Q: The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition
I've read multiple posts about this happening when your startup disk is already partitioned.
My problem is that the startup disk IS NOT partitioned. I specifically installed a clean version of El Capitan on an external FW disk and it is not partitioned. So, why am I getting this message? I don't want to install on my internal disk, I have a Thunderbolt drive that I would like to use for that. I thought that this was possible?
MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11)
Posted on Nov 21, 2015 11:48 AM
1. If you move MyData to a different disk, you can install Windows on the internal disk. Please ensure you have a good backup of disk0.
2. Just for the installation. The RAID set will be inaccessible from Windows, since Apple RAID drivers do not exist for Windows.
3. Yes, it can fail. It entirely depends on the TB chain. A direct link is the most viable option. TB makes the external disk look like a PCI disk, which is supported. Windows requires a reboot to see TB hardware on older Macs. Since you will boot from it, there is no hot-plugging issue in your specific case. Please also see Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support and check the Bootcamp Q&A.
4. W8 and W10 support EFI boot using the UEFI standard. 2011 Macs do not fully support UEFI. Late 2013 and later models are UEFI compliant. Please see http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/unified-exten sible-firmware-interface/efi-specificati… .Yes Option/Alt will work, as long as the TB is connected when the Mac is powered up. I would recommend hot-plugging of TB disk in your case.
Posted on Nov 25, 2015 11:00 AM