partition delete failed in bootcamp assistant

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Level 1

8 points

partition delete failed in bootcamp assistant

When trying to remove my installation of Windows 7 the bootcamp assistant failed mid-way through removing the bootcamp partition.

The issue here is that I can recover the space but I can't make a single Mac HD partition anymore.

Disk utility says - "couldn't modify partition map because file system verification failed" (see pic)

I've been through the discussions and can't seem to find an answer. Trying gdisk and other command line routes to try to get my partition to unite again, its a 2TB drive and the Bootcamp partition was 300GB so I'd really like to get it back in one piece.

How can I make it one Mac HD partition again??

Been here for a few hours and am at my wits end!

User uploaded file

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9), Bootcamp

Posted on Nov 26, 2013 6:00 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 26, 2013 6:04 AM in response to zeroclip

Have you worked through http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5639 or http://support.apple.com/kb/HT44818

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Answer 2

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2013 2:32 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Hi Ralph Landry1,

I didn't see anything in the FAQ about partitions that won't delete or rejoin the main mac HD partition after bootcamp assistant fails to delete the bootcamp partition.

It was a struggle to even see the partition after bootcamp assistant. The only thing bootcamp assistant offered to do was install windows on a division of what is now a 1.7tb partition. I'm missing 300gb.

So since then I tried to use disk utility to erase the partition then join it up to the mac HD one but it won't do it.

Thanks

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Answer 3

Nov 26, 2013 4:56 PM in response to zeroclip

Did you:

- Restart the Mac and make sure all programs are terminated,

- Applications > Utilities > BootCamp Assistant,

- On Select Task screen > Create or remove a Windows partition,

- On warning screen, click Restore,

If so and it failed, where did it fail?

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Answer 4

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2013 6:59 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

So I carried out those steps and the instructions to remove the windows partition with BootCamp Assistant (i.e. Restore it).

When I clicked Restore - during the restore process it stopped and said that the restore had failed.

The "BOOTCAMP" partition disappeared from my desktop.

And when I looked into disk utility to see what was going on with the MacHD partition it was stil 1.7TB and the 300GB that was the BOOTCAMP partition wasn't allocated and trying to resize my Mac HD partition it won't allow it to take up the full 2TB anymore.

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Answer 5

Nov 26, 2013 7:24 PM in response to zeroclip

Taking a drastic approach, if you don't have an external hard drive, get one, format it Max OS X Extended (Journaled), and clone the internal drive using something like Carbon Copy Cloner. Restart on the recovery partition, hold the Command and R keys, then select Disk Utility and format/raise the internal hard drive and hen reinstall Mavericks. With that working properly, clone the external drive material back to the internal drive so you have all of your intent back again.

That is getting pretty drastic but I don't see why BCA and DU are not freeing that space as hey should.

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Answer 6

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2013 7:51 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Well I guess that means I'm shopping for a new external hard drive.

So just to clarify, I was looking for solutions and using the disk utility I was able to erase and format the 300GB as a partition that came up on the desktop, so effectively I was able to reclaim the space, just not as a single partition again, thats where disk utility failed (see picture above).

Anyway, thanks very much for your help.

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Answer 7

Nov 26, 2013 7:56 PM in response to zeroclip

If you erased and set up as two Mac partitions with DU, have you tried to have it combine the partitions row expand the primary to take over the second?

I have been buying my external drives for the past few years from OWC, http://www.macsales.com they are Mac specialists and their drives are Mac compatible...I have three of their Mercury Pro Elite drives and they are great.

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Answer 8

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2013 9:15 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

I haven't actually tried combining the partitions, expanding the primary over the second.

Will try that.

What I was doing was removing the second partition and draging the primary into empty space.

Question: have you used DiskUtility for cloning before?

Just read an article describing how DU is just as effective at cloning as dedicated third party software and would happily avoid the $40 for carbon copy if I already had the software to do it.

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Answer 9

Nov 27, 2013 1:05 AM in response to zeroclip

have you tried gParted?

http://gparted.org/

download the ISO, burn into CD, boot it. then you can see all those drives where you can format.

You may need to format every partition to make them into one then use boot into recovery and use Disk Utility to format everything into a singleton before you can use bootcamp assistant again.

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Answer 10

Nov 27, 2013 5:36 AM in response to zeroclip

I haven't used DU to clone, have used CCC a lot...last time I downloaded CCC you could use it for 30 days for free, then you had to pay the $40 fee...only wanted to clone the iMac internal drive to a new external so used it then deleted it.

CCC does have the ability to clone not only the active partition, but also the recovery partition...SuperDuper did not do a great job of that when I wanted to clone the iMac so stayed with CCC.

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Answer 11

LowLuster

Level 6

12,105 points

Nov 27, 2013 5:54 AM in response to zeroclip

As far as your screen shot goes you don't have a Windows, or any other partition, on your drive. Only partition is the Macintosh HD one. Disk Utility is showing a 2TB partition. Not a 1.7TB and .3TB/300GB/3000MB partition.

Seems to be Much Ado About nothing.

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Answer 12

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2013 9:58 PM in response to LowLuster

@LowLuster the screen shot is of it failing to make the single MacHD partition (it still reverts back to the 1.7GB Partition), and as discussed above I used to have a BOOTCAMP partition which dissappeared when trying to restore the full Mac HD Partition.

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Answer 13

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2013 10:04 PM in response to zeroclip

@Ralph Landry1 I'm cloning with CCC there's a 30 day trial with it.

Thanks.

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Answer 14

Nov 28, 2013 5:24 AM in response to zeroclip

That is how I used it also, within the 30-day free trial period...eventually purchased since I really like but they are very good about the free trial period and do not nag you to buy it.

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Answer 15

zeroclip Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2013 12:58 PM in response to Ralph Landry1

Yeah, if I were to use it regularly I'd buy it.

I booted from my external clone last night and formatted my internal HD, got the 2TB back, now only about 11hours to get Mavericks back in place!

Thanks Ralph, you were a great help.

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