Bootcamp partition: "Windows cannot be installed, the selected disk is of the GPT partition style"

Hey

I had exactly the same problem. I really tried everything, Different windows images, different partition styles. Always with an usb-stick.

It finally worked flawlessly when i burned a dvd. I think there lies the problem.

Have a nice day

I am also in the same boat.

Can you please elaborate on what you did that finally worked?

Thanks

Booting Windows from a DVD instead of the USB stick.

You have corrupted your partitioning tree.

Boot camp creates not one but Two additional partitions making 4 (5 on Lion / Mountain Lion !) in all with a bootcamp windows install

You have a 207mb EFI boot loader typical disk id diskO

Your Osx partition in HFS+ and Guid formatted with disk id diskOS1

Lion/M'Lion 650mb Recovery Partition with disk id diskOS2 (Not on Leopard/Snow Leopard)

A bootcamp boot loader approx 200mb with disk id diskOS3 (or OS2 in Leopard/Sn'w Leopard)

Finally a Windows Partition in NTFS with disk id diskOS4 (Or OS3 in Leopard/Sn'w Leopard)

The EFI boot loader and Bootcamp boot loaders are normally hidden and visible only in terminal.

You have almost certainly broken or even removed the Bootcamp boot loader partition. The above tree order is crucial if the bootcamp Windows install is to work.

Now if you want to add a FAT formatted swap partition it should be done out of the windows partition to retain the tree integrity or better still use a separate external HDD mountable and visible in both OSes.

To regain full functionality you really will have to boot OSX open Bootcamp app from Utilities reformat back to single partition and start over.

NB.

Never use bootcamp partitioning and then Disk Utility - This WILL screw your system because bootcamp partitioning process adds those hidden partitions that Disk Utility doesn't !

anasparis wrote:

Anyone?

Remove your Windows installation and BC partition, start again.

ok, how then is the best way to achieve the following on a iMac OS X 10.8.2 with a 1TB drive;

three partitions;

1. System Partition 140GB

2. Data Partition 800GB

3. WIN 7 60GB (yes i want to be able to boot into win7, i am already using Fusion and love it, but there are one or two things where I need/want bootable WIN 7)

- I initially had one 1TB partition, then I created a working 60GB Win 7 partition via Bootcamp.

- Then I partitioned the 940GB partition into 140GB System and 800GB Data

This seemed to have moved the Win 7 Partition and it did not update the MBR and I am guessing this is why it does not work. I saw some solutions on the net from using rEFIt to doing it the manly way by updating the MBR manually so that the start/stop sectors point to the right places.

I have to finish my 2011 Taxes before tomorrow monday, so did not want to take more changes and hose my iMac. I will resume tinkering after taxes 🙂

Thanks

You did it the wrong way round resulting in the damage to the hidden partitions.

Best and most effective way FIRST use Disk utility to partition in two and to create your DATA partition.

Set one partition for OSX at 210GB (Include for the overhead for Windows AND the BOOT loader) and a Second partition for data

Install OSX on your 210GB partition created above.

Boot into OSX and go into Utilities and launch the Bootcamp partition app.

Using Boot Camp spilt the OSX partition and set aside 60GB for Windows

Now install Windows on this partition

When going through the Windows install process make VERY sure you point at the 60GB partition !

This will also add the hidden Boot loader and maintain your partition tree.

You should be good to go this time.

Anasparis,

I tried your described sequence but it does not work.

When I try to use Bootcamp, it gives me a msg about the partition not being one whole partition and it does not allow me to continue.

Did I miss anything?

Thanks,

I had a similar problem. I was trying to install Win 8 on my Macbook Air. I had used reFIt for booting the setup from an USB stick. I had decided to do a clean install, completely deleting my OS X partition. After deleting the partition, I got the same message as you, "Windows cannot be installed, the selected disk is of the GPT partition style".

I had messed things up. I could not restart the computer and try again, as reFIt was required for booting from USB, and I had deleted the partition. I managed to get into "Repair my computer", and from there through "advanced settings" into a command prompt.

After some Googling, I stumbled upon an article from Microsoft. From it I found out that using the diskpart command, you could start fresh. I ran diskpart, and did the following:

> clean

> convert gpt

This erased everyting from the disk - so BE WARNED! (If you're using Boot Camp and have an OS X partition you care about, don't run this!)

After running diskpart both the EFI partition and the OS X recovery partition were gone (try "list partition"). But then I left diskpart, and ran setup again from the command prompt (just type "setup"), and voila, Windows accepted the freshly emptied disk!