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Partitions sizes not reported correctly after removing Bootcamp

Hi,

I am reading through all these threads and am hoping that @Loner T can help (or anyone, but he seems to have a good understanding of this). I did the dumb thing and uninstalled bootcamp using disk utility and now have the dreaded split HD in two partitions. I want to reinstall bootcamp but when I try to make a third partition for a Bootcamp HD it takes up all the free space on my HD. Not to mention that the reported space available in Disk Utility, doesn't match the "Get Info" amount on the Macintosh HD. I am including screen shots and will send the cs list and list in hopes you can help me. I have a time machine backup so I don't mind formatting (again), and I have a WinClone image of the old Win7 (but it was crashing hence the removal in the first place). Thanks for any help!

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Jul 28, 2015 10:42 PM

116 replies

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 30, 2015 7:43 PM in response to TDBoltz

TDBoltz wrote:

I tried but that but BA gave me this error:

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.

Also, just to clarify, I don't have a fusion drive, just a 3TB HDD.

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 3:46 AM in response to TDBoltz

A disk larger than 2TB (Fusion or otherwise) behave very similarly. In both cases the partitioning method is similar.

You have two options.

1. Manually partition and address the 2TB and Hybrid MBR requirements.

2. Convert the current 3TB to a CS volume, which will get split by BA into a OSX (Part1) + BC + OSX (Part2).

Can you post the output of diskutil list and diskutil cs list?

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 3:50 AM in response to Loner T

I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get me back up and running a BootCamp partition that can be loaded with either my winclone image, or start fresh with a new Win7 install.

Here's my lists:

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$ diskutil list

/dev/disk0

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *3.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 3.0 TB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

/dev/disk1

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *2.0 TB disk1

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1

2: Apple_HFS Media 999.8 GB disk1s2

3: Apple_HFS Storage 999.4 GB disk1s3

/dev/disk2

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: CD_partition_scheme *804.4 MB disk2

1: Apple_partition_scheme 700.4 MB disk2s0

2: Apple_partition_map 1.0 KB disk2s0s1

3: Apple_HFS HP Launcher 902.7 KB disk2s0s2

/dev/disk3

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *4.0 TB disk3

1: EFI EFI 314.6 MB disk3s1

2: Apple_HFS Seagate Backup Plus ... 4.0 TB disk3s2

/dev/disk4

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: Apple_partition_scheme *2.0 TB disk4

1: Apple_partition_map 32.3 KB disk4s1

2: Apple_HFS Iomega FW 2TB 2.0 TB disk4s3

/dev/disk5

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *5.0 TB disk5

1: EFI EFI 314.6 MB disk5s1

2: Apple_HFS 5TB Media Drive 5.0 TB disk5s2

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$ diskutil cs list

No CoreStorage logical volume groups found

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 4:48 AM in response to TDBoltz

Please disconnect all external disks. They will cause problems and lead to confusion. Choose one of the two options, and we can proceed with steps for the chosen option.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 12:11 PM in response to Loner T

I'm sorry for my lack of understanding, but can you explain the benefits of one over the other? I previously had a working bootcamp partition that somehow split the MacintoshHD partition in two so I understand the CS volume route, but I'd prefer not to split it and have just two separate partitions. But I'm unsure of the manually partitioning method's benefits or consequences.

Here's my output:

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$ diskutil cs list

No CoreStorage logical volume groups found

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$ diskutil list

/dev/disk0

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *3.0 TB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 3.0 TB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3

Jeffs-iMac:~ jeffroberts$

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 12:50 PM in response to TDBoltz

You have a 3TB disk. Legacy BIOS installation of Windows that Mac uses on Macs prior to Late 2013 models requires a bridging of the partitioning technique used on Macs (GUID Partition Table) and the legacy BIOS method (called MBR), hence the term Hybrid MBR.

There are two limitations in such a construct. A MBR cannot represent disk space greater than 2TB, and cannot support more than 4 entries.

From a working Mac, this is the GPT,

sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk0

Password:

gpt show: /dev/disk0: mediasize=1000555581440; sectorsize=512; blocks=1954210120

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 1954210119

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 1448624648 2 GPT part - 48465300-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

1449034288 1269536 3 GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

1450303824 1712

1450305536 503904256 4 GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

1954209792 295

1954210087 32 Sec GPT table

1954210119 1 Sec GPT header

This is an MBR.

sudo fdisk /dev/disk0

Disk: /dev/disk0 geometry: 121643/255/63 [1954210120 sectors]

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

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

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

1: EE 0 0 2 - 25 127 14 [ 1 - 409639] <Unknown ID>

2: AF 25 127 15 - 1023 54 16 [ 409640 - 1448624648] HFS+

3: AB 1023 54 17 - 1023 60 39 [1449034288 - 1269536] Darwin Boot

*4: 07 1023 87 51 - 1023 238 3 [1450305536 - 503904256] HPFS/QNX/AUX

Notice the 1:1 correspondence between GPT 1,2,3,4 and MBR 1,2,3,4 (almost).

On a 3TB disk, Windows must be installed within the disk addresses starting between 0-2TB, but it cannot then span any further than the size of the disk.

Let us say you want a 500g Windows. Your 3TB disk will be split (using either method) as 1.5TB, 500g, 1TB. What OSX does is combines the 1.5TB and 1TB partitions in a CoreStorage volume.

A Fusion 3 TB disk just has an additional 120GB SSD and it has OS X set up as a CS volume with disk slices 120G (SSD)+1.5G(HDD Part 1), Bootcamp - 500g (HDD Part 2), OSX 1TB (HDD Part 3).

In either case, there is no way to avoid this split of disk slices, but volumes can span disk slices in a CS Volume group/Volume.

The other method is to put Windows first within the first 2TB, and then the remainder can go to OSX, which does not require the three-way split. This needs to be done manually, because BCA cannot/will not put Windows first.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 12:50 PM in response to Loner T

Wow, thanks for taking the time for that very helpful explanation. Let's do the Core Storage method then.

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 12:51 PM in response to TDBoltz

Please see the part

The other method is to put Windows first within the first 2TB, and then the remainder can go to OSX, which does not require the three-way split. This needs to be done manually, because BCA cannot/will not put Windows first.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 1:03 PM in response to Loner T

Loner T wrote:

Please see the part

The other method is to put Windows first within the first 2TB, and then the remainder can go to OSX, which does not require the three-way split. This needs to be done manually, because BCA cannot/will not put Windows first.

Ok, that's weird. I swear that last line wasn't on there when I read it the first time, either that, or I'm going blind from reading all these forums for the last 3 days. Let's do the manual way if you don't mind.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 1:43 PM in response to TDBoltz

Actually, now that I think about it, if I want to remove BC later to resize, etc. I will need to use BA. Will the manual method make that more difficult? If so, let's go back to the CS way so that I can easily (or at least more easily) manipulate BC and Win7 on my own later (if you think that will be the case). I don't want to bother you a year from now if things go south 🙂

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 2:04 PM in response to TDBoltz

You are not going blind. I added the last part to ensure you had seen both options. 😉

As a test, what can be done is we try the Windows first, OSX Second. Test removing it. Once removed, we can test putting it back in the same spot. If that works, you will have a detailed process to repeat ad infinitum, without needing further assistance.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 2:07 PM in response to Loner T

Perfect...

Loner T

Level 9

59,536 points

Jul 31, 2015 2:21 PM in response to TDBoltz

To create Windows first,

1. Back up OSX as it is now. If you already the latest backup, you do not need a new one.

2. Boot into internet Recovery.

3. Erase your internal disk.

4. Partition your internal disk to have two parts. First part should be sized to have Windows. The remainder will be used for OSX.

5. Use TM to restore OSX to the second partition and test booting into OSX.

6. Once booted in OSX, download GPT Fdisk.

7. The first partition will be erased and converted to FAT.

8. A new Hybrid MBR matching the GPT will be created.

Step 8 and BCA is not necessary. You can also use Winclone to restore Bootcamp image to the FAT partition or a fresh installation can be done after step 8.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 2:45 PM in response to Loner T

WWell, now I can't boot into anything...not recovery, not regular mode. I get the chime then it hangs at black screen...

EDit..edit..I now am in safe mode. Will try internet recovery after a reboot.

TDBoltz Author

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Jul 31, 2015 8:38 PM in response to Loner T

Restore complete...downloading GPT now. Is that pretty self explanatory or should I wait for further instructions from you?

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Partitions sizes not reported correctly after removing Bootcamp