Windows Boot Camp “Disk Error” On Install 14

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Windows Boot Camp “Disk Error” On Install

Hey

If you follow my Twitter feed at all you will notice that I had trouble installing Windows on Boot Camp. I like a Windows installation because I can play all of the latest games. I was having a problem during the install with a “Disk Error”, it was a big pain in the ass to be honest. I had a new fresh game sitting on my desk for a couple of days and I couldn’t play it. Anyway I found the solution, which as always was surprisingly simple.

During install you will be asked to format your disk. The image is similar to the one below. Being the kind of guy who doesn’t like to wait and never reads instructions I hit skip. I thought that the disk was already formatted correctly and I could just skip the process. This, of course is the wrong mind set.

You do need to format the disk using the installer. For some reason Windows needs to do something special to the disk during the formatting process, using the Mac version of FAT32 simply won’t work. You can at this point either use the Quick format or the normal format to make sure it will load. I don’t think it matters.

So there you go, 2 wasted days for not hitting the right menu choice. As a final note I will recommend keeping the disk as FAT32 so you can write to it from Mac, as well as this I also recommend reading the Boot Camp instructions with this very same error.


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14 Responses to “Windows Boot Camp “Disk Error” On Install”

  1. 1

    I had the same problem and fought with it for two or three installation attempts as well. I could swear that I had chosen the convert to NTFS option rather than formatting to NTFS. The convert option doesn’t seem to work well for me.

    In my case I chose to use NTFS because I wanted/needed a partition larger than 32 GB. I’d like to have a FAT 32 partition larger than 32 GB but I don’t want to jump through the kinds of hoops needed to work around the limitation.

    Comment By Sylvester on January 2nd, at 9:24 pm

  2. 2

    I am at the same point, however I have a different problem. I chose the last option and now it’s telling me “disk error. press any key to restart” but it wont restart….and solutions?

    Comment By Chelsey on February 7th, at 7:36 pm

  3. 3

    You need to partition the disk using Windows and not Mac. You shouldn’t pick the last option.

    Comment By admin on February 8th, at 12:49 am

  4. 4

    i have the same problem with Chelsey.

    it didn’t restart. same message appered on the screen even i already switched off. any solution, please? or do i need a combination key to restart? or a technical support? thnaks!

    Comment By vhenz on February 21st, at 8:58 pm

  5. 5

    Thank you very much for this post. I thought I completely screwed my iMac up when I kept getting those disc errors. You are my hero!

    Comment By Jay on March 18th, at 7:52 pm

  6. 6

    Thanks! I was really going mad about this one :-)

    Comment By PSJ on October 16th, at 10:43 pm

  7. 7

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    Comment By ergonomic desk on December 12th, at 5:35 pm

  8. 8

    help.. i had a mistake installing windows on my mac.. it says, “disk error, press any key to restart..” it wont restart.. what should i do? thanks..

    Comment By julie anne on January 11th, at 6:24 pm

  9. 9

    Just restart your Mac using the power button.

    Comment By admin on January 11th, at 8:08 pm

  10. 10

    I got a doozee here, what can I do if when I try to install the disk, I do not get a format screen?

    Comment By Kasey Dunn on January 13th, at 7:39 am

  11. 11

    my mac frezed when it says disk press any key

    Comment By midnacomeback on March 25th, at 5:31 pm

  12. 12

    it’s all there in the FM. if you get stuck, I always say, RTFM.
    run the b/camp assistant, & hit “print the setup guide”. you don’t actually have to make a paper copy if you don’t need to- use “print preview” to read it. all the stuff about reformatting the windows partition is in there already- no mystery, no tip or trick.
    by way of a slight qualification- I too wasted about half an hour, stuck in the windows installer, before this small foible became apparent.
    duncan.

    Comment By duncan on April 27th, at 4:18 pm

  13. 13

    Thanks for all your kind support with your tips provided.Appreciate it!

    Comment By Ash on November 15th, at 7:43 pm

  14. 14

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    Comment By Margareta Kosak on October 16th, at 10:16 pm

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