Formatting & removing Bootcamp Partition?

Yes, it's time to do some MacBook Pro Spring-Cleaning, and to get my lovely MBP back to one partition only.

Any ideas how to do this - I was peeved off with BC and just deleted any data in it [with zeroes], so I may have messed that one up anyway.

I have Time Machine set-up on my external [Mac] HDD, so I can recover my >Free< & >Paid-For< software[s] ok. Hopefully.

Any and all advice will be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks folks.

BC was a nightmare for me so, like you, I binned it. Was it you looking for an option to run Windows on a Mac in another post? If so, I recommend Desktop Parallels. Version 6 runs flawlessly on my MBP.

As you have backup I'd go for a fresh install from your OS X install disk (I hope you have one), apply any software updates and then restore your Time Machine backup for data and apps etc.

Yes, it was me that was looking for a possible Windows > Mac solution, but I'll leave it for now.
Parallels does sound like maybe a better[?] option, but I'll leave it for now.

I have my OS X install disk. I'll do that later tonight. I just want to delete that partition. BC wasn't for me lol.

Ta much.

The easiest way is when running Mac OS X launch the Boot Camp Assistant which you will find in the Utilities folder and follow the prompts to remove the Windows Partition.

Thanks, that was tried but will try it again.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

The easiest way is when running Mac OS X launch the Boot Camp Assistant which you will find in the Utilities folder and follow the prompts to remove the Windows Partition.

When I had problems with BC I went down that path but it did not work for me. As I had a full backup I took the safe option and went for a clean re-install.

In reply to a post by Kaoshan:

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

The easiest way is when running Mac OS X launch the Boot Camp Assistant which you will find in the Utilities folder and follow the prompts to remove the Windows Partition.

When I had problems with BC I went down that path but it did not work for me. As I had a full backup I took the safe option and went for a clean re-install.

I tried it again, but it failed. Kind of knew it would - it did before.

I will do a complete re-install I think, but reading through google pages, I just need my restore disk (the OS X install disk?) - Will do that definitely for sure.

I just want the BOOTCAMP dross out, and it just takes space for nowt. If bothered, I'd leave it, by doing that, I lose space. NO WAY. I only had 179GB of free space left on my MBP and I know why - it's all the Steam games that I had installed, and not all of them are Mac compatible.

All that is needed is a straight flattening of the HDD, done so to remove that blinking partition too, and to use Time Machine to recover my software bought for it.
THEN, I shall consider Parellels after that, though I'm not too bothered at the moment.

Thanks,

Steven.

Boot Camp Assistant cannot be used.
You must update your system software before using this setup assistant.

I'll work on it - I've not [re]-installed anything. Will try to recover my 12.5GB first.

If Parallels is anything like the s/w that my Doze box uses, it would be ok, but there is no point getting it just to recover that small amount.
I've seen that error on the Interweb a fair bit tonight when searching, so, I WILL get it sorted.
Eventually.

Thanks for the advice, Kaoshan.

Before looking at Parallels (£64.99) you might like to have a look at VirtualBox (£0). I know that you Mac guys like to throw money around but they both fulfil the same function.

I know that I don't like to throw money around?

I sorted the problem with Boot Camp, and will give that VirtualBox a go. Thanks for that Mate!

Fwiw, I found that if you open Disk Util. and set it to Journalled (after a repair), it sorts the dodgy BC error.

Journal fix for Boot Camp error.

Thanks!

I loaded Parallels Trial so, I'll mess with that one as well.

I'm loving my Mac just now.

It's fun, fun, FUN!

Funny I've found boot camp to be very reliable. I only run games in the partition (xp) but it has gone without a hitch. I did once remove the partition using boot camp assistant, again without problems.

That was lucky. I've seen/heard many complaints.
As I said, BC is gone, but the partition still exists.
Doesn't matter, as I won't be touching it again in a hurry.

In reply to a post by Guest_Again:

That was lucky. I've seen/heard many complaints.
As I said, BC is gone, but the partition still exists.
Doesn't matter, as I won't be touching it again in a hurry.

Can /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility remove the partition?

Terminal - drutil tray eject >press< Enter, and stuck OS X stays safe in MBP. D'oh.

MacBook Pro is now awaiting call-back from Apple Tech re: Collection Date & Time.

I shall Time Machine it upon its return to get music and programs etc. Not unless Apple can recover all of it, which would've been nice - but doubtful. Ho-hum.

Missing it already, and it's sitting on my lap just now, getting used to type this... I will get a call back tomorrow because I was a little bit late calling Apple Care.

Group8 just called - Tuesday it's going. They asked for my Password for testing etc. Fine. I'll change that anyway.

Edited by deleted (Fri 25-Feb-11 17:39:21)

MBP was uplifted yesterday.

In reply to a post by AlanH:

In reply to a post by Guest_Again:

Can /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility remove the partition?

MBP was returned a day or so ago.

Yes, it got rid of BC btw (disk util) before it went away, but the partition is still there. That company that took it away said that it was back to normal (500GB) - They lied.

In reply to a post by Guest_Again:

but the partition is still there. That company that took it away said that it was back to normal (500GB) - They lied.

Not sure what you actually did... I haven't got a partitioned HDD to practice on, so this is from memory:

In Disk Utility, right click the drive (not the partition) and select Partition from the pop-up menu.

That should take you into a window where you can re-partition the drive.

Note that you'll have to delete the partition (select it, then click the little box with a minus sign in it under the partition display) before you can expand the main partition to fill the space. I think you just drag the "end" of the main partition to change its size.

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by Guest_Again:

but the partition is still there. That company that took it away said that it was back to normal (500GB) - They lied.

Not sure what you actually did... I haven't got a partitioned HDD to practice on, so this is from memory:

In Disk Utility, right click the drive (not the partition) and select Partition from the pop-up menu.

You can just select "partition" tab. No need for right clicking.

The rest is fine......

That should take you into a window where you can re-partition the drive.

Note that you'll have to delete the partition (select it, then click the little box with a minus sign in it under the partition display) before you can expand the main partition to fill the space. I think you just drag the "end" of the main partition to change its size.

If you had replied before you could have saved all that hassle of sending the Mac away!

Edited by deleted (Sat 05-Mar-11 20:59:40)

It's all sorted, Bill - less my music etc, but it'll be ok. OS X takes up a few GB.

It is National MacStupidity Week, and as such, I am allowed at least one major muck-up within the first twelve months of owning a Mac. Lol.

I lasted eleven months, and that is fair enough - yes?

Lesson learnt. Just need to read up more on how-to recover a full restore at boot-up. Never had to do anything other than a 'backup' before.
Any pointers folks?

Thanks.

Steven.

Added: My DVD-RW ate my OS X disk, and couldn't barff it back out.

Can restore fr-om TM @ startup. Easy. Just won't let me login.

Will get there. The p/w still same.

Guesty.

Any TM restores have a fault as an error occurs. It doesn't let me login with the same password that I had used all through my logins.

Nothing had changed, but I cannot get it working. It IS a Mashita DVD-RW that was changed, so it can't be that?

One of the images says that it would take over an hour and a half, and it doesn't seem to load all the music/movies etc.

TM definitely doesn't work that fast, can it? It says well over an hour, but was finished well ahead of that.

Any other s/w solutions to recover the TM images?

TIA Folks.