Boot Camp not an Option for Start-Up?

PepsiCola

Registered
First of all, yes, I have checked about the forums beforehand and it doesn't look like anyone has had the same problem as I do. I apologize if I've over-looked anything.

I got an iMac for Christmas and for my studies I need to use some programs only accessible on Windows. I am using a legitimate edition of Windows 7 and would like to install it with Boot Camp. I partition the disk for 32 GB for Boot Camp, and the process is fine. I choose to install Windows now, and upon start-up, the screen goes black with "no bootable devices -- insert bootable device" or something along those lines. Now, I am aware that this normally means something has went wrong with the partitioning and the Mac is trying to boot from a faulty disc. However, I think the problem is that Boot Camp simply isn't available. It appears under devices, but not as an option in Startup Disk, or when the option/alt button is held during reboot. It's actually probably because it really is just faulty.
I've tried mounting and unmounting and repairing and verifying on Disk Utility and re-partioning and such, but to no avail.

Another question is, after partitioning and before clicking "Restore" to make the drive whole again, is it normal for there to be no "Boot Camp" section as I chose before? And is the Boot Camp drive supposed to appear on the desktop? Sorry if this sounds silly.

Thanks for the help,

--PepsiCola

EDIT: I forgot to add, just for good meaure;

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac10,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 3.06 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM101.00CC.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.52f9
Serial Number (system): W89495B95PC
Hardware UUID: 3AE7B979-EC5B-5D67-988A-D42F1E991A06

Snow Leopard 10.6.2
 
Boot Camp only prepares the partition. It won't actually show up on the OS X desktop until it is formatted, which Boot Camp does not do. The formatting is done by the Windows install.
Is your Windows 7 install an upgrade disk, or a full install? You cannot install Windows with Boot Camp from an upgrade installer.
The Boot Camp setup guide will also have answers for you. You should read through that guide before you continue.
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Boot_Camp_Install-Setup_10.6.pdf
 
It's a full install. I suppose the disc is formatted after the reboot? If that's the case, then how does it get beyond the "no bootable devices" message? Sorry if I've missed out on something. And I've read that file word-for-word before, and that's how I've gotten here.
 
Keep in mind that the Boot Camp partition, created by Boot Camp, is nothing, and doesn't appear as a boot option until an operating system is installed on that partition. In your case, that would be Win7. You haven't said that you have the Windows installer disk in the drive when you restart?

Do you have one of the accepted Win7 versions? (Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate)
If you have 'worked' the partitions several times, and you still have the boot camp partition, then I would suggest that you run the Boot Camp utility, remove that partition, then run _Disk Warrior_ which will assure that you don't still have some problem with the re-joined partition. Only then, boot to OS X, run Boot Camp, create the Windows partition.
Insert your Windows install disk. Restart to the Windows installer when asked by the Boot Camp software. Try this trick as the Mac restarts - Hold the letter C on your keyboard. That will try to force your Mac to boot to a disk in the optical drive (the Win7 installer)

If you don't get any further with that installer CD, you should try booting a different computer to that CD, might not be a good disk...
 
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