Repairing Boot Camp after upgrading to Mavericks: Jarvis

Excellent.

There's some steps here I didn't think of, like disconnecting the 2nd drive in my OptiBay: grew idea.

I have my BootCamp and all my software on my main SSD drive, I only use the 2nd HDD for data.

Will use the right version of BootCamp assistant to make a new version of BootCamp.

I use Winclone to do my BootCamp backups.

And I know it works, because after Mr. MackTruck met Mr. MacBookPro, I had to use it.

But as far as I know, if I wipe the BootCamp partition and install a new Windows 7 OS (Pro, Ultimate or Enterprise) then I'm not sure what it does if I then use the WinClone backup, I think it adds EVERYTHING back again: the original Windows OS, software, settings, data etc.

Right?

I don't want that if I want to start fresh.

As far as Mac backup, I use TimeMachine at home as well as at University: two separate HDD I leave in each location.

I also use CarbonCopyClone at home, on a 3rd HDD.

So I have THREE independent backups, on two different systems (TM and CC), in two different locations.

My MacBook is never in the same place as all the backups.

So I'm pretty safe for fire, theft etc.

I guess a really bad virus would do me in.

Or a large meteor or earthquake.

Hah.

I'm not sure WHO blows dead bears now.

I did a full on rigorous installation of BootCamp:

- deleted last one

- repartitioned my root HD

- deleted Parallels

- unplugged my 2nd HDD

- started up BootCamp Assistant: TWICE

Once with Enterprise, next with Professional

Both times a failure.

Complete and abject.

Both times all I see is an empty BootCamp partition.

Nothing installed at all.

Both times it tried to reboot into Windows and it hung.

I'm really getting irritated now.

But it's not at Bill Gates, this is an Apple problem.

Mavericks is the problem.

See my latest state of affairs:

Last login: Mon Sep 29 01:49:48 on ttys000

alans-mbp-2:~ arjarvis_mbp$ sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

Password:

gpt show: /dev/disk0: mediasize=960197124096; sectorsize=512; blocks=1875385008

gpt show: /dev/disk0: Suspicious MBR at sector 0

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

gpt show: /dev/disk0: Sec GPT at sector 1875385007

start size index contents

0 1 MBR

1 1 Pri GPT header

2 32 Pri GPT table

34 6

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

409640 1682037392 2 GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

1682447032 1531680 3 GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

1683978712 1576

1683980288 191404032 4 GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

1875384320 655

1875384975 32 Sec GPT table

1875385007 1 Sec GPT header

alans-mbp-2:~ arjarvis_mbp$ sudo fdisk /dev/disk0

Disk: /dev/disk0 geometry: 116737/255/63 [1875385008 sectors]

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

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

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

1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>

2: AF 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 409640 - 1682037392] HFS+

3: AB 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [1682447032 - 1531680] Darwin Boot

4: 0B 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [1683980288 - 191404032] Win95 FAT-32

alans-mbp-2:~ arjarvis_mbp$ diskutil list

/dev/disk0

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *960.2 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Mac_SSD 861.2 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 784.2 MB disk0s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 98.0 GB disk0s4

/dev/disk1

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: FDisk_partition_scheme *31.5 GB disk1

1: DOS_FAT_32 WININSTALL 31.5 GB disk1s1

Hmm.

The USB is indeed plugged into a USB 3 hub.

OK, I am plugging it into a USB 2 hub and will try again.

But really, this is mickey mouse.

BootCamp or Apple or the Pope or a Dead Bear should say that the USB has to be plugged into a USB 2 hub.

The documentation for this REALLY ***.

I'll try again and see what happens.

Hi.

Yeah I tried that just now.

So far I have:

- verified/repaired the SSD drive several times using Recovery

- deleted Parallels & disconnected the 2nd HDD

- nothing plugged into Thunderbolt whilst BCA is running

- got partway thru BCA (Boot Camp Assistant), so far as having it make a BC Partition, although it was only Fat

After it re-booted and hung I thought I'd help things by changing to NTFS, dunno if that was a good idea r no.

Anyways no change, still hun when I tried BCA again

- tried two DIFFERENT Windows images: Enterprise and Professional

Both are 32 bit, but that's what I had before, and I have software that runs on 32 bit, I don't really want to install 64 bit

BCA info says it should be 64 bit though

- reinstalled OSX Mavericks

- tried BCA with the USB on my 3.0 Hub, then my 2.0 Hub then direct to a USB on the MacBook

I dunno what else?

This is crazy.

Why should it be so hard to install BC????

When I boot up with ALT I see:

- Mac

- Recovery

- USB (I always saw it, regardless of USB 3/2 hub or directly plugged in)

The first two have always been active, the USB one just hangs in most cases

The last time though it did go to a black screen, THEN it hung

And I heard something like a "Goldilocks is a bondage queen" (evidently the bear them is still strong)

At the moment my system is:

- 99 GB BC partition as Fat32

- Mac OSX partition verified /repaired (and only ONE partition)

- 2nd HDD unplugged

- Parallels deleted

- USB plugged direct into machine

- Thunderbolt unplugged, in fact NOTHING plugged in except my wireless mouse

- brand new Mavericks OSX installed and updates checked

I am thinking of trying:

- Putting BootCamp4.0.4255 on a new USB stick as well as a Win ISO image and try to boot-up into that

- Win Ultimate DVD (32 Bit with SP1) in a USB drive and trying to boot off that

- trying a Win 64 bit (but I really don't want that)

- I suppose in real desperation I could reformat my SSD and reinstall from recovery and/or TimeMachine

- if I got desperate I COULD whip out the HDD enclosure and put in the Optical drive (but WHY??? this is supposed to work on machines without an optical drive)

But this is not really the right way to trouble shoot this: it's like a monkey mechanic trying to fix a car by randomly replacing parts until it works.

I think something is wrong with my OSX partition, from Mavericks: but I don't know what it could be

Perseverance pays.

It FINALLY worked.

I did a manual install, using the USB created to BCA.

Also plugged in the USB DVD Optical drive with a Win disc in it.

And BOTH were recognized on ALT boot up.

Amazing.

So I installed the USB Drive: Win 7 Enterprise 32 bit.

Seems to run OK.

I strongly suspect that the issue was on Apple's side, with BCA.

I bet that it is looking for a 64 bit Win image.

I saw a comment on a forum about that.

And all the BCA documentation for more recent OSX does say you need a Win 64 bit.

Dunno why: a large part of the reason for wanting BootCamp on a Mac is to be able to run ANY Windows app.

And many will not run in 64 bit (as far as I am aware).

Only hiccup is I get a BC partition entitled "Untitled".

And cannot rename in from Finder or DiskUtility because it's NTFS.

Still I'm sure can do via Terminal sudo command?

OK, it gets a bit more confusing.

As I said I manually installed Windows, but the MacBook drivers weren't installed.

So I tried with the BCA USB that I used to install the 32 bit ISO.

And it gave me an error: not right version.

Hmmm.

So I tried with the version (4.0.4255) I downloaded from Apple that's supposed to work for my MacBook Pro 13" mid-2012 using Windows 7 32 bit.

And THAT worked.

And THEN my "Untitled" BootCamp partition was labeled as "BootCamp".

It's part of adding the drivers.

HOWEVER.

It's very quirky when I try to boot up with ALT.

I can SEE the Windows, but sometimes if I select it then double click on the arrow, or select and hit Return it freezes on that screen.

And sometimes it DOES boot up into Windows.

Not sure why.

I tried disconnecting my 2nd HDD, but altho at first that seemed the issue it also hung once.

And then I re-connected it, and it did work.

But not always.

I'd say about 50% of the time it hangs when you try to boot-up into Windows.

I wonder if that is a 32/64 bit Windows thing?

I have been happily running Windows 32 bit for years now and all my existing software runs.

And in the past, I HAVE had some hassles with 64 bit Windows and some software.

I've looked now at various sites, and it seems I SHOULD be able to run Win 7 64 bit on "most" software.

And sure, if software CAN run on it, then it will run better/faster.

SO OK, maybe I shouldn't fight the Apple 64 bit thing, and I SHOULD install Win 7 64 bit?

What say?

I suppose that as long as my main software runs on 64 bit, if I DO find something that won't, I can always instal a Parallels machine in 32 bit to run that.

So, I suspect if my MAIN goal is to get a machine that runs as fast, and as hassle free as I can, maybe I should just restart, and install Win 64 bit.

And use BCA.

I don't actually have to boot up into BootCamp unless I have something that needs 100% of my machine resources: and I think those cases WILL run on Win 7 64 bit.

Hi,

Jah that's good advice: I will do that.

At least I've had practice doing all this....😕

My 2nd HDD only has data: no software.

I didn't want the hassle of an external USB drive, and I didn't need the optical drive.

So all that's on it are two partitions: main data one, and a smaller encrypted one for personal data etc.

It HAS changed its name after I disconnected it for the BC installation.

The HDD drive itself now calls itself in Disk Utility "HDD_2", whereas before it was "HDD".

I have two partitions: HDD and HDD_2

And the logical volume group used to be "HDD", but now it's "HDD_2"

That's minor, but a bit annoying.

Do you know the Terminal way to rename this without erasing the partitions?

Hi there,

OK I'm backup and running.

Is running like a Bear chasing after Bill Gates smeared in honey....

Dang.

So thanks very much.

I'm not sure what cause the initial problems, it might well have been that Mavericks just doesn't go well with 32bit.

That was DEFINITELY an issue with re-installation.

But I really appreciate all your help.

Where is your computer?

I had this vague idea you were in Texas, because of LonerT and LoneStar State.

I'm in Sheffield, UK, doing a PhD in engineering.

At 54.

Oh well, a challenge is good.

Alan

Well, I was about the last class to use a slide rule in high school.

University programming was with Fortran and punch cards.

I wasn't impressed with Windows, nor this funny mouse thing.

I mean just learn DOS, right?

OK, so I was wrong there, I mean I probably would have said the Beatles would never make it either....😁

But in fact this was not a "minor" challenge, although it SHOULD have been.

I mean it took a lot of input from both you (and for sure I appreciate this), and other forums.

And in the end was to be honest, a failure.

Couldn't get Bootcamp living again.

So I had to wipe it, and restart.

MANY many hours wasted in doing that.

Computers are supposed to be tools.

The BEST tools are those you don't even know are there: they work seamlessly.

And I don't mean hiding the controls away (like Apple does), or continually asking for an Admin password to do something either.

This whole thing is a power struggle between Apple and MS, well, i'm not sure MS actually cares, Apple is so small.

I don't see much significant improvement on anything after XP and Lotus 123.

Everything else has just got way too much %%%% on it: just adds to resource requirements.