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Formatting an external HDD after-the-fact

  • 16-05-2008 2:44pm
    #1
    cornbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭


    I've been using Time Machine for my backups, its very handy but I don't like the way its creeping towards filling my 750GB HDD very fast. I probably should have done this before, but I'm wondering whether it would be safe to partition the drive now? Leaving say 400GB for my backups and the rest as a FAT partition to store movies and other bits and pieces.

    The Disc Utility documentation says I can repartition my drive without losing data but its a bit vague as to how... and I'd rather not take any risks as my HDD is over 70% full at this stage. Anyone got any tips on how to safely proceed?


Comments

  • #2
    feileacan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 198 ✭✭feileacan


    gonna state the obvious but buy an external hard drive - there dirt cheap just now and great for backups.


  • #3
    cornbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    feileacan wrote: »
    gonna state the obvious but buy an external hard drive - there dirt cheap just now and great for backups.

    It is an external HDD, maybe I should have been clearer :)


  • #4
    WUSBDesign
    Closed Accounts Posts: 549 ✭✭✭WUSBDesign


    Don't think you can do that with Disk Utility with a single volume partitioned from a single disk. With two or more volumes, it is called enlarging - this information is clear in Disk Utility.

    "Specialist" software for MacOS does this - I've found several with google. iPartition is one such candidate. They're not free though.

    Or does anyone have such a software which s/he can use to do this re-partitioning on your HDD?

    Another external HDD is the last resort - as a temporary storage while you re-partition the 750GB HDD.


  • #5
    cornbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    I've figured out how to non-destructively repartition with Disk Utility so I'm in the middle of doing that now. Thanks for all the help :)


  • #6
    swingking
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,258 ✭✭✭swingking


    how did you do that as a matter of interest


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  • #7
    cornbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    swingking wrote: »
    how did you do that as a matter of interest

    If you highlight the disk in Disk Utility and switch to the Partition tab, it'll allow you to nondestructively create new partitions, given enough free space, and resize (enlarge or shrink) any existing volumes/partitions.

    I managed to repartition the disk ok but now each time I try to resize the partitions my machine gets a kernel panic. I then need to Repair the disk in Disk Utility :(

    Any ideas what might be going on here?

    EDIT: looks like the same problem that is described here and I just need to defrag the drive somehow... http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=432939


  • #8
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,693 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    I didn't know you could non-destructively repartition. Must have been added to Disk Utility in Leopard. I remember it being a rumoured feature though since Bootcamp could do it.

    I think I'd still be too afraid to use it though. :D

    SP


  • #9
    cornbb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    I didn't know you could non-destructively repartition. Must have been added to Disk Utility in Leopard. I remember it being a rumoured feature though since Bootcamp could do it.

    I think I'd still be too afraid to use it though. :D

    SP

    True, its always been a risky business, even in well-established products like Partition Magic. I'm willing to chance it though, I'm a bit foolhardy like that :D


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