[lexmac215]

Hey, I have windows 7 installed as my os. Is there any way to partition my 64gb hd and install osx without reinstalling windows 7? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[lexmac215]

Anyone?

[jetkins]

Sorry, don't know. But you'd probably get more and better answers in the OS X forum.

[TipsyTC]

Originally Posted by lexmac215

Hey, I have windows 7 installed as my os. Is there any way to partition my 64gb hd and install osx without reinstalling windows 7? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Here is a quick non technical rundown of the steps involved which will work for either Windows 7 or XP dueled with OSX.

1) Install and configure OSX the way you want it with a SINGLE GUID Extended Journeled Partition using something like the guide here http://dellefi.mechdrew.com/guide/method1.shtml

2) Now Boot up using your USB Installer and use Disk Utility to make an image of your installed OSX to an external USB hard Drive.

3) Install Windows 7 or XP. During the install you get the option to partition the hard drive. No 200Mb EFI partition is needed. Create the first partition size what ever you want for Windows and format it as NTFS (this way OSX cant mess with it) and finish off the install to have a normally booting windows machine.

4) Once Windows is running use Disk Manager to create a second partition formated as FAT32.

5) Boot again off the USB Installer and go into Disk Utility. DONT delete the FAT32 partition, just erase it with an Extended Journeled format.

6) Use the restore function in Disk Utility to restore the Image you made earlier to your newly formated Journeled partition.

7) When the restore has finished quit Disk Utility and run terminal (we need to make the OSX partition Active) and enter the following commands.

fdisk –e /dev/rdisk0
p (should show all partitions)
f 2 (sets the second partition to active for booting)
w (write the changes)
q (quit the fdisk application)

8) Boot one last time on the USB installer. You should have 3 options Windows, Your OSX install and the USB Installer, select your OSX install. Once booted run the DellEFI 1.2a5 again and just select "Reinstall Chameleon 2.0RC1-r431 Bootloader", "Reinstall Dell Mini 9 Extensions" & "Hide DellEFI files"

9) You should now have a perfect Dual boot just remember to hit enter when you see the shrinking blue bar to then select Windows.

[lexmac215]

Thanks!!

[boarder2]

hmm, interesting, I wonder if I can get this to work with my time machine backup too

[bsoplinger1]

Originally Posted by boarder2

hmm, interesting, I wonder if I can get this to work with my time machine backup too

I believe that time machine wants to write to the disc it is backing up so out of the box OS X won't work if your Windows disc is formatted NTFS (which I would assume for a Win 7 install). But you can get NTFS-3G and MacFUSE to enable writing to NTFS discs, so then Time Macine should be willing to back it up.

[hack nothacker]

Originally Posted by TipsyTC

Here is a quick non technical rundown of the steps involved which will work for either Windows 7 or XP dueled with OSX.

1) Install and configure OSX the way you want it with a SINGLE GUID Extended Journeled Partition using something like the guide here Redirecting...

2) Now Boot up using your USB Installer and use Disk Utility to make an image of your installed OSX to an external USB hard Drive.

3) Install Windows 7 or XP. During the install you get the option to partition the hard drive. No 200Mb EFI partition is needed. Create the first partition size what ever you want for Windows and format it as NTFS (this way OSX cant mess with it) and finish off the install to have a normally booting windows machine.

4) Once Windows is running use Disk Manager to create a second partition formated as FAT32.

5) Boot again off the USB Installer and go into Disk Utility. DONT delete the FAT32 partition, just erase it with an Extended Journeled format.

6) Use the restore function in Disk Utility to restore the Image you made earlier to your newly formated Journeled partition.

7) When the restore has finished quit Disk Utility and run terminal (we need to make the OSX partition Active) and enter the following commands.

fdisk –e /dev/rdisk0
p (should show all partitions)
f 2 (sets the second partition to active for booting)
w (write the changes)
q (quit the fdisk application)

8) Boot one last time on the USB installer. You should have 3 options Windows, Your OSX install and the USB Installer, select your OSX install. Once booted run the DellEFI 1.2a5 again and just select "Reinstall Chameleon 2.0RC1-r431 Bootloader", "Reinstall Dell Mini 9 Extensions" & "Hide DellEFI files"

9) You should now have a perfect Dual boot just remember to hit enter when you see the shrinking blue bar to then select Windows.

Thanks for the info.

Too bad this doesnt answer the original question posted on this thread.....Do you know how to install OSX without REINSTALLING Win7.

I would like to also do this on my 10v, but cant figure out how to get the bootloader replaced and the new partition recognized that I'll be putting OSX onto.

Any help appreciated, THX.

[holmes4]

I never did figure out how to do this and ended up reinstalling Windows afterward.

If you need more help, ask in the Dual Booting section of the forum.

[hack nothacker]

Thanks Holmes;

Its OK, I knuckled under and started from scratch....for me, reinstalling windows is the easiest part of the whole affair. I just didnt want to waste one of my Microsoft Action Pack Subscription keys.