dbs
Level 2 (159 points)
Windows Software

Q: Boot Camp install fails: unable to create partition

MacBook Pro late 2013 i7 512SSD

Boot Camp Assistant 6.0

O/S 10.11.2

genuine (paid for!) Windows 10 Home

 

Create boot USB exactly as instructed by Boot Camp Assistant (takes a very long time)

Re-partition Mac SSD in BC Asst. with 60 GB partition for windows

System reboots and Windows installer starts

Enter win key, everything working fine

When selecting which partition to install windows, select 60GB

Win installer says partition is not formatted correctly, so I use the format tool in the installer

Format tool seems to work but deletes the name of the volume - it was Boot Camp and becomes Untitled

Re-select 60 GB partition a installer says 'failed to create partition' or something similar

Installer refuses to proceed and only way out is to quit installer

Mac boots back into Mac O/S

 

Tried this a couple of times and always same result.

 

Anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong? I'm following the Boot Camp Assistant instructions exactly...

Posted on Dec 22, 2015 5:37 AM

by dbs,Solvedanswer
dbs dbs
Level 2 (159 points)
Windows Software
A:

Thanks. I'd already found the thread about the RealTech hang -- the workaround worked for me. The Win10/BC install now seems to work fine, wifi, trackpad, etc.

 

Appreciate your help, thank you again.

 

PS     The SD card is my timeline backup and, although it's in plain sight, I forget that it's an 'external device'.

 

PPS     Although I've done many Windows/Mac installs, I hadn't used Boot Camp for a few years (all Parallels or Fusion). I learned a lot doing this one! IMO Apple does a lousy job with BC. I know, they say: "we don't support this". I'm a loyal Apple customer of 30+ years; how about support the CUSTOMER?!

Posted on Dec 23, 2015 6:10 AM

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dbs

Q: Boot Camp install fails: unable to create partition

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Dec 22, 2015 9:09 AM in response to dbs
    Level 7 (24,800 points)
    Safari
    Dec 22, 2015 9:09 AM in response to dbs

    This is the case, if you have any storage other than USB and the internal storage connected. 

  • by dbs,

    dbs dbs Dec 22, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 2 (159 points)
    Windows Software
    Dec 22, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Loner T

    Not sure what you're saying? There is NO other physical storage connected to the laptop. Just the internal SSD and the thumb drive with the Boot Camp set up.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Dec 22, 2015 10:42 AM in response to dbs
    Level 7 (24,800 points)
    Safari
    Dec 22, 2015 10:42 AM in response to dbs

    If you saw Boot Camp: "We couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one" alert during Windows 8 install - Apple Support then external storage is usually the culprit. If the error message is different, do you recall what it is/was?

     

    Please also try

      Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

      How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    before your next installation attempt. If you have the USB Installer already built, just use the last option in BC Assistant ("Install/Remove...").

  • by dbs,

    dbs dbs Dec 23, 2015 2:35 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 2 (159 points)
    Windows Software
    Dec 23, 2015 2:35 AM in response to Loner T

    I appreciate your attempts to help. However:

    1. Resetting SMC is not indicated. My impression from reading the link you gave is that it isn't something to be done casually unless certain conditions are present -- none of those conditions are present on my laptop.

    2. Same comment re: NVRAM reset.

    3. The message I got (twice) is exactly the "we couldn't create a new partition or locate an existing one". There are NO physical drives installed on my MacBook Pro other than the Boot Camp install thumb drive and the internal SSD.

     

    I note your advice to try again using "the last option in BC Assistant". That option requires me to remove the BC partition and then re-install a new BC partition. Is there any way to avoid that sequence i.e. do I have to remove the BC partition and then re-partition the drive?

    It appears that BC formats the BC partition with FAT. The Windows installer immediately says the partition should be NTFS. Why does BC use the wrong format? I've seen this before (many times, doing Fusion installs) and re-formatting in the Win installer has always worked. But with this BC install of win 10 that seems to be where the hangup is.

  • by dbs,

    dbs dbs Dec 23, 2015 5:30 AM in response to dbs
    Level 2 (159 points)
    Windows Software
    Dec 23, 2015 5:30 AM in response to dbs

    Further to this morning's post:

    I have windows 10 working in Boot Camp -- sort of:

     

    reset NVRAM

    removed SD card and ANT+ USB dongle

    removed and re-partitioned Boot Camp partition using disk utility (formatted FAT)

    booted from Boot Camp USB drive using boot selector (alt/option at power up)

    Windows installer started (and screen resolution was correct, unlike when booting from boot camp assistant)

    had to re-format the BC drive using windows installer

    install proceeded normally

    However:

    Install of Boot Camp drivers using the Apple software has not yet succeeded entirely -- the program hangs at RealTech Audio and won't respond to anything (have to force quit/restart) to get back control. The BC installer is working fine until it gets to REalTech e.g. the wifi drivers are installed and work. Installing REalTech using the package in BC works, too, but the BC installer doesn't recognize that RealTech was already successfully installed and BC hangs.

     

    Will try to re-download the BC software package again and see if that works. But the basic Windows 10 install is there now and works, it just doesn't have all of the Apple package drivers yet.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Dec 23, 2015 6:02 AM in response to dbs
    Level 7 (24,800 points)
    Safari
    Dec 23, 2015 6:02 AM in response to dbs
    removed SD card and ANT+ USB dongle

    This is what I had meant when I mentioned any external storage.

     

    For RealTek issue, please see boot camp installation hangs at realtek audio stepSearch or ask a question . You do not need to re-download drivers.

     

    Windows requires multiple reboots during installation. NVRAM contains such state information. It also contains boot information for all OSes installed on the Mac. A failed Windows installation requires cleaning up, because BCA is not cleaning up NVRAM before the next attempt, leading to information which is inaccurate. This is the reasoning for NVRAM reset.

     

    A SMC Reset re-build device information for OSes to see. This includes PCI and SATA paths, 'hidden' devices (sound devices fall in this category). For example, all OSes on the Mac share audio volume information using the SMC. Think of SMC as a superset of BIOS.

     

     

    It appears that BC formats the BC partition with FAT. The Windows installer immediately says the partition should be NTFS. Why does BC use the wrong format? I've seen this before (many times, doing Fusion installs) and re-formatting in the Win installer has always worked. But with this BC install of win 10 that seems to be where the hangup is.

    This is expected behavior and documented in https://help.apple.com/bootcamp/assistant/6.0/ . This is due to licensing that Apple does not want to pay for for NTFS capabilities.

  • by dbs,Solvedanswer

    dbs dbs Dec 23, 2015 6:10 AM in response to Loner T
    Level 2 (159 points)
    Windows Software
    Dec 23, 2015 6:10 AM in response to Loner T

    Thanks. I'd already found the thread about the RealTech hang -- the workaround worked for me. The Win10/BC install now seems to work fine, wifi, trackpad, etc.

     

    Appreciate your help, thank you again.

     

    PS     The SD card is my timeline backup and, although it's in plain sight, I forget that it's an 'external device'.

     

    PPS     Although I've done many Windows/Mac installs, I hadn't used Boot Camp for a few years (all Parallels or Fusion). I learned a lot doing this one! IMO Apple does a lousy job with BC. I know, they say: "we don't support this". I'm a loyal Apple customer of 30+ years; how about support the CUSTOMER?!

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Dec 23, 2015 8:42 AM in response to dbs
    Level 7 (24,800 points)
    Safari
    Dec 23, 2015 8:42 AM in response to dbs

    Apple does a very narrow spread of customer environments when testing BCA. It does leave many 'use cases' untested and allows customer to 'discover' issues. Glad to see it working. Please create back ups of OSX, Windows and create a Windows System Restore point for future recovery.