If you’ve installed Windows via Boot Camp, and now want to delete it and restore the space to your main Mac hard drive, this brief tutorial will guide you through the steps to do just that.
It’s actually quite easy to remove the Windows drive and reclaim all the hard drive space, the only “problem” is that Apple doesn’t make it a particularly clear process.
NOTE: by deleting your Windows Boot Camp partition, you will of course be deleting all of the data on that partition. Make sure to back up anything on your “Windows drive” before you proceed. Your macOS partition will not be erased and you won’t lose any data from it.
If for any reason the following steps don’t work, there’s a link at the end of this tutorial that will take you step by step through deleting any partition on your Mac, and restoring the space to your primary one.
- Launch the Boot Camp Assistant by going to your Applications -> Utilities -> Boot Camp Assistant.
- Click Continue on the initial Boot Camp Assistant Introduction window.
- Select Remove Windows 10 or later version and then click Continue
- Click the Restore button to delete the Windows Boot Camp partition and restore the disk to a single-partition macOS volume.
- You’ll be prompted to enter your password – do so and then click OK.
- That’s it – Windows is gone. Click the Quit button.
If for any reason this method didn’t work, see the tutorial titled How to Properly Delete a Partition in macOS (which involves rebooting) but will delete any partition and restore it to the primary.
yay!
Wonderfully simple!
finally!
you deserve a nobel peace prize or something
Thanks! It worked like a charm and it was super quick and easy.
I agree, this was so simple and so quick! Thank you!
This was so simple and so quick! Thank you!
Amazing!!! Thank you a looooot!!! Super quick and worked instantly. :D
Worked like a charm. Less than a minute!!! Did not expect that.
Thanks.. it worked!!
Thank you! Excellent and simple instructions.
Thanks for this!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for posting this! Just took me about 30-45 seconds and bam! windows is gone!
That was SO SIMPLE!! So. Beyond. Simple. Massive thanks!!!
Thanks for the clear concise post. Made it a breeze…
Thank you! Worked perfectly!
Thanks, very clear instruction to cleat Bootcamp which was just a space taking junk.
EXCELLENT!!! I do not know why I ever installed windows on my mac! What a waste of time that was! So glad windows is finally off! Thanks!
Do you have to delete Windows 7 operating system before you remove the windows partition? Or will that be part of all that is removed?
Thank you for your assistance. Got rid of the windows junk and got a clean mac disc in return. Great tutorial.
Great Great Great I got rid of that and got my space back. Thanks a million
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!! GREAT DIRECTIONS = SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW
it work perfectly!!!! thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Ross, I have a problem. As smart as I am, I’ve followed this tutorial, but forgot to uncheck to automatically boot into Mac. Therefore, I am stuck, while holding down the command key during the booting process, because there is a code to fill in, which I have never used!(because I never used the windows part of my Mac). But if i don’t hold the command button, it gives me a grey folder in the booting background with an interrogation mark on it. So, if you may please, would you kindly send a solution to this problem? Thank you very much!
After scratching my head for a while I came across your help and bingo, I am back in business. I had to remove win 7 from my Mac because I have it now on a new Toshiba.
Thanks a million for your help.
Cheers
Herb
FANTASTIC! Thanks for such a simple and easy set of directions.
nice little tutorial (: saved me a little bit of time! thanks man!
(Moving to VMware Fusion 3.1!)
Great Instructions! It worked!
What a great, simple, and to follow tutorial – Thank you Ross!