Boot Camp formatting partition problem

Windows need to format the partition before installation. On that same page where you see partitions you can format the bootcamp disk. Just select the bootcamp partition and click format at the bottom, windows will prompt for reformat you install.

Windows need to format the partition before installation. On that same page where you see partitions you can format the bootcamp disk.

- Choose Bootcamp Partition.

- Click Advanced option on bottom.

- Click format to reformat the partition.

- Install.

I was involved with the original posting of this issue and just wanted to comment on the above replies about formatting. If you refer to my previous post, I got to that point in the BootCamp process where it was telling me I had to format the partition but pressing the format button didn't do anything. Anyway, I've moved on and just bought a cheap Dell for my AV programming needs. Couldn't waste anymore time trying to get this to work.

This advice must be out of date, there is no advanced options for formatting the partition when using a windows 8.1 full retail edition.

the options to delete, format, new, load driver, extend, refresh are the only options that exist.

the format option will do nothing. Literally nothing, spinning icon, then nothing, delete the partition and create new does not help either.

For reference I am using a brand new standard iMac 500gb drive straight out of the box with windows 8.1 full retail edition in an external Usb SuperDrive.

I Have tried various other bits of advice regarding removing Usb devices, I've tried a wired keyboard rather than Bluetooth etc etc

so something is definitely 'different' either since windows 8.1 or the Yosemite 10.10 boot camp assistant.

the windows error is reported as windows can not install to this disk. The selected disk is of the gpt partition style.

i Will attempt to fix using the 'standard' apple supplied tools. If that doesn't work I will used the gdisk advice previously in this thread... Should I ever be successful I will detail explicit steps to work for everyones benefit.

You may want to look at https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/mac/5.0/help/.

The GPT/MBR conflict can also be because BCA failed to create a Hybrid MBR, leaving the disk as GPT-only, which is what the Installer reports. On newer (Late 2013+) Macs, it is possible to install Windows using the BCA(Hybrid MBR) method or EFI (GPT-Only) schemes.

You should use a USB2 flash drive rather than a USB3 flash disk. USB3 devices are not supported and can lead to no bootable device or black screen issues.

If you want to, please start a new discussion, and I can take a look.

I completed a windows 7 partition install on an 2014 macbook air using the method I mentioned above.

- OS Yosemite 10.10 Bootcamp

- Windows 7 64bit Ultimate.
- Used USB Flash Installation method (refer to apple document)

-

It works for windows 7, have not tried windows 8

restart, hold option, install windows using the EFI Boot

Hi, I had the same issues. I hope you'll be able to help me.

I've got a MBP mid 2014 256 Flash.

Trying to install Windows 8.1/10 but "Windows cannot be installed to this disc. The selected disc is of the GPT partition style".

I've been following your answers and what I found on the internet but I'm having some issues:

diskutil list

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *251.0 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_CoreStorage Macintosh HD 189.4 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 784.2 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data 60.6 GB disk0s4

/dev/disk1 (internal, virtual):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD +189.0 GB disk1

Logical Volume on disk0s2

847CF4BD-D587-427F-9622-372F389D2EEC

Unencrypted

Claudios-MBP:~ claudiocontento$

sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

Claudios-MBP:~ claudiocontento$ sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

gpt show: /dev/disk0: mediasize=251000193024; sectorsize=512; blocks=490234752

gpt show: /dev/disk0: PMBR at sector 0

gpt show: /dev/disk0: Pri GPT at sector 1

gpt show: /dev/disk0: Sec GPT at sector 490234751

start size index contents

0 1 PMBR

1 1 Pri GPT header

2 32 Pri GPT table

34 6

40 409600 1 GPT part - C12A7328-F81F-11D2-BA4B-00A0C93EC93B

409640 369865648 2 GPT part - 53746F72-6167-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

370275288 1531680 3 GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

371806968 1288

371808256 118425600 4 GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

490233856 863

490234719 32 Sec GPT table

490234751 1 Sec GPT header

sudo fdisk dev/disk0

Claudios-MBP:~ claudiocontento$ sudo fdisk /dev/disk0

Disk: /dev/disk0 geometry: 30515/255/63 [490234752 sectors]

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec [ start - size]

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 490234751] <Unknown ID>

2: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

3: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

sudo dd=if /dev/r[disk0] count=1 2>/dev/null | hexdump -C

Claudios-MBP:~ claudiocontento$ sudo dd=if /dev/r[disk0s4] count=1 2>/dev/null | hexdump -C

Claudios-MBP:~ claudiocontento$

irectory

I've then downloaded GPT fdisk, should I do what you told the others to?

Thank you very much in advance,

Claudio

2014 Macs can support W8.1 with EFI Boot. It is faster than the usual legacy MBR/BIOS installation. Do you want to try using that method?

Yes, if it is easier. I'm trying to look on the internet for a guide, because I don't really know how.

1. Backup OSX.

2. Convert disk0s4 to free space. From OS X Terminal

diskutil eraseVolume free FREE disk0s4

This will give you an error, because there is no disk associated with free space, but diskutil expects one.

3. Boot from the USB Installer using Alt/Option key, and choose EFI Boot. Point to the Free Space part when asked by the Windows Installer. This space will be split into a 128MB MSR and rest as NTFS.

4. Do not connect any other external storage till Windows is successfully installed.

Ok thank you very much, I'll try to look for the EFI Boot and keep you posted. 🙂