During Windows 8.1 setup, it asked "Where do you want to install Windows?"Drive 0 Partition 1:EFI, Drive 0 Partition 2, Drive 0 Partition 3, Drive 0 Partition 4: BOOTCAMP. Can I just format partition 4 and delete partitions 1, 2, and 3?

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Level 1

8 points

During Windows 8.1 setup, it asked "Where do you want to install Windows?"Drive 0 Partition 1:EFI, Drive 0 Partition 2, Drive 0 Partition 3, Drive 0 Partition 4: BOOTCAMP. Can I just format partition 4 and delete partitions 1, 2, and 3?

I was using BootCamp Assistant for installing Windows 8.1 on my iMac which runs on OS X Yosemite. During Step 2 of the installation process, there was a question: "Where do you want to install Windows?" followed by a list of options:

Drive 0 Partition 1:EFI (Type: System)

Drive 0 Partition 2 (Type: Primary)

Drive 0 Partition 3 (Type: Primary)

Drive 0 Partition 4: BOOTCAMP (Type: Primary)

I know I have to choose Partition 4 for Windows installation. However, I am not sure can I delete partitions 1, 2, and 3 before formatting Partition 4 for installation purpose?

Could anyone please provide me with some advice? Thanks a lot.

Pisheng

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Nov 15, 2014 11:09 PM

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Answer 1

May 21, 2017 7:38 AM in response to pisheng

Hi,

I am experiencing exactly the same situation only that after formatting the Bootcamp partition and selecting it to install Windows. After clicking "Next", I get a message that says "We Couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one. For more information, see the setup log files". Thank you in advance for the assistance.

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Answer 2

Nov 25, 2014 1:54 PM in response to pisheng

Hi,

Don't delete partitions 1, 2, and 3 before formatting. Just leave them for what they are!

That other partitions are just for your OSX, so when you deleted them your OSX will not work anymore!

The only thing that you must do is:

Step 1: Format partition 4: BOOTCAMP, but remember the HDD size so you will find hem back after it formated.

Step 2: The text BOOTCAMP will disappear.

Step 3: Click the formated HDD and click next to instal windows on this HDD partition.

I hope this will solve your question.

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Answer 3

pisheng Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 25, 2014 3:51 PM in response to vriesl007

Thank you very much, indeed! Please allow me to one more question.

After installing Windows 8.1 on my new iMac by using BootCamp, I activated Disk Management to check my HD partitions. It shows in the chart two disks: Disk 0 and Disk 1. Below Disk 0 there is the description "Basic 931.511 GB Online", and Disk 0's chart is divided into 4 segments. They are:

200MB Healthy (EFI Systems Partition),
360.61GB Healthy (Primary Partition),
620MB Healthy (Primary Partition), and
BOOTCAMP (C:) 570.11GB NTFS Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition).

Below Disk 1 there is the description "Basic 113.00 GB Online." This Disk 1 has a chart of 3 partitions:

200 MB Healthy (EFI System Partition),
112.68 GB Healthy (Primary Partition), and
128 MB Healthy (Primary Partition)

I have no idea what this Disk 1 is about. It is not my Mac OS X drive. (I partitioned the HD evenly between Mac HD and BootCamp HD. Actually, a little more for BootCamp HD.) So, if the 112.68 GB on Disk1 is free, then can I claim back and merge it with other partitions to increase the size for either my Mac HD or BootCamp HD?

The reason why I had such a question was mainly due to the fact that my another old iMac (2010), with the same HD capacity, had only the Disk 0 in its partition chart.

Disk 0 has the description "Basic 931.51 GB Online." This Disk 0 has a chart of 4 partitions:

200MB Healthy (GPT Protective Partition),
(E:) 465.18GB HFS Healthy (Primary Partition),
620MB Healthy (Primary Partition), and
BOOTCAMP 465.53 GB NTFS Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition).

So, obviously (E:) is my Mac HD. However, for my new iMac I cannot interpret what Disk 1 is. I plan to re-run BootCamp Assistant to re-partition my HD. Could you please give me some suggestions? Thanks a lot!

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Answer 4

Nov 26, 2014 6:38 AM in response to pisheng

Hi,

Probably has your new iMac a FusionDrive of 1TB that include an SSD with 128 GB (112GB Usable).

You can check this in OSX by Hard Disk Utility --> The first Macinthos HD and than look by Partition.

You will probably see that it is not passable to re-partition the FusionDrive. Now you know that you have a FusionDrive in your iMac.

So your OSX use the 112GB Space that you can see in your windows Disk Management.

When you use bootcamp with a FusionDrive, it will make a strange partition on your iMac. That is normal, but isnot posable to repartition the complete FusionDrive. If you want that I can help you.

But for now everything is normal and you can use OSX and Windows.

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Answer 5

pisheng Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2014 9:02 PM in response to vriesl007

Thank you really very much for your explanation. You solved my problems perfectly. So, now I understand that the Disk 1 is actually my SSD. I am especially glad to hear that there was nothing wrong with my current partitions. Thank you again.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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