Partitioning External Hard Drive

[FlamesPuck12]

Since my SSD is looking like its dead (http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=116828), I'm looking to partition my external so I can restore my Time Machine on to the partition and swap out the drives.

I've been trying to do it using Disk Util in Mac OS but it's very restrictive in what I'm able to do.

This is what I currently have:


I have 2 partitions and 500 GB of unallocated space. I want to allocate 2 additional partition 200 GB/100 GB and leave 200 GB unused. However, when I try to add a new partition using + button, this is what happens


It won't let me allocate 200 GB in the new partition. If I manually set it to 200, it screws up my existing partition. I tried changing the layout to 4 partitions but this will erase my existing partitions.

One approach I'm currently looking into is using fdisk to partition it (please comment if you do have experience with using fdisk). Other than that, does anyone know any methods I can use to accomplish what I'm trying to do?

[MickMcGeough]

Wait, so adding a 3rd partition forces your 2nd partition to 250GB? Can you not resize the 2nd partition to 200GB first, then add a third?

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Wait, so adding a 3rd partition forces your 2nd partition to 250GB? Can you not resize the 2nd partition to 200GB first, then add a third?

Adding a 3rd partition forces the 3rd partition to use up the remaining space. Resizing the new partition to whatever size forces the existing partition to take up the remaining space.

[sclitheroe]

Stop right now. Seriously, why are you fooling around with partition tables on what I assume is your only good backup source right now?

Go borrow/beg/steal another external drive and use that to restore from, unless your data and/or time isn't worth anything, in which case, have at it I suppose.

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Stop right now. Seriously, why are you fooling around with partition tables on what I assume is your only good backup source right now?

Go borrow/beg/steal another external drive and use that to restore from, unless your data and/or time isn't worth anything, in which case, have at it I suppose.

Well I mean I have to put in a hard drive into my laptop and the external drive is the only hard drive I have.

I might pick up a cheap hard drive and clone my existing data from my external to it. What is the best way of cloning the content of a drive on to a new one?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

I might pick up a cheap hard drive and clone my existing data from my external to it. What is the best way of cloning the content of a drive on to a new one?

Make a disc image with the disk utility.

I'll second the advice of making a backup before playing around with this. I'm pretty sure you have to re-format the whole works to change the size of the partition you're trying to change.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

Adding a 3rd partition forces the 3rd partition to use up the remaining space. Resizing the new partition to whatever size forces the existing partition to take up the remaining space.

Yeah, sorry, I didn't understand that you wanted 4 partitions and a bunch of unpartitioned space.

[FlamesPuck12]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Make a disc image with the disk utility.

I'll second the advice of making a backup before playing around with this. I'm pretty sure you have to re-format the whole works to change the size of the partition you're trying to change.

Can the disk image do a full restore? If I created an image, messed with the partition and erased the data on it, and created a new partition and restore the disk image, will it give me all the data back on that partition?

[DownhillGoat]

Not sure if it will restore system files, etc. I've only used it for my saved data (pics, music, etc). I would think you would lose your system settings, installed programs, etc.