# Boot Camp format problems...



## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum and have had a chance to look around a little bit, but haven't really found an answer to the problem that I'm having.

I have an imac and I'm attempting to use boot camp. I have used it in the past, with prior versions of mac os x, but this is the first time that I have tried it with 10.6.8. The first thing I found out is that I can't use Windows XP, even with service pack 2 installed, because it doesn't find the "boot camp" partition. So, I recently obtained a full retail copy of Windows 7 and have been trying to install it. I have no problem with the boot camp assistant creating the new partition, 200 GB. However, when I insert the Windows 7 DVD and the computer restarts in the Win 7 install screen it tells me that I cannot install Windows on the selected partition (which I expected to see.) So I choose "format" the further format the partition. It doesn't ask me how I would like to partition this, but just seems to start. All seems to go fine until it finishes and i see the same message of "Windows cannot be installed in the selected partition." I can click on the format tab endlessly but it still doesn't seem to work. Does anyone have any ideas? I've called Apple and their technicians keep telling me that I need to reinstall the Mac OS again, which I've tried. It doesn't seem to help either.

Thanks in advance for your help,

DTK


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Did you create a ntfs partition first at least 40gb or more?? If not it won't work because you need to create the ntfs first so that windows sees it.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Yes, the partition that I created was 250 GB.


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Is the windows 7 a copy??


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Yes, it is a copy. I only have a genuine 7 upgrade disc.....


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Upgrade won't work unless you have a previous operating system first.


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

So it's not a full install cd it would say upgrade or if it doest then it's s full.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Yes, I have a copy of the win 7 full, 64 bit , install cd that I've been trying to use. I also have a genuine won 7 uPgrade cd that won't work, because there's nO previous system.


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

What are the specs of the computer ? It's it an Intel duo 2 ? If not then you need the 32 bit windows 7.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Yes, its an Intel Core 2 duo. I also have a copy of a win 7 full, 32 bit which was giving the same error messages. I found an article and I'm wondering if it's somehow related to the Hard drive that I have. I upgraded my hard drive a couple of months ago to a Hitachi 3 TB, from the original 640 GB. I wonder if it has something to do with the size or type of hard drive? Here's a link to the article:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3094944?start=0&tstart=0


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

What year is it because there is a max hard drive size the Mac can be. I believe it cannot be bigger than 1 tb. I have a 500gb in mine and the specs for mine says max 1tb. The Mac has something in it that sees up to 1tb and nothing more so it is possible it's a hard drive error and not your disks.


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Yes the one guy says you can have a max of 2.1 so replace it with a 2 tb and you can take the 3tb get a external hard drive enclosure and use it via USB that will work but not as the primary drive.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

I'm wondering if I can just keep the 3TB drive in, but divide it into a couple of mac partitions, and then use boot camp with one of those partitions. do you think that would work?


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

No because it sees the 3 tb no matter what you do. It's like ram they say dont exceed this ammount or the system can be unstable. Ram can cause kernel panics. A hard drive won't but it can cause a different kinda crash in a way. I'm supprised Mac os installed.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Hmmm. Well, guess I'll have to decide how badly I want to use boot camp. It wasn't too hard to get the drive in, so I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to get it out, either. Thanks for your help!


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Sure not a problem. Actually go to apple web page click on support and there's a spot where you can type in the serial number of your computer and just triple check the original specs to see what the max hdd says.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

It looks like the maximum size for the hard drive is 1 TB. At least that's the biggest one that you could order at the time. It's weird because the 3 TB drive seems to do fine in the iMac. It recognizes the large size and all...


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Ok so that's what it can handle. It's deff an issue that the board won't accept the bigger one. I've got a 500 and I've got all sorts of programs on mine from adobe cs5 to final cut pro. And it's not nearly full but I also have a 1tb external and a 2tb external. So you can use it as a backup. I would recommend using it as a time machine so god forbid anything happened your machine is backed up.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

Okay, you have e 3TB hard drive in your Mac right now, when booted into OS X, how much hard drive space does it report having? Being SATA, there isn't any drive size limitations I have heard of due to hardware. OS used and drive format will have limitations. From reading that link, it seems it's an issue with Windows, something that can only be fixed by Microsoft, because they haven't written it to work on drives of that size in that format.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Hello.....Yes, the full 3 TB shows up.


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

It is most likely an issue that windows sees that doest affect the Mac osx I've had a simular situation where it's fine for Mac but windows can see allot more errors if the hardware is upgraded above the manufactures limitations.


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## dkaff (Jul 17, 2011)

Hello all,


Just thought that I would let everyone know what I found out. Apparently the problem I am having is caused by a limitation in Windows. It cannot see a hard drive larger than 2.2 TB. So, by having a 3 TB drive in my iMac, even thought the Windows partition is only 150 GB, it will not work. So much for "bigger is better" when it comes to Windows. Thanks all for your help....



David


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## WizardGebbia (Jun 26, 2011)

Right that's why apple says you cannot go bigger than the manufactures specs. They know if you want to use windows on the iMac that that size hard drive would cause an issue.


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