A solution to Boot Camp partition error: “Files cannot be moved”
So I was able to partition a Macbook Pro 2010 (Snow Leopard) using Boot Camp in order to install Windows 7. I just want to point out this possible solution when you get this error when trying to create a partition:
Your Disk Cannot Be Partitioned Because Some Files Cannot Be Moved Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format the disk as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again.
Note that I said this is a possible solution. That means that this may not work for you. Most of the solutions I found on the Internet point to using defrag tools like iDefrag. I didn’t want to go that way cause I really don’t have the money to buy those tools.
Here’s what I did to fix this error:
- Clean up the hard drive. Move large files to an external backup disk. There are tools like OmniDiskSweeper to that can help in finding large files.
- Reboot and boot up using your Mac OS X Install DVD. (Press
Cwhen after the startup sound to boot using the DVD) - Choose Utilities > Disk Utility in the menu and Repair the hard drive.
- Restart and try partitioning using Boot Camp again.
I’m not ultimately sure if Step 1 is really required but I don’t have time to test it again.
17 Responses to A solution to Boot Camp partition error: “Files cannot be moved”
Thanks for this – one big gold star!
Thanks! I tried your solution and it didn’t work. I found a more commonsense solution for this Boot Camp partition failure it tries to find those files that can’t be moved ;)
Awesome! It worked for me :))) Thank you!!!
Thanks!!! This works!!!
This works great! Thanks for the great tip. I literally had 2 Macbooks that I was working on trying to install Windows 7 Pro and they both had the exact same error. I did what was mentioned in this article and got both machines up and running, thanks again.
Thanks! It worked for me.
This worked great. I have a regular MacBook and my girlfriend has a MacBook Pro. I used to have Windows XP on mine but, when I erased that boot camp partition I was never able to create a new one. Also, I noticed my MacBook has been running increasingly hotter. It’s to the point that I can’t watch youtube or use facebook apps without my mac crashing.
So my girlfriend asked me to put Windows 7 on her Mac. I didn’t anticipate her liking Windows better so I made a small 20GB partition. It didn’t take long for that to fill up. So today I erased the original partition for a reinstall on a bigger one. Well I got the error that boot camp couldn’t partition the drive.
I followed the advice here and did the disk repair and it worked! Now she has an extra 100GB. I’m glad this worked because, she would have been pissed if there was no Windows 7 on her computer when she got home from work. I was even able to backup her firefox profile. All her bookmarks, passwords, and add-ons are all restored! I also ran the disk repair on my MacBook. It found a few errors, corrected them, and now my mac seems to be running about 30 degrees F cooler! It doesn’t crash when I watch youtube! I don’t know if this is what fixed it but, I haven’t done anything else to it.
Disk repair is something everyone should do if their MacBook is over heating. It won’t hurt it and it may fix other errors.
Worked for me. Thanks
Thank you so much! I’ve been struggling with this latley!
Worked for me! Thanks a lot.
Worked like a charm. Thanks.
Awsome Thanks So Much. It Works Miracles.
You are saving many people’s time and money and energy. It worked for me without step 1. More than thank. Can’t express how much it helped me. Really so much happy.
I originally installed 32 bit Windows but later wanted to upgrade to 64 bit, so after I removed the Windows partition I got an error, so when I tried to recreate the partition in bootcamp I got the “Files can’t be moved” error. And then the Windows partition became free space not a part of the Mac partition.
I fixed this by decrypting the Home folder, it was encrypted causes a disk error. Afterwards I reboot chime I held down Command + R and ran disk utility, repaired the Mac partition, then under the main drive the entire partition become available to resize! So I changed it to full size, and then restarted then reran bootcamp and now Windows is installed just fine.
So if you get this error the problem could be that your Home folder is encrypted.
Works likea charm! Thanks a bunch!
works for me
Thanks a lot !! Works for me