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Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 06:55 PM

SO I'm finally ready to install Windows XP, by using Boot Camp Assistant to make a partition of my boot drive and off to the races. I print out the guide, etc. etc., run the assistant and get this:

Nope, no partition.

This post
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...fm/730759.html
suggests maybe I have a wrong partition map scheme.

How do I get on with this install?

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:05 PM

More detail please

Is that a MacPro? Is it a blank, empty drive?

Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 07:20 PM

MacPro 2 x 2.8 Ghz Quad-Core, 10.5.6.

Not a blank, empty drive -- my start up disk.

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:23 PM

Go to Disk Utility, select the drive in Bay 4 - the actual drive, not the partition. What is the partition scheme?

Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 07:27 PM

Apple Partition Map

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:28 PM

Read the message more carefully. It says it has been partitioned with a different utility. All formatted disks have at least one partition. Did you use something other than Disk Utility to format that disk?

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:28 PM

I'm 99% sure all Intel Macs need to have their drives formatted as GUID Partition Table. APM was for older PowerMacs.

Have you got a spare drive in there that you could format as GUID and then clone your startup disk to?

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Timo

Apple Partition Map

There's your problem. It must be GUID for Boot Camp. APM is for PowerPC Mac compatibility.

It also must be GUID for the OS installer to allow you to install on an Intel Mac. You must have cloned this drive from elsewhere or taken the drive from a different PPC Mac.

Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 07:34 PM

yep, cloned from a failed G5

I suppose I could clone my boot (SuperDuper), then reformat my boot and clone it back. Any problem with SuperDuper handling this?

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:35 PM

A direct clone from one architecture to another worked?

It might actually be better to do a format, clean install and use Migration Assistant or Time Machine to restore.

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:37 PM

Leopard is a Universal OS. You can use the same install on an Intel or PPC Mac.

You can also make the disk APM first and then clone from an Intel Mac as well.

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:39 PM

I know it's Universal, but I hadn't thought that transferring an already installed OS to a different architecture would work - cool

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by Timo

yep, cloned from a failed G5

I suppose I could clone my boot (SuperDuper), then reformat my boot and clone it back. Any problem with SuperDuper handling this?

You can just use Disk Utility's Restore feature.

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

I know it's Universal, but I hadn't thought that transferring an already installed OS to a different architecture would work - cool

Yup. I have one image made on an Intel iMac that I clone to about 250 various PPC and Intel Macs via Deploy Studio. Apple really knows how to make their OS easy to image and clone.

Oh... and this is not a hack. Apple officially supports this and provides tools for it.

Another note... Apple's OS installer installs the same files no matter what Mac it's installing on. It doesn't make a difference if it's a PPC Mac, Intel Mac, laptop, or desktop. It's the same set of files and you can move it around to any Mac that that particular build supports.

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:43 PM

I'm too used to deploying Windows, where I have to make sure all device drivers are set to generic before transferring or deploying an image to another PC or different hardware - otherwise it just won't work.

Art Vandelay · Feb 6, 2009, 07:48 PM

Yeah, when I supported Windows, we had an image for each model. We dealt with 13 images at one point. Thankfully I had created a script to build up an image from a base OS to a full application set to simplify it a bit.

seanc · Feb 6, 2009, 07:52 PM

I've got a few images, only about four important ones though.
An image for XP - generic drivers installed so it will boot from anything, drivers are on the image for all of our current and past PCs.
An image for Vista - same setup.
A couple of customized images for large customers.

Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

A direct clone from one architecture to another worked?

It might actually be better to do a format, clean install and use Migration Assistant or Time Machine to restore.

nah -- I wouldn't try that ... I used Migration Assistant from the old G5.

It think the problem here is that this boot drive wasn't the original boot drive. I was probably not paying attention way back when I formatted the drive.

Timo · Feb 6, 2009, 08:40 PM

oh, and thanks for all the help, guys