MacOS – Can’t boot to Mac OS volume after Bootcamp Windows install

Presumably Windows messed up with your OS X boot code. You have to rebuild this code. Since OS X tools can not handle a false flagged partition you have to set the correct partition flag and afterwards rebuild the boot code using OS X Disk Utility.

Since you can't boot from the now unaccessible recovery partition you have to have Linux-tools and a second Mac (accessing your messed up hard disk via target mode 2nd stage) or a OS X install DVD/USB-key by the hand.

Let's go:

Download the latest gParted iso file here: gParted

Burn the iso to a CD or transfer it using the tool of your choice to a USB drive. For help to create a gParted Live-USB look here: Live-USB

Boot your Mac using gParted-Linux.

Go to the gParted-tool. (First window will be opened automagically on the desk.) Select the (probably your first) HFS+ partition and do the right click. Be aware, this is not the first 200 MB EFI-partition!!!

Now edit the partition info.

• Tick the square for the msft-type.

• Remove the mark. Do not mark any of the available marks.

• Write out the changes.

Leave the tool and reboot into a OS X-Install-DVD or prepared OS X install-USB-key (or as forementioned connect your dead Mac-HDD to the other Mac via Firewire or TB now accessing the disk in target mode)

Open OS X Disk Utility.

• Tick on the Apple HDD, let Disk Utility repair the partition layout.

• Check the OS X-partition too and reboot into your OS X again.

Hold the alt-key and choose the OS X boot volume. Be happy.

for background stuff from the sources please check search for:

1. Apple tech notes
2. steelpangolin

or search for "apple tech notes tn2166" or "steelpangolin invalid-bs_jmpboot-in-boot-block-000000/"

Update:

1. this is for hdd that has NO hybrid partition only, sorry otherwise this is not for you
2. please be prepared prior to any further coming desaster

so

• make a bootable copy of the stock or newly installed OSX (minimum space required ca. 10GB) to an external drive

or

• create a bootable setup-stick of the setup-image (contained in any OSX Install.app) This will speed up the recovery and makes you more independent from huge downloads esp. over slow lines.

I attach answer here as you guys suggested.

SOLVED - Bootcamp Windows 7 installation without USB, ODD

OK, I'll explain how I worked it. I followed almost of all of David's method here and here, but there are little differences.

Before we start, please note that I'm using MacPro4,1 which does not support USB installation of boot camp and I detached ODD. Instead, I attached another HDD in Bay 2.

1. You need rEFInd, VirtualBox, NTFS support for OS X (like Paragon or NTFS-3G), a bootable Windows installation ISO. Service Pack applied ISO is also ok.
2. Update Mac firmware as recent one as possible. here
3. Open Boot Camp Assistant and download driver files into any usb. (Just 2nd option of 3 of boot camp. if your boot camp assistant does not have 3 options, it would be 1st option)
4. install NTFS support for OS X, rEFInd and VirtualBox.
5. Format a partition with MS-DOS(FAT) which is going to install Windows.
   • I recommend you not to use Boot Camp Assistant app to format. Use Disk Utility instead.
6. In terminal, type diskutil list and remember disk and partition number of target partition. In this example, I use disk 1 and partition 1. So, disk1s1

7. Unmount partition and set permission.

   diskutil unmount /dev/disk1s1
   
   sudo chmod 777 /dev/disk1s1
   

8. Create VirtualBox image with raw disk access. anywhere except bootcamp partition

   sudo vboxmanage internalcommands createrawvmdk -filename bootcamp.vmdk -rawdisk /dev/disk1 -partitions 1
   
   sudo chown $USER bootcamp*.vmdk
   

9. Open VirtualBox and create a VM. Just set disk as what you already made, and ISO file of windows installation.
10. Start VM and install as normally, BUT when you get in 'setting computer name' phase, shutdown VM forcibly.

11. Turn off VirtualBox, and delete all files in the boot camp partition (including BOOT folder and bootmgr file - If you can not find them in Finder, use terminal to delete them or change Finder option with defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES)

    Of course, Before open finder, mount partition first. (If you didn't installed NTFS support, you can't mount or delete file)

    diskutil mount /dev/disk1s1
    

12. double click windows ISO and copy all of the item into boot camp partition
13. Reboot Mac and in rEFInd bootloader, select 'Windows NTFS volume'
14. Install windows again, but DO NOT format boot camp partition.
15. Installation is finished. When you see desktop, install Boot Camp Driver which you downloaded at Step 3
16. After boot camp driver is installed & if you can see 'Windows' on OS X boot loader (which you can enter by pressing alt/option), you don't need rEFInd anymore. You can delete it in OS X.
17. You will see bootup selection between 'Windows 7' and 'Windows Setup' when booting Windows. If you don't want to see it, Go to Control Panel - System - Advanced Settings - Advanced tab - Click Setting button which lies on 'Startup and Restore' section - Uncheck first one.