Snow Leopard -> Lion (Delete Boot Camp Partition)?

[ThePimento]

I'm currently on an iMac running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 (2.4Ghz C2D, 4GB RAM, with VMware 3.1.3). I have Windows XP as a Boot Camp partition, but recently I downloaded the VMware Converter tool from VMware and I now run XP via a Vitural Machine (saved in my Documents folder).

I cannot install Lion because it can't create the recovery disk and there's an error with my partitions (I can't recall the exact phrasing). I'm guessing this is because of my Boot Camp partition that has XP installed on it, which is no longer supported with Lion.

My question is: Since I've converted the Boot Camp partition to a Virtual Machine, can I delete the Boot Camp partition and still be able to run XP?

This is on my iMac at work, and I rely on XP for 75% of my job, so I need to make sure I'll still have access to XP via the Virtual Machine.

Thanks in advance!

[WoodyZ · Accepted solution]

My question is: Since I've converted the Boot Camp partition to a Virtual Machine, can I delete the Boot Camp partition and still be able to run XP?

The short answer is yes.

The longer answer is to make sure that you're running a normal file based Virtual Machine and not Boot Camp partition Virtual Machine before deleting it.

This is on my iMac at work, and I rely on XP for 75% of my job, so I need to make sure I'll still have access to XP via the Virtual Machine.

If this is a Work system then you should not be upgrading to Lion yet and wait for at least the first point release of Lion and a version of VMware Fusion that is officially certified to be fully compatible with Mac OS X Lion before upgrading.

[ThePimento]

WoodyZ wrote:

The longer answer is to make sure that you're running a normal file based Virtual Machine and not Boot Camp partition Virtual Machine before deleting it.

How would I go about doing this? I've removed the Boot Camp partition from the Library window.

[WoodyZ]

Ctrl-click the Virtual Machine in the Virtual Machine Library and select Show in Finder and then make sure it is of an appropriate size.  The Boot Camp partition Virtual Machine, the one that is just meta-data to allow using the Boot Camp partition as a Virtual Machine is on a megabyte or two in size and a normal file based Virtual Machine of  Windows XP will be in the gigabyte size range.

[ThePimento]

Ok, I figured my Virtual Machine being around 2.45GB would mean it converted correctly.

Thanks

[WoodyZ]

The default location for the Boot Camp partition Virtual Machine that is just meta-data is '/Users/${USER}/Library/Application Support/VMware Fusion/Virtual Machines/Boot Camp/' and if the one you're now using is in a different location and is in the gigabyte size range when it is shutdown, not suspended and VMware Fusion close then it should be a normal file based Virtual Machine and would then be safe to remove the Boot Camp partition from the Macintosh HD.

That said without seeing the vmware.log file from within the Virtual Machine Package and a file listing of the contents Virtual Machine Package showing file sizes and date/time stamps I'm only providing generalized advice regurding deleting the Boot Camp partition from the Macintosh HD.

I get the feeling you're not going to heed the advice I gave you about upgrading a work system.

[ThePimento]

WoodyZ wrote:

I get the feeling you're not going to heed the advice I gave you about upgrading a work system.

I am waiting on an 'official' release from VMware to be 100% compatible with Lion. We just have 3 iMacs that are set up like mine and we won't be able to upgrade when it comes time. That's why I'd like to get the answer now so I know what to do later on.