Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

16 points

Boot camp: "The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition"

Hey guys,

Would really appreciate some help on this!

I used to successfully use bootcamp and have an extra partition so i could use Windows aswell, until my HD crashed and i had to take it to the Apple Hospital. When i got the computer back and restored my old backup Time Machine clone, i couldn't create a new partition for Windows. It doesn't let me get passed the first screen.

What happens is: I load up Boot Camp as usual, push Continue passed the Introduction screen, then i get a msg pop up that says:

The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition.

The startup disk must be formatted as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume or already partitioned by Boot Camp Assistant for installing Windows.

Then i push Ok and it goes back to the BootCamp introduction screen. I.e. i can't get passed this msg.

I looked in Disk Utility and of course my internal HD already is Mac OS Extended (Journaled) so i have no idea why it isn't being recognised as one partition.

What do i have to do to be able to install windows on this computer without having to format my entire Mac and installing everything again? I really need the exact clone of what i have right now. I do have an external HD for making backup clones using Time Machine though.

Some specs:

- Boot Camp Assistant version is 3.0.1

- Mac OSX 10.6.2 (yeah i guess i'm old school now)

- 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM

- I have no other partitions currently, just my current mac one

Any questions just ask. I would love to resolve this tonight.

iMac (27-inch Late 2009), iOS 6.1.2

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 4:05 AM

104 replies

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:30 AM in response to Loner T

I just downloaded v4 of Bootcamp and unzipped it and discovered that it's all windows files (i.e. there is a setup.exe etc). What gives? Have i downloaded the right thing? Or am i doing it wrong? How do i get to the partitioning screen using v4?

Boot Camp Support Software 4.0.4033

Will it work better if i just download an update for v3 that accounts for all my Windows 7 needs?. I.e. Boot Camp Software Update 3.1 for Windows 64 bit

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:34 AM in response to Barncore

Barncore wrote:

I just downloaded v4 of Bootcamp and unzipped it and discovered that it's all windows files (i.e. there is a setup.exe etc). What gives?

Windows drivers (for that is what you have downloaded) come in Windows form, they would be useless if they did not.

Unzip it in Windows.

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:37 AM in response to Csound1

Wait, so i go ahead using Bootcamp 3.0.1 to partition and install Windows 7, then once windows is installed, use it to update bootcamp? Are you sure?

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:41 AM in response to Barncore

I think that you should run Boot Camp Assistant and read the directions carefully. Did you make a backup of your Mac yet?

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:43 AM in response to Csound1

You obviously haven't read the thread.

I will wait for Loner T's response, since he knows where things are at.

Cheers

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 8, 2014 9:48 AM in response to Barncore

I thought that as you got this far without knowing that Windows drivers need Windows you may be getting lost.

I'll leave it up to you.

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Oct 8, 2014 10:06 AM in response to Barncore

You may run into an issue with W7 install, but it should be tried.

1. Put the .zip file of 4.0.4033 on a USB stick.

2. Run Bootcamp Assistant 3.0.1 on the OSX side, partition and start W7 installation.

3. If you do not run into any new issues during Windows installation (like Keyboard/Graphics/Mouse), let it finish.

4. Once completed, switch to Windows 7 using System Preferences -> Startup Disk -> Bootcamp, if necessary (it may not be, because W7 installation will have you running W7).

5. Plug the USB stick with the 4.0.4033 .zip with Windows running.

6. Unzip it if necessary on the USB. The USB should be 601.76MB+ (as indicated by 4.0.4033 DL link - Boot Camp Support Software 4.0.4033 ).

7. Run setup.exe from the USB Bootcamp folder, which should install the W7 drivers on Windows necessary for Apple Hardware on your iMac.

8. You will restart and should see a Boot Camp item in Control Panel -> System -> Boot Camp.

9. Use it to switch back to OSX to verify that everything works properly.

10. Now you are all set. Please make a backup of Windows. One option is to partition an external HDD into two, HFS+ and MSDOS-FAT. Plug in this external disk with Windows running. Format the external DOS partition to NTFS via Windows. This partition can now be used to run a Windows backup. It should be sufficiently large to accommodate the Windows C: drive.

11. Windows Bootcamp drivers should allow you read-only access to OSX, and OSX has read-only NTFS drivers so you can read the NTFS partition(s). Finder can read the Bootcamp Windows partition.

Please post back if you run into any issues in any of the steps.

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 10:46 AM in response to Loner T

Ok, i will try all that tomorrow, and let you know how i go. Thanks for your time & help. 🙂

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 7:50 PM in response to Loner T

Frustratingly, i have reached a new hurdle, lol.

I was about 1 minute into the partitioning process when i got a new error that said:

The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved.

Backup the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again.

So close...

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:02 PM in response to Barncore

This is a fairly common issue and arises because you do not have enough contiguous disk space.

1. Try to run a Verify (and Repair, if necessary) via Disk Utility, then attempt partitioning.

2. If #1 fails, boot in Safe Mode (Use Shift Key during power-up. Reference - OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?), then attempt partitioning.

3. If #2 fails, take a full Time Machine Backup of your Mac. Because you have an older Mac, you will need to find the "Grey" disks which are the system restore disks. Booting from the OS X Installation Disk allows you to erase the internal drive and restore it from a Time Machine Backup. You want to ensure that you do not have any directory or volume excluded from TM, because it will not be backed up and hence will not get restored. This is secondary text the error message has.

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:13 PM in response to Loner T

1. Try to run a Verify (and Repair, if necessary) via Disk Utility, then attempt partitioning.

Do i run a Verify of the entire parent disk (i.e. 1 TB APPLE HDD HUA722010CLA330)? Or just my main (and only visible) mac partition?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:27 PM in response to Barncore

You can run it on the entire disk. It will skip the EFI portion automatically.

My edited response is not there any more. This is another Discussions software bug.

I had added the following in my edited response.

"The Backup/Restore can take quite a long time, so plan accordingly. You will need to have the "grey" disks that came with the Mac originally, to be able to erase your internal disk and restore from a TM backup. Make sure you have not excluded any files/folders from TM's backup, otherwise they will be lost. Also, Software Update may try to force your to upgrade to 10.6.8 but your restore from the backup should stay at 10.6.2".

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:50 PM in response to Loner T

I just ran the verify... these are the results...

Checking volume information.

Invalid volume file count

(It should be 1148269 instead of 1148284)

Invalid volume directory count

(It should be 218221 instead of 218206)

Error: The volume Macintosh HD was found corrupt and needs to be repaired. ...then use Disk Utility to repair this disk.

However the "Repair Disk" option is greyed out so i can't click on it. What do i do?

Barncore Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 8, 2014 8:52 PM in response to Loner T

P.s. is this a valid option? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNqn3c5c0Xw

I.e. these are the steps the video suggests...

1. Reboot the Mac into Single User Mode by holding Command+S during boot

2. At the command prompt, type:

/sbin/fsck -fy

3. When fsck is complete, type "exit" or "reboot" to reboot

4. Boot the Mac as usual, verify the disk again in Disk Utility, and partition as usual

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Oct 9, 2014 4:04 AM in response to Barncore

Item#2 (Safe Mode) that I mentioned earlier does the fsck and a bit more. Try the Safe Mode.

Boot camp: "The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition"