Note: If you are creating a partition of your primary hard drive on Mac, make sure you close all other application. It is not mandatory but recommended for safety reasons. Open Disk Utility app on your Mac. You can either use the Launchpad from Dock or Spotlight search to find it. Now click on the Hard Drive from the left menu and then click on Partition at the top. How to create a partition on your Mac Open Finder from your dock. Select Applications. Source: iMore Scroll down and open the Utilities folder. Double-click to open Disk Utility. Source: iMore Select your hard drive in the Disk Utility window. It will be the first drive on the list.
Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Partitioning the hard drive on your Mac computer will make it possible for you to run multiple operating systems independently without interfering with the smooth operation of the default partition that came with the device. Here is a quick tutorial on how to get it done on your own with Apple's disk utility program.
Overview of Disk Partition
What we mean by partitioning your Mac hard drive is simply to split it into different systems so as to enable two or more operating systems to run concurrently on your device. For example, you can install and a Mac and Windows OS on the device or two Mac OS versions on the same device. You can also create a partition to back up important files or to organize similar files into separate folders. There is quite a lot you can do with new partition creations but let's stick to Mac hard drives since that is what this article is for.
Benefits of making a Partition in a Mac Hard Drive
Like I noted already, a partition makes it technologically possible to run two different versions of MAC OS on your device or a Windows OS on a Mac device. Without a separate partition, running a Windows OS will not be possible since Windows is entirely different software. If you know how to go about initiating a partition, you will have no trouble implementing two different OS on the same device, and in this tutorial, we will show you how it is done.
Things to note before you start
Before you start the process, it is important that you back up the data in your hard drive in case of system errors which may lead to data loss. The easiest way to back up your data is through the use of a backup application. You can also store the backed up data in a separate system if you have another device available for use.
Finally, make sure there is enough space in your hard disk for the other operating system you intend to Install. A disk space of 30GB- 50GB should be enough to complete the process.
How to partition an External Hard Drive on Mac
After you must have backed up vital files and ensured that there is sufficient space in your hard disk, follow these simple steps to partition an external drive on your Mac computer.
1st Step- Click on Partition in your Disk Utility
Open your Disk Utility application to highlight the external drive you are working on. Select the icon found under External to highlight the Partition option.
2nd Step- Allocate volume to each Partition
Once you click Partition, you will see a window on the left with a blue circle. The circle is named after the external drive and it also showcases the drive's size. Click on the + button to raise the number of partitions in the external drive. After you've down this, choose a volume for each of them by clicking the white circle.
At this point, rename the partitions then pick a file system for each of them.
3rd Step- Confirm the process
Hit the Apply button for a pop up to ask for confirmation. Make sure you read the text to be sure the command is in accordance with your instructions. If it is, click 'Partition to move on.
4th Step- Finish the process
To finish the process, you will have to check if the operation is successful from your desktop. A successful partition will show several icons. I prefer to create a partition for personal use and another for data backup. You may choose to use the partition you've created whichever way you deem fit.
How to Partition a Hard Drive or SSD on Mac (With Boot Camp)
You can also partition your Mac or SSD with Boot Camp if you want to run a Windows OS on the device. Boot camp has a handy app called Boot Camp Assistant for partitioning hard drive space so each partition created will run and operate both OS's independently.
Partition Macbook Pro Hard Drive
Conclusion
There is a whole lot one can learn about hard drive partitioning on Mac computers but this summarized tutorial should be enough to guide you should you choose to partition your hard drive. Do note that creating new partitions consumes more space on your hard disk so make sure that you have sufficient space before you do it.
Macbook Partition Hard Drive Windows
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Exterminate it activation key. Most external hard drives are designed to work for Windows computers. So if you’re trying to connect an external hard drive to a Mac, you might have to format the drive before you can use it. Here’s how to do that:
How to Format a Hard Drive for Mac
Note: If you already used your external hard drive on a PC, be sure to back up any files on it. Formatting your drive will wipe out all the data in it.
- Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. Some external hard drives need to be plugged into an outlet to work.
- Go to Spotlight Search, type in Disk Utility, and click the first option. This will open the Disk Utility app, where you will find all the internal and external drives that are connected to your Mac.
- Then click View in the top-left corner of the window and select Show All Devices.
- Click the external hard drive you want to format. You can find this on the left-hand side of the screen under External Hard Drives. For the best result, select the disk (the highest option in the external tree).
- On the top menu, click Erase. This will open a small pop-up window with a warning that erasing the drive will delete all data stored on it and that it can’t be undone.
- Choose a name, format, and scheme for your drive. You can choose whatever name you want, and you should choose GUID Partition Map for the Scheme in most cases. However, you can choose between the following formats:
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the best option for most Mac users since it is compatible with all Macs.
- APFS (Apple File System) is only for newer Macs running macOS 10.13 or later.
- exFAT is compatible with both PC and Mac.
- MS-DOS (FAT) is also compatible with Mac and PC, but you can only transfer files smaller than 4GB.
- When you’re done with providing the setup details, click Erase. This will immediately wipe the entire drive.
If you get an error message that states, “Erase process has failed. Click done tocontinue,” don’t freak out about it. This is an issue caused by Time Machine running on your externaldrive.
You will need to turn off Time Machine. You can do this by opening System Preferences and unchecking the boxnext to “Back Up Automatically”.Then click Options beside “ShowTime Machine in menu bar.” This will open another window. Click Cancel and it will turn off the Time Machine.
After you turn off the Time Machine, redo steps 4 to 6.
How to Partition anExternal Hard Drive on Mac
If you have formattedyour drive, you can then partition the drive, which will splitthe drive into two formats. This is perfect for anyone who uses Macs and PCsand wants to transfer files between the different operating systems with anexternal drive. Here’s how to do that:
- Open Disk Utility and select the drive that you want to partition. It is best to click View > Show All Devices so you can selectthe disk rather than a container.
- In the top menu, select Partition.
- Then click the plus sign at the bottom of the pie chart. Every time you click this plus sign, a new partition will becreated.
- Choose a name, format and size for each partition. You can also change the size of each of the partitions bydragging the white dots at the edge of the circle.
- Finally click Apply.
Why Partition a Hard Drive?
Partitioning an external hard drive allows youto have separate drives for Mac, PC, and any other operating system. Now youdon’t have to go out and buy hard drives for every computer you use.
A partition also gives you a dedicated space foryour Time Machine back-up files or a bootable backup of your operating system.It also helps protect your data if your drive gets infected with malware, as itwould be contained within one of the partitions.
Now that you know how to format an external drive for Mac, check out our blog on the difference between an HDD and an SDD.