Partitioning help

[ashes1991]

Hey, I have been posting on a couple of forums my problem that I am having with bootcamp. When bootcamp starts partitioning the HDD after a minute or so, this pops up:

"The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved. Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again."

I have been told to make a bootable clone of my mac onto an external, and erase using disk utility. I have backed up using time machine, am not sure but understand that this is not a bootable clone. So I have downloaded "superduper" to create a bootable clone, I have not backed up yet as I intend to do this overnight. Once the clone has completed on my external, do I erase using disk utility? From doing this will I loose all my information on my HDD, including the OS and the applications, or does it just take off everything that isn't apple software (i.e. after the erase will my mac be set up like the first time I get it?

And finally do I go back to the disk utility and using the restore open up that image and does it install everything from there? And finally will bootcamp work from there?

Thanks for any help and advice or alternative solutions.

Ash

 

[djackmac]

You don't need to image your drive if you have a time machine backup. Just restore from the Time Machine backup and that should be fine. Just boot to your install DVD, reformat your internal HD. Then you have the option of using the restore utility to restore everything from time machine. Or else you can load a clean system, then migrate your applications, user data, and whatever other files from time machine.