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Level 1

14 points

Removed Bootcamp with Disk Util, recovered, BUT

I spent the day trying to install Windows 8.1 from a USB stick, on my iMac 5k with a 3TB Fusion Drive

Like many others here, I kept getting stuck with GPT errors. Eventually I stupidly removed the Bootcamp partition, and ran into the subsequent problems of lost/redundant HD space and greyed out options for removing/changing partition sizes in Disk Utility.

After ploughing through pages of forums, I managed to delete the redundant space while booted up from Internet recovery, using the terminal- my Fusion drive went back to its full 3TB capacity. Using advice from here:

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/168723/i-think-i-messed-up-the-fusion-d rive-on-my-1tb-imac-with-bootcamp

However, I have been following LONER's great advice on these threads :

Windows 8.1 install on iMac with fusion drive, GPT partition error

Can't format former Boot Camp partition

But when i get to enter "2 3 4" I get this message :

Type from one to three GPT partition numbers, separated by spaces, to be

added to the hybrid MBR, in sequence: 2 3 4

Place EFI GPT (0xEE) partition first in MBR (good for GRUB)? (Y/N): y

GPT partition #2 does not exist or is too big; skipping.

GPT partition #3 does not exist or is too big; skipping.

GPT partition #4 does not exist or is too big; skipping.

No partitions converted; original protective/hybrid MBR is unmodified!

Maybe when I removed the redundant space on my HD I didn't fix the drive back to how it should have been?

I have a full backup on an external drive so if I have to wipe my Fusion drive and start again it's no big deal.

Here is the output from

diskutil list

diskutil cs list

sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk1

sudo fdisk /dev/disk1

Wherry-iMac:~ Wherrys$ diskutil list

/dev/disk0

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *121.3 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_CoreStorage 121.0 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_Boot Boot OS X 134.2 MB disk0s3

/dev/disk1

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *3.0 TB disk1

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1

2: Apple_CoreStorage 2.3 TB disk1s2

3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk1s3

4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 700.9 GB disk1s4

/dev/disk2

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD *2.4 TB disk2

Logical Volume on disk0s2, disk1s2

51210933-CA61-4132-99DA-14284FB36473

Unencrypted Fusion Drive

Wherry-iMac:~ Wherrys$ diskutil cs list

CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)

+-- Logical Volume Group 04F51976-32DF-4C3F-9296-6ADADC7EEBAA

=========================================================

Name: Macintosh HD

Status: Online

Size: 2419855843328 B (2.4 TB)

Free Space: 376832 B (376.8 KB)

+-< Physical Volume D5D20091-CCC3-48F2-85F9-0207EFE7304A

| ----------------------------------------------------

| Index: 0

| Disk: disk0s2

| Status: Online

| Size: 120988852224 B (121.0 GB)

+-< Physical Volume A6AD4A38-FCA2-4543-9CD8-5525D9C2639F

| ----------------------------------------------------

| Index: 1

| Disk: disk1s2

| Status: Online

| Size: 2298866991104 B (2.3 TB)

+-> Logical Volume Family 2B272C20-609F-42F6-AB2E-219AEE481B7E

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

Encryption Status: Unlocked

Encryption Type: None

Conversion Status: NoConversion

Conversion Direction: -none-

Has Encrypted Extents: No

Fully Secure: No

Passphrase Required: No

+-> Logical Volume 51210933-CA61-4132-99DA-14284FB36473

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

Disk: disk2

Status: Online

Size (Total): 2414000209920 B (2.4 TB)

Conversion Progress: -none-

Revertible: No

LV Name: Macintosh HD

Volume Name: Macintosh HD

Content Hint: Apple_HFS

Wherry-iMac:~ Wherrys$ sudo gpt -vv -r show /dev/disk1

Password:

gpt show: /dev/disk1: mediasize=3000592982016; sectorsize=512; blocks=5860533168

gpt show: /dev/disk1: PMBR at sector 0

gpt show: /dev/disk1: Pri GPT at sector 1

gpt show: /dev/disk1: Sec GPT at sector 5860533167

start size index contents

0 1 PMBR

1 1 Pri GPT header

2 32 Pri GPT table

34 6

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

409640 4489974592 2 GPT part - 53746F72-6167-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

4490384232 1269536 3 GPT part - 426F6F74-0000-11AA-AA11-00306543ECAC

4491653768 1400

4491655168 1368877056 4 GPT part - EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7

5860532224 911

5860533135 32 Sec GPT table

5860533167 1 Sec GPT header

Wherry-iMac:~ Wherrys$ sudo fdisk /dev/disk1

Disk: /dev/disk1 geometry: 97451/255/63 [1565565872 sectors]

Signature: 0xAA55

Starting Ending

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

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

1: EE 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 [ 1 - 4294967294] <Unknown ID>

2: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

3: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

4: 00 0 0 0 - 0 0 0 [ 0 - 0] unused

Thanks in advance for any help

Posted on Jul 31, 2015 5:01 PM

26 replies

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 31, 2015 7:12 PM in response to Loner T

I just thought - maybe the reason BCA wasn't completing making my USB install was because I was using a USB3 usb stick?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jul 31, 2015 7:14 PM in response to Jake Wherry

A USB3 will not work as a boot device either, because the Windows installer does not have USB3 drivers. It has only USB2 drivers.

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 31, 2015 7:15 PM in response to Loner T

I've got a USB2 stick now, so making a new Windows installer

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Jul 31, 2015 7:37 PM in response to Loner T

So, again at startup with my new USB windows install, I only saw Mac HD or Windows, no EFI option - i chose Windows and the installer started and when it came to selecting which drive to install onto I saw Drive 1 "Unallocated Space " 652Gb -but there was message "Windowscannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk of the GPT partition style"

I'm going to bed now, but I'm leaving the computer running BCA and I'm trying to make a new install disk using BCA on a USB2 stick - though it once again seems to be hanging half way through "Copying Windows Files" Is that because the ISO image is 5.3 GB ?

Still so stuck, but thank you Loner T for your help..

Feel free to leave me as many tips as you can for me to try and in the morning.

Goodnight

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jul 31, 2015 8:10 PM in response to Jake Wherry

We may have to remove the Windows partition and re-partition the HDD disk via BCA and make sure it creates it properly.

Please post the USB structure (similar to the image I posted) once BCA creates the USB and integrates the Windows installer.

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Aug 1, 2015 2:01 AM in response to Loner T

BCA failed again making the stick - error "your bootable USB drive could not be created - an error occurred while copying the Windows files"

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2015 5:15 AM in response to Jake Wherry

Let us try and address the USB creation issue first.

1. Are you trying to run BCA with a wireless connection to the Internet?

2. What are the brands of USB flash drive that have been tried so far?

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Aug 1, 2015 5:46 AM in response to Loner T

Good Morning Loner T!

1- wired threaten connection

2 Kingston Data Traveller USB2 64 GB

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2015 6:15 AM in response to Jake Wherry

GM Jake Wherry.

Can you check if you meet Requirements for Software Update Service - Apple Support ?

Can you check this on the OS X side?

Jake Wherry Author

Level 1

14 points

Aug 1, 2015 6:31 AM in response to Loner T

Hi again

This morning while booted up in EFI windows i got as far as formatting the space on my HD which was Free Space, however windows still wouldnt install and back in OSX i was left with a load of new Volumes that the windows format had made, so I had eventually delete them all in Internet Recovery mode and restore my HD to a fresh 3TB fusion drive and restore from a TM backup.

Now I think I'm nearly there - I downloaded a WIndows 8.1 iso from Microsoft directly, recreated a Bootcamp partition using BCA and for the first time on restart it booted into the windows installer (without me having to press alt) - it still had a problem with the partition created by BCA but I was able to format it within the windows installer and now WINDOWS 8.1 is INSTALLING - in fact it's just finished and doing it's first restart!!!

Loner T I can't thank you enough for your kind assistance and time, and I've certainly learnt a lot from this. You're a true gent Sir!

Hopefully this is me done

Cheers

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Aug 1, 2015 6:37 AM in response to Jake Wherry

This is what I had expected as well, based on the location of the partition outside the 2TB boundary. I am glad you have it under control. Please ensure you have good back ups of both OSes, because you want to avoid these shenanigans in the future.

Removed Bootcamp with Disk Util, recovered, BUT