OSX not recognising disc partition

[placid]

My osx doesn't want to install on the partition i want it on. Basically it doesn't want to format and mount the volume. Details follow.

 

I'm trying to install osx86 on my laptop (ASUS m6va) which already has winXP on it. The 100GB drive is split into

-Recovery partition Primary 1GB -FAT16 (part of original laptop setup)

-Windows partition primary NTFS(about 30GB)

-Free space where i want to install osx (about 16GB)

-Data partition Logical NTFS (about 40GB)

-Linux swap logical (left over from removed Ubuntu install)

 

My problem is getting the osx installer (JAS prepatched 10.4.8 intel AMD SSE2 SSE3) to recognize and use the free space. I tried leaving it unused and using the osx disc utility to create a partition, but it said it would destroy the data on the other volumes, so i aborted it. I tried using Acronis disc director to create a primary partition with no file system and installing but it didn't work. I tried using "Erase as HFS+" but it still didn't find a drive to install to. I tried formatting it as FAT32 in acronis and using "erase as HFS+" but it doesn't find it. What happens is that it says "erasing", then "mounting disc", but afterwards it doesn't seem to be mounted and the partition type is still listed as Windows_fat32, and this no matter how many time i try erasing as HFS+. I tried doing the same operation from the terminal but got the same result. I tried mounting the partition anyway and it says "drive is already mounted". I tried "safe erase" by writing zeros, but got the same result.

 

I'm pretty much stumped by this. I've always had issues with disc partitioning (spent ages messing with partition magic and eventually solved all those problems by switching to acronis). The only thing i can think of is that i've somehow messed up the disc partitioning table, but i'm not sure how to do that. All solutions welcome (except for "google", cus i hope you realise by the number of "tried and failed" listed above that i've pretty much tried everything i can think of:-P)

[marticus]

hi,

 

you can try the disc utility. when in the install menu you can get to it right after the laguage selection screen in the dvd install. it will allow you to reformat existing partitions. as far as i know osx will only install on hfs formated partitions. you'll have to open the disc management from the bar under utilities i think from there you can repartition a hard drive or format an existing partition by clicking erase. hope that was what you were looking for! good luck

 

marticus

 

... you can create a logical partition with the remaining space (using windows), then just reformat that partition with the utility tool that comes with the jas dvd. that way you don't lose the data on the other disc partitions.

 

---------> just to add to earlier post

[placid]

All the things i tried WERE done with the disc utility in the installer, basically my problem is that it didn't seem to work. I think to clarify i'll add another question, just to check i'm not doing something stupid. How do you take a section of free space on an already partitioned hard drive and turn it into a primary HFS+ partition?

[vaughn00]

What you should do is to turn it to FAT32 in WindowsXP, that way OSX will find it, and from there(diskutil in the installer) can change it to HFS+

 

Cheers,

 

Cor

[marticus]

i think you'll have to delete the partition occupying the excess space. then repartition separating what you'll need. i might be mistaken though.

[MrYellow]

Try setting the free space to a FAT32 partition. After that run a chkdsk F on the command prompt in Windows. Maybe the partition table or an partition have some trouble, the try to install the Mac OS.

Comment us what happened.

[abu_sme]

I'm in the exact same position as the OP, I am absolutely tearing out my hair.

 

I have partitioned it as Linux Ext, Fat 32, nothing at all. Everything I have tried has had the same result when I use disk utility. It just says "mounting" does a little bar thing, and then it is still stuck asw whatever type of partition it was before.

 

I am trying to figure this out, but it is making my head hurt.

 

EDIT: It is cross the 1024 boundary, this could be the problem, but I will keep everyone (and all the people who punch in the same google term and get here) posted.

 

Edit2: That didn't work, strangely enough I could erase my NTFS partitions. That being said, I just wiped my NTFS partitions, so my computer is going to be out of commission while I do a full restore from the backups I wisely made before going on this endevour!.

[solaar]

I don't if this is an option at all for you, but I would go back to the drawing board. I'm not a 'partition expert' but I feel that first FAT16 partition appears to be the culprit.

 

I'll list what I've done to install a triple boot system on a 80GB HD on a laptop of a mate:

 

* make a data backup

* pop in a XP install CD, wipe the HD completely and create 3 new partitions (I made a 30GB NTFS for XP as the first partition)

* install XP on that first partition

* Install partition magic on XP and format the second partition as FAT32 (I made another 30GB one)

* reboot with the OSX DVD and load disk utility

-> it should recognise that second partition

-> erase it as FAT32

* reboot with the OSX DVD

* go back into disk utility and now erase the partition as hfs+ (journaled!)

-> it should come up with the warning that it will destroy the data on this volume but leave the other volumes unchanged

* get on with the OSX install. It should now recognise the hfs partition

-> if it won't I hit my limits right here...

* optional: finally install a Linux distro on the third partition (ext3) and let Linux create the 4th partition as swap

* install Lilo as bootloader (more flexible and simpler than Grub IMO...)

* add hda1 for XP and hda2 for OSX as additional systems in Lilo

 

--> Instead of Linux you can format the last partition as FAT32 data drive and use a different bootloader

 

good luck

sol

[abu_sme]

I was hoping to be able to leave all of my XP stuff in tact. But it isn't looking like I am going to be able to do it. I am installing a second hard drive into my laptop sometime, so I think I will install it on a partition on that one instead.

 

I've already wiped my hard drive twice, I don't have the patience to do it again. Still, makes me realize how awesome acronis true image really is (full wipe, and full restore like nothing ever happened!)

[.ark]

diskpart (and other windows tools) don't delete certain parts of the hard drive that contain things like boot information, and it's completely possible that the OSX installer can't list the drive because of that ( you'll get errors like "unable to mount disk" during the boot process). This happened to me. I wiped my drive with DBAN and it appeared again.

[muvo]

I have the same problem with my SATA Hard Drive from my Toshiba Satellite M115-S3084, I try to install the Mac OS X 10.4.8 JaS Semthex patched and it doesn't allow me to "erase" the primary not formatted partition, I tried the methods you have mentioned, but, nothing works. Any help will be awesome. Thanks. Saludos! (excuse my poor english)

[orestes]

sorry for my english but maybe I have a solution for your problem

You should use acronise disk director suite.

In Acronis create a fat 32 partition and then right click on it an go to the advanced and klick change type. Choose Shaq os swap. (0xAF)

Now you boot osx instalation Dvd and go to disk utility.

erase you fat 32 partition with mac os jurnaled( I don;t remember full name of it)

Now your partition(disk) should be mount and ready for instalation

[jfth24]

I've been told to format in FAT32, the Jas Installation will see it, from the install window you can use Disk Utility to reformat the drive for Mac Journaled.

 

 

I used G-Parted to split the HD, I burned the iso on a CD and i did it from the CD. It is free and verry good.

[n3v3rm1nd]

that worked like a charm orestes Thanks a lot I spent a massive amount of time trying to figure out what's wrong.Cheers mate !