Sofia.fer
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Q: how to safely do a bootcamp?

Hello i've got a MacBook Pro 2009 with OS X 10.9.5 and for work reasons i need to do a partition but i'm afraid to loose all my files and programs (some of which are pretty expensive).  How can i do that being sure to save all that i actually have in my computer?

thanks  for the support and sorry the bad english

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), model: 17-inch, Early 2009

Posted on Nov 1, 2014 1:51 PM

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Sofia.fer

Q: how to safely do a bootcamp?

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  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Nov 1, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Sofia.fer
    Level 10 (271,860 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 1, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Sofia.fer

    Make a backup of your computer before proceeding. Then open Boot Camp Assistant in the Utilities folder. Read all the documentation carefully before proceeding. Use Boot Camp Assistant to set the desired partition size, then proceed to make the partition.

     

    How to install Windows using Boot Camp

    Boot Camp - Apple Support

  • by Sofia.fer,

    Sofia.fer Sofia.fer Nov 2, 2014 3:33 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 3:33 AM in response to Kappy

    thank you for the answer. i've successfully completed my first Time Machine backup right now   but still have some doubt: will the boot camp reset all my computer or can i modify the free space saving the rest?  and if it clear it all, can i then reinstall my mac partition right like it was (i mean even with desktop setups and everything like nothing ever changed)?


    thank you again for the support

  • by Sofia.fer,

    Sofia.fer Sofia.fer Nov 2, 2014 8:13 AM in response to Sofia.fer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 8:13 AM in response to Sofia.fer

    reading the apple manuals for Boot Camp i found:

    "Boot Camp Assistant does not erase your existing Mac OS X partition or any of your OS X software when it creates a new partition for Microsoft Windows."


    good news! but when i try to use boot camp assistant it says something like

    "the starting disc cannot be divided  in partition or reactivated in a single partition"

    and "for install windows the starting disc must be formatted as a single volume Mac Os extended (journaled) or jet divided in partition by Boot Camp Assistant."

     

    i hope the translation is comprehensible.  i don't now what to do. it doesn't let me partition even from  Utility Disc because it says that i cannot divide the starting disc

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Nov 2, 2014 9:10 AM in response to Sofia.fer
    Level 10 (271,860 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 2, 2014 9:10 AM in response to Sofia.fer

    Do you already have a second partition on your drive? If you don't there are a few possible reasons for the problem:

     

    1. Boot Camp Assistant can't make the partition if your drive is configured as a Core Storage device.
    2. You have requested more space than there is contiguous space available for the Boot Camp volume.
    3. Your drive was not properly partitioned or formatted originally.

     

    The first item can be answered in Disk Utility. If you see your drive is listed in Disk Utility like this:

     

    Macintosh HD

       Macintosh HD

     

    where both entries appear the same. Then it is a Core Storage device. I don't know how to set up a Boot Camp partition with this arrangement.

     

    The second item means you need to ask for a smaller Boot Camp partition. However, if that isn't possible then you need to repartition the drive to fix it.

     

    The third item solution is obvious. You need to repartition the drive.

     

    I wish I could be of more help, but I'm not yet that familiar with Core Storage devices. I know how to revert a core storage device to a standard device, but you would need to be comfortable working with the Terminal.