How to format a partition as NTFS
Author
I hope this is not an inappropriate topic for "Beginners Only" because I'm not quite sure how broad that title is meant to be interpreted, but I really don't have anywhere else to go.
I tried to install Ubuntu and OpenSolaris on my Mac and I ended up making some new partitions and stuff. Well, I can't delete the new partitions and when I try to install Vista on them I recieve the error message "Windows must be installed to a partitions formatted as NTFS."
I have no idea how to do anything and I am new to the concept of partitions. I should have just left it all alone. Sorry for the sloppy post, I'm just panicking a little.
You can try making a Windows98 boot disk and booting off that to a command prompt and running fdisk. (www.bootdisk.com)
However, if you have anything on your drive that you wish to keep, I'd advise you get somebody who knows fdisk to help you because if you delete the wrong partition, then all data on that partition is lost.
Of course if you're just blowing away the drive to start over, then go for it.
Also, it may or may not allow you to remove the partitions. Sometimes linux partitions dont like to go away even with fdisk. In that case you might try another partition editing utility or check the manufacturers website to see if they have a tool to wipe the dive of all partitions. (I had to do this once)
-=[ Megahertz ]=-
However, if you have anything on your drive that you wish to keep, I'd advise you get somebody who knows fdisk to help you because if you delete the wrong partition, then all data on that partition is lost.
Of course if you're just blowing away the drive to start over, then go for it.
Also, it may or may not allow you to remove the partitions. Sometimes linux partitions dont like to go away even with fdisk. In that case you might try another partition editing utility or check the manufacturers website to see if they have a tool to wipe the dive of all partitions. (I had to do this once)
-=[ Megahertz ]=-
Author
So I can run a Windows98 bott disk from my Mac? I didn't know that was legal, is it free? Why don't I just go see for myself instead of...sorry, another panic.
Author
Is the Windows98 boot disk only available for floppy? None of my computers have floppy drives. Can I put it on a flash drive?
Are you trying to dualboot on your mac or wiping it clean or something?
Are you using bootcamp?
And you shouldn't need win98 bootdisk or anything like that since Vista should be able to delete any existing partitions usually even foreign ones. I know I've done it before at least with a pc. I don't know if it's different on intel mac since they don't even use a normal bios like a pc.
Do Intel-based Macs use BIOS? Open Firmware? EFI? What is the partition scheme?
Shipping Intel-based Macintosh computers use Intel's new Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)[17.1]. The partition scheme is GUID Partition Table (GPT)[17.2], part of the EFI standard. The default filesystem is still HFS+/Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and all other conventional Mac OS X filesystem formats are available, but they are now within GUID Partition Table (GPT) instead of Apple Partition Map (APM). A Mac OS X 10.4.4 (PowerPC) system (or newer) can also read a GPT disk, and a Mac OS X (Intel) system can read an APM disk. Apple's EFI implementation supports GPT, APM, and NetBoot (PXE/TFTP) for booting. While Mac OS X (Intel) only formats disks as GPT and will not let Mac OS X be installed on an APM volume, this restriction is somewhat arbitrary, as Intel-based Macs can indeed boot from APM volumes. Future systems could again be unified in this respect.
Are you using bootcamp?
And you shouldn't need win98 bootdisk or anything like that since Vista should be able to delete any existing partitions usually even foreign ones. I know I've done it before at least with a pc. I don't know if it's different on intel mac since they don't even use a normal bios like a pc.
Do Intel-based Macs use BIOS? Open Firmware? EFI? What is the partition scheme?
Shipping Intel-based Macintosh computers use Intel's new Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)[17.1]. The partition scheme is GUID Partition Table (GPT)[17.2], part of the EFI standard. The default filesystem is still HFS+/Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and all other conventional Mac OS X filesystem formats are available, but they are now within GUID Partition Table (GPT) instead of Apple Partition Map (APM). A Mac OS X 10.4.4 (PowerPC) system (or newer) can also read a GPT disk, and a Mac OS X (Intel) system can read an APM disk. Apple's EFI implementation supports GPT, APM, and NetBoot (PXE/TFTP) for booting. While Mac OS X (Intel) only formats disks as GPT and will not let Mac OS X be installed on an APM volume, this restriction is somewhat arbitrary, as Intel-based Macs can indeed boot from APM volumes. Future systems could again be unified in this respect.
Oh, doh! I totally missed the fact you're on a mac. I know I read you were on a mac, but for some reason it just didn't stick when I proposed a solution.
I'm not sure how well a win98 boot disk would work, even if you had a floppy. Perhaps somebody with more mac experience can chime in.
However, since you don't have a floppy drive, it's a moot point anyway.
daviangel is right tho, the vista installer should be able to remove foreign partitions.
-=[ Megahertz ]=-
I'm not sure how well a win98 boot disk would work, even if you had a floppy. Perhaps somebody with more mac experience can chime in.
However, since you don't have a floppy drive, it's a moot point anyway.
daviangel is right tho, the vista installer should be able to remove foreign partitions.
-=[ Megahertz ]=-
Author
Yeah, I'm trying to dual boot Mac OS X and Windows Vista. I tried to do it with Bootcamp but Bootcamp assistant gave me an error.
And even on the existing partitions, Vista won't install on them.
And even on the existing partitions, Vista won't install on them.
Quote:Original post by Evil Booger
Yeah, I'm trying to dual boot Mac OS X and Windows Vista. I tried to do it with Bootcamp but Bootcamp assistant gave me an error.
And even on the existing partitions, Vista won't install on them.
Use Disk Utility in Mac OS X to delete the partitions and then the Boot Camp assistant to recreate them.
Author
When I try to delete them with Disk Utility, it takes forever with the DISKOS4 partition and I eventually give up and my Linux Swap partition just gets an error and stops.
I'll go see exactly what the error is with the Linux Swap and I 'll try to wait out the other deletion.
I'll go see exactly what the error is with the Linux Swap and I 'll try to wait out the other deletion.
I've had my share of troubles with my macbook pro and I know how you feel. My sure solution was to burn a copy of gparted (google it) and boot from that. Read some documentation for it or find someone who knows what they're doing because this thing will let you do anything to the hard drive that is possible.
Alternatively you might try to use boot camp again. It might allow you to "restore hard drive to single partition." Probably not if you have a bunch of other partitions rather than the correct number it expects but worth a shot.
Once the hard drive is nice and mac-only again, use boot camp. Don't mess around on your own, mac is very picky and boot camp will do it right.
Alternatively you might try to use boot camp again. It might allow you to "restore hard drive to single partition." Probably not if you have a bunch of other partitions rather than the correct number it expects but worth a shot.
Once the hard drive is nice and mac-only again, use boot camp. Don't mess around on your own, mac is very picky and boot camp will do it right.
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