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MBP, 10.5.2, Windows XP Pro Corp (through work).

Booted from the XP disc on another intel mac, it spies 4 partitions just fine (including existing boot camp with windows xp installed).

On the new MBP, it sees only a single partition with an inexplicable size (130000 MB). Inexplicable, I say, because the HD is 185, partition 153/32 GB (created with Boot Camp Assistant). But I never did understand the various ways to calculate GB v. MB v. KB etc.

Anyway, we have confirmed the hard way that this is indeed the main OS X partition. Second time around formatted Extended Journaled Case Sensitive for kicks. No change.

Help, Please!

Are you sure it's an XP SP2 disk? Are you trying to make the Windows partition FAT instead of NTFS (thus the 32 GB partition size)? Verify in Disk Utility (in OS X) that the partitions have been set up correctly.

Steve

I am certain it is an sp2 windows installer. Disk Utility confirms partitions exist. I am trying to do FAT32 but that's irrelevant if the windows installer can't even see partition, isn't it?

The installer should see four or five partitions. The OS X partition, a couple of tiny ones, and another that's labeled "C:" (as far as the installer is concerned). Do you see anything when it comes time to select a partition?

It sees only a single partition, which we painfully discovered was the main OS X partition. My friend, whose MBP this is, and who I have so selflessly and graciously been helping, bears the responsibility for this "discovery."

For this and other issues, the macbook is going back to Apple for replacement. If the problem persists, will post back. My guess is a bad MB.

Sorry to hear that-I had hoped that it was more a problem of looking for the right thing at the right place. Good luck with the replacement.

I am having the same exact issue. I have an iMac and the machine has absolutely no problems whatsoever but I can't seem to get WindowsXP (SP2/ver.2002) installer to see the bootcamp partition. All I see is that large "C: drive" partition. I actually tried this process 3 more times by removing the partition, rebooting the mac and then creating the partition again with Bootcamp. Anybody have any idea's what it can possible be? All my system software and firmware is up to date.


~e
(20" iMac/2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/4GB DDR2 memory/Leopard)

C drive is the partition you want to use. Is it the same approximate size as what you told Boot Camp Assistant to create? Is it in the format you specified (FAT32/NTFS)?

What I should see, literally is a "bootcamp" partition in addition to other partitions. The "C:" drive that shows up is way larger than the "bootcamp" partition I created. As far as (Fat32 or NTFS), that choice is the next step after I choose a partition but I can't get there unless I choose a partition.

It should be C:

Take a look at Apple's Boot Camp manual, as a PDF file located here.

It may be the "C:" but every tutorial I've seen say's that the partition should say "bootcamp". The "one" partition that show up is much larger and does not say bootcamp.

I do have another question. When creating the bootcamp partition with bootcamp assistant, all I see is the choice for the size of the space you want to partition but nothing about FAT32 or NTFS. Does that choice show up later or should there be an option for FAT32 or NTFS prior to actually creating the partition?

It'll show up later in the Windows install process. I was mistaken thinking it'd be an option from the BC assistant.

I had the same issue as fortfive and erickp above. Boot Camp created a partition which showed on the desktop. Windows started to install and then showed only one partition, not named Bootcamp, and with a size that had nothing to do with the one I had created. Given the risk of erasing my OSX partition, I did not go ahead and aborted. I redid it a number of times, same problem. I then proceeded (selected the only partition that was on offer) and then the next screen had nothing to do with the one I should have had according to the Bootcamp manual. I aborted again, just to find that nothing was working, neither Windows nor OSX. Impossible to reboot the iMac, the Apple logo did not even show when I switched the computer back on again. I went to Apple store for a fix, they diagnosed a faulty hard disk (I bought the iMac in November - what a start !). Fair enough, I got it replaced, start all over again (Boot Camp partition, Windows installer ...) and exactly the same issue again ! This time I am to scare to lose the HD again and stopped for good.
If my Windows CD with was defective, I would understand not being able to install Windows at all, but how is it that it sees a partition which bears no ressemblance to anything, and why does it crashes my hard disk ?
Help most welcome I am a new comer to Apple and not a computer specialist.
Thank you

Can someone take a photo of this and post it? People keep having this problem, and I and many others have never seen it. If you set up a partition with the Boot Camp assistant and then boot with a legitimate XP SP2 disk, you should see a number of partitions, including one labeled bootcamp.

Steve

This is a good link: "How do I install Windows XP on my Mac using Boot Camp?": Tech Support from Ask Dave Taylor!

This is how it used to look - without [boot camp] there, just [unknown].


Page 11 of Apple's guide here has a good screenshot of how it looks now.

I meant that someone who is having the problem should post a picture of the problem, though pointing to the BC manual is a good idea as well.

Steve

Did you have the Windows Installer format the BootCamp partition? If not, it will not work, although it will seem to install...

Boot Camp assistant initially creates and formats the partition. When you select the partition as shown in the screenshot above, it gets formatted again as FAT or NTFS (depending on your choice).

Steve

Sorry I don't have a screen shot but it's the same screen as the above screen shot for the exception that the only partition choice is the following:

"131070MB Disk 0 at ID 0 on atapi [MBR]
C: Partition1 [unknown] 131072 MB (131071 MB free)"

I tried this process using bootcamp and then again using Parallels and no dice. I had an IT buddy check out my XP disc, thinking that perhaps I got a bad disc but nope, all checks out fine. I am stumped.

~e

Let me try to understand your order of operations here:

Following the BC instructions:

1) Run BC assistant in OS X, creating a Windows partition on the hard drive.
2) Insert the Windows XP SP2 disk in the drive.
3) Click the restart and install Windows button in BC assistant.
4) The machine restarts, boots from the CD, and you only have one choice for choosing a partition to install to.

Is that correct? In Mac OS X, can you even look at the BC partition in the Finder (open it, copy things to it, etc.)? It just sounds like the new partition is not getting set up.

Steve

Those steps are correct.

When i create the 25GB partition via BC it does show up on the desktop as a separate drive. It opens just fine. I haven't actually copied anything onto BC partition BUT perhaps I should try. Maybe if there is something copied on the BC partition, it might then actually acknowledge the partition? Just a shot in the dark.

How do you do a screenshot ?

You would have to use a camera or phone obviously, since there's no screen grab ability at that point in the install.

Steve