OSX won't boot?

[InSides]

Hi all,
first time Mac user here. I got a SR MBP a couple of days ago and had Boot Camp 1.3 setup.

Everything works perfectly under Windows, and I have been successfully booting Windows _and_ OSX.

This morning, though, I wanted to boot to OSX but I got stuck on the grey screen and the spinning gear. Left it there for about five minutes with no progress.

I read some reports about this happening with earlier Boot Camp versions.

Have I shot my OSX partition? Mind you, Windows still boots up just fine. I don't mind using Windows at all, I just wanted to get to know OSX as well.

I guess I could do a complete Mac reinstall - but wouldn't that also destroy the Windows partition as well? Just reitterating I have never used a Mac before, and have never reinstalled OSX.

Anyway, help much appreciated.

 

[iBookG4user]

You could try an archive and install, that will save all your data and reinstall OS X. Link (To boot from a CD, hold down the 'C' key after the startup sound.)

 

[InSides]

Actually, when I hold the option button for a double boot with the installation CD in - it also displays the installation CD as an option.

And it will not allow me to archive and install - so I guess I need to erase everything and start all over again.

That is not that big of an issue seeing the computer was just setup - I have backups of every piece of valuable data on it. I guess I will just go ahead and reinstall.

I do have a couple more questions:

1. How long does the installation take typically?

2. When I to an 'erase and install' will it also take the Windows partition with it? I would actually prefer that.

3. Any idea whether Windows Update caused this? It was working just fine before I ran the update?

Thanks.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Hey InSides -

Do you have any devices connected to your Mac? If you do, try disconnecting them before booting Mac OS X. Once, my MBP got stuck on the gray wheel screen because it was waiting for my iPod to finish doing something, and the iPod was confused, waiting for the MBP to tell it that it was safe to disconnect. Disconnecting the iPod made it boot normally.

 

[iBookG4user]

1. How long does the installation take typically?

It should take about one to two hours.

2. When I to an 'erase and install' will it also take the Windows partition with it? I would actually prefer that.

I don't think it will, because they are on separate partitions, although I've never boot camped my MacBook Pro.

3. Any idea whether Windows Update caused this? It was working just fine before I ran the update?

I doubt it, since windows will just be affecting the windows partition. It could be that the hard disk miswrote some data or something like that.

 

[Wells]

Well, your partition is probably still there, it's just the bootloader is choking on something. Reinstalling may or may not work, and it might even stop Windows from booting.

 

[InSides]

OK, at this point I don't really care about the Windows partition as I will just reinstall it anyway.

One more question:

1. I would like to return the Mac to a single partition. How would I do this from the Disk Utility? If I erase both partitions, would it just default to a single one - or would I get unpartitioned space that I need to create a new partition in?

Some simple steps would be awesome.

Thanks.

 

[iBookG4user]

OK, at this point I don't really care about the Windows partition as I will just reinstall it anyway.

One more question:

1. I would like to return the Mac to a single partition. How would I do this from the Disk Utility? If I erase both partitions, would it just default to a single one - or would I get unpartitioned space that I need to create a new partition in?

Some simple steps would be awesome.

Thanks.

Boot from the Restore Disk and go to Disk Utility, then click on the hard drive (not one of the two partitions.) and then go to the partitions tab. Then under Volume Scheme click on the drop down menu and click on 1 partition and click Apply.