not being able to boot back into OSX, I just deleted the bootcamp partition in Win7 setup, and created a new one in the same space at the end of the disk. Everything worked perfect after that snag. Also, I'm on an MB Air, so only the internal SSD and the thumbdrive with the installation image on it. Any ideas on what happened?
Thank you all for this thread - solved my issues with windows installation, FINALLY !!!
Also, I would like to confirm that the above mentioned method of deleting the BOOTCAMP partition instead of trying to format it first - WORKS.
Thank you again, posting this reply hoping that it will help some other desparate soul like me in the future.
windows 7 demands NTFS drive
