windows 7 demands NTFS drive

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.

Back to the drawing board!

My Bootcamp partition just vanished :-(

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.

The pdf is your guide and "BOOTCAMP" is to be fomatted to NTFS (Advanced Options)

Windows on Mac really should be about 92% the same.

Windows 8 can and does support GPT and EFI now but not on my Mac - it may with newer Macs which I lack, and enabling Hyper-V also helps with stability and other issues - we have some "MacBook Air 2012 w/ Windows 8" user threads. Check for them.

There are: GPT 200MB that looks like FAT volume, HFS (200GB?) and an Apple EFI 128MB (also looks like FAT). And Windows NTFS.

Windows 7 and 8 both want to by default setup their own 100 or 320MB FAT system reserved partition that has become more important and used for boot and recovery-repairs.

Nuke the WRONG one and who knows.

Any OS and you should make your good system restore images - WinClone and Windows system restore image for Windows, Carbon Copy Cloner and TimeMachine for Mac HFS.

Agreed but in this case I tried to directly format the BOOTCAMP partition made by the boot camp assistant prior to installation and it would just not work. I then tried deleting the BOOTCAMP partition first and then formatting - this worked. Ofcourse in this case windows automatically creates a reserve partition for system(100-200mb) separately.

I have a 2010 macbook air and have NOW successfully installed Windows 7 Professional on it.

Also, this was an experiment of sorts as I am trying to evaluate the effective functioning of windows on my MBA. If I plan to reformat n reinstall everything, how much minimum space would you recommend I keep for OSX?

OS X can go on an external drive and leave you with 100% internal of Windows only, if want.

Minimum can be in the 30GB range, depending on apps, data, etc and you want more than 15% free in any case, especially when using SSDs that don't like getting 90% full (and TRIM, GC need room to work with).

People do do 100% Linux and Windows on MBAir and MBPro models. Battery is shorter and run warmer.

Not sure what or why but maybe the Lion Recovery and other hidden partition structure 'got in the way.' Lion 10.7.0 did not properly work with Boot Camp and Boot Camp 4.0 drivers were another matter as well.

my experience is that going from OS X 10.5 to .6 and/or to .7 results in partition tables that are not "happy" and OS X does benefit from format with the new OS first and then install, and to not do an "upgrade in place" as many like to.

Doing a "clean install" and using Setup Assistant gets the user to where they were but with the new OS safer and better - just need to have their backups in good shape and current.

Got it, thanks !

Kid Dynamic wrote:

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.

Thats untrue, read pg 21 & 22 of the Boot Camp manual, what to do is there.

Thanks KidDynamic! Worked first up for me by selecting advanced and Format options. Windows is now going through the install process...