Partitioning an external Hard Drive without disturbing existing files.

I would like to partition my lacie external HD and have read that I can do this without disturbing files I have already on there. When I look at the partitions in disk utility it doesn't indicate where these files are so how do I know how much to partition and if I am safe to do this?

That will be true only if you are affecting UNALLOCATED DISK SPACE to a new partition. You wont be able to break an existing partition into pieces while maintaining data integrity.
If you have a chunk of disk that has yet to be partitioned, you can partition off that space as you wish leaving any previously defined partition, it's format and contents alone.

Similar Messages

  • How do I partition my external hard drive without losing data?

    How do I partition my external hard drive without losing the data already on it? I've been using it with Time Machine on my old computer, but want to use it as a regular drag-and-drop type back up on my new computer. Is there any way to basically split the hard drive so I can still access the Time Machine backups on my old computer, but also be able to use it with my new mac? Thanks!

    If you reformat the drive all data is lost.
    The only way to save the data is to copy it somewhere else during the reformat.
    Drag & drop will not backup things correctly.
    I suggest you set up partition for each Mac and then point Time Machine to each of the partition for each of the Macs.

  • How can I partition an external hard drive with data in it? When I select the drive, the partition option is grayed out.

    I am having a problem partitioning an external hard drive with data in it. 
    When I select the partition, everything is grayed out.  I can't add a a partition for some reason.  When I asked this question to other people, they told me to select my partition "io" to do it from there.
    As you can see, I can't seem to partition it form there either.  I ran the Verify Disk utility but the volume came out okay.
    Any ideas as to what the problem would be?
    Thanks!
    Luis

    Select the main hard drive entry (topmost one.) Click on the Partition tab. Shrink the existing partition by grabbing the sizing gadget in the bottom right corner and pushing up until you free up enough space for your second partition. Be sure you do not shrink to less than the space currently occupied by your files. Click on the Add[+] button to create a new partition in the free space. Click on the Apply button and wait until the partitioning is completed.

  • HT201250 Do I need to partition my external hard drive if I'm using Time Machine and other storage?

    I never used Time Machine before.  I was storing select files on my external hard drive as well as using my libraries (IPhoto, ITune, IMovies) directly off of the external hard drive.  That hard drive is giving me problems, so I bought a new one.  I want to set up Time Machine on this one, but I also want to keep my active libraries on it.  Do I need to partition the external hard drive?

    You can partition the new drive, just don't make one of the partitons a TimeMachine drive, save a TM for a entire drive with more space than the boot drive as it saves "states" thus requires more room than most people expect.
    I highly advise one drive to one drive for backups, and not placing too many backup eggs in one vulnerable hardware basket basically.
    Drives are cheap, data is not. Hardware can fail just as often as software, so you need a multiple backup and storage stragedy to protect even against theft and fire.
    Most commonly used backup methods

  • HT201250 What does it mean to "partition" an external hard drive? Is it something that I want to do?

    What does it mean to "partition" the external hard drive?  Is it something I want to do?  How do I save files from another hard drive to the new one?  I have to reformat the old one as it was not set up correctly.  The drive I have is Seagate but not specifically for MAC, so I have to format it.. never have done this before. Don't know the jargon.  I read that Time Machine will back up automatically but I want to take files from the old drive to the new one.  Do I have to take them to the computer first and then to the new drive?  I need more memory on my computer. It's way too cluttered and congested.  HELP!

    Whoa! Slow donw. TRhere's a lot here. I would suggest you buy a good book on computers in general or macs in particular, one is "OSX the missing manual".
    What does it mean to "partition" the external hard drive?
    It means you take one large drive and make it into more than one volume. This means that it might show up as 2,3 or 4 inde[pendenmt drives. Each one could have, for example, a different operating system on it. Its  a good thing to do if you want to use a drive for several purposes
    Is it something I want to do?
    beats me, you didnt way what you're trying to accomplish. Sorta like sking "should i turn left?"  Depends on where you want to go.
    How do I save files from another hard drive to the new one?
    See advice n book above. Copy them in finder. Copy them in unix. Use a backup or sync utility. No different from Windows in that respect.
    I have to reformat the old one as it was not set up correctly.  The drive I have is Seagate but not specifically for MAC, so I have to format it.. never have done this before. Don't know the jargon.
    Hook it up. Run disk utility. Partition 1 or more partions. GUID map.  Format each partition Mac OS extended, Journaled.  for more, read book, above.  Seriously - we could give you more tips, but you really should learn enough to be comnfident.
    I read that Time Machine will back up automatically but I want to take files from the old drive to the new one.  Do I have to take them to the computer first and then to the new drive?
    I have no idea what you are asking.
    I need more memory on my computer. It's way too cluttered and congested.  HELP!
    What kind of memory and why?  RTAM? Hard drive space? Explain. By the time you are done explaining, i suspect you will have ansered your own question.
    Good luck,
    Have you read the PDF manual for your cmputer?
    Have you used a search engine to look for info, for example, in two seconds i got this from google and wikipedia:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_partitioning
    Grant

  • I have an IMAC and I'm running OSX 10.9.2.  I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries to an external hard drive.  In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the externa

    I have an IMAC and I'm running OSX 10.9.2.  I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive.  In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the external library drives.  Is this possible? Can I set up a RAID 5 format for redundancy?

    I'd like to store my Aperture /IMovie Libraries on an external hard drive.
    That is fine and recommended.. use the fastest disk you can afford.. ie Thunderbolt>USB3>FW800>USB2.
    In addition, I'd like to partition the external hard drive so that Time Machine can use it to both back up my IMac and the external library drives.
    Let me be clear.. you want to partition the one disk.. use it for TM and move your files to the external disk.. and then backup to the same disk.. You can do it.. but that is not a backup.. that is an experiment in how long you can get away with running files and backups on the same disk before you lose everything.. like Russian Roulette.. pull the trigger enough times and laws of probability will do you in.
    You must have backups on a different disk .. otherwise it is pointless.
    Can I set up a RAID 5 format for redundancy?
    No.. you can buy special USB and Thunderbolt external drives that support RAID..
    BUT that is still not a backup.. let me show why.. you make a silly move and corrupt your file in aperture.. it is not that rare.
    Raid will corrupt all copies of the files.. it is replicated across all disks.
    Delete a photo it is deleted across all disks.. you have no recovery.
    Alway, always consider RAID system one disk.. backup onto another disk.. and if the photos or movies are at all important to you.. ie your family .. make another copy and store in a relatives house.. There is no such thing as too much redundancy.

  • Partitioning an external hard drive for Mac and PC

    I want to partition an external hard drive (3TB) into 3 even partitions. I want to use one for PC storage, one for Mac storage and the last for Mac backup. Is this possible and how do I do it?

    Drive Partition and Format
    1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
    6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
    7. Re-partition the drive to create the three partitions. The one you wish to use on a PC you should format MSDOS (FAT).
    When you connect the drive to your PC it should have no problem reading the partition set up for a PC. Now while on the PC you may wish to consider reformatting that partition using ExFAT (if supported on your PC.) This format is more compatible with both OS X and NTSF supporting long file names and other FAT filesystem irregularities.

  • Can I move my itunes media folder to an external hard drive without having Itunes managing the media folder

    Hi all....I have spent weeks tidying up my music collection. I moved it all to Itunes media folder. Since I don't like how Itunes manages this folder I manually organised it myself so that albums where together etc. I am wondering if there is a fool proof way to move my media folder to an external hard drive without letting itunes manage and consolidate files as this will reverse all the work I did in organising. Im not sure if Im posting to the right place but fingers crossed:)
    Thanks in advance

    Just one more thing puhlease:) This is the list of things that are in my iTunes folder. Album artwork, Automatically add to iTunes, iTunes media, Mobile apllications, podcasts, previous itunes libraries, voice memos. Then it has files itunes preferences, itunes libary extras, itunes libarry genius, itunes libraary, itunes music library......Is there stuff in there that doesnt need to be there as some are repeated in itunes media folder which contains....automatically add to itunes, books, downloads, home videos, mobile applications, music, podcasts, tones, voice memos and itunes preferences. Any thoughts on deleting some folders??? Thankyou so much for your time on this

  • If I donwload e-books from various e-book retailers and want to back them up on an external hard drive without losing the format, do I need a special hard drive?

    If I download e-books from various e-book retailers and want to back them up on an external hard drive without losing the format, do I need to know anything special?

    I just looked into this as I was moving my iPad to a new computer for synching.  With no thanks to Kobo for any really useful information on their help site (this discussion was the most useful info I found), I think the following may address your issue with respect to Kobo.
    1. There is not easy or official way to back up Kobo books from your iPad.
    2. Kobo keep track of your personal library.  Go to the Kobo website (Kobo.com) and sign in to your account.  On the very top line is "My Library".  That contains (or at least Kobo says it does) everything you have ever bought from Kobo.  Kobo say that you may download any of this content to other devices you own at no charge.
    3. I synched my iPad to the new computer.  According to Apple, that will delete all my data as the apps are re-installed from the new compute.  While all my apps got moved around from the order I previously had (many thanks Apple), all my books are still there together with my bookmarks etc.  Looks like this did nothing to change any Kobo data.
    While I do not like the idea that I cannot create a backup on my main computer, it is probably safer in the long run that there is a backup at Kobo.  After all, I could lose all my equipment in a fire or something, and then personal  backups would be of little use.

  • Is there a way I can use my external hard drive without the files being transferred on to my computer? as like like my iTunes music being on my hard drive without them being copied onto my computers hard drive ?

    is there a way I can use my external hard drive without the files being transferred on to my computer? as like like my iTunes music being on my hard drive without them being copied onto my computers hard drive ? because i dont have that much memory and i wanted my external hard drive to be the source for my music files and not my computer.

    Many users keep their iTunes libraries on external drives. You just have to remember to connect and power up the drive before launching iTunes.
    iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Media folder:
      http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449 

  • How can i reformat my external hard drive without loosing any data?

    how can i reformat my external hard drive without loosing any data?

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    It's impossible to format a hard drive without losing the data. One thing you can do before formatting is to copy the files from the external drive to your internal drive, and then, format the external drive. After formatting, copy the files to the external drive again, and everything will be as before formatting it

  • How can I partition my external hard drive supporting mac OS in one partition and windows OS in another?

    Hello everyone, how can I partition my external hard drive supporting mac OS in one partition and windows OS in another?

    OK. Start with:
    1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to two (2). Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Click on the Erase tab in DU's main window. Select one of the two partitions, preferably the first one, change the Format type: to MSDOS then click on the Erase button.

  • Partition of External Hard Drive

    I am trying to partition an external hard drive into three partitions - one for the time machine backups, one for miscellaneous storage and one for storage of files that I can share with a PC. I was able to partition the drive successfully but all three partitions are in the Mac OS Extended (journaled) format. I understand that I need to change the format of the part I want to share with the PC into FAT but when I click on that drive, I don't have the option. I tried looking under the "erase" tab but the only options are: Mac OS Extended (journaled); Mac OS Extended; Mac OS Extended (case sensitive journaled) and Mac OS Extended (case sensitive). Now, if I look at the entire hard drive (not clicking on one of the partitions), the option is there. I could erase the entire thing using the MS DOS (FAT) option, but I don't want to do that. How can I format only one of the partitions in the MS DOS (FAT) format?

    I think it's because of the drive's Partition Map Scheme. In Disk Utility, select the drive in the left side bar. Look at the bottom of the window, and find Partition Map Scheme. If it is Apple Partition Map, you will not be able to format it as MS-DOS (FAT).
    The way to fix this is to go to the Partition tab. For Volume Scheme, select 3 Partitions (even if it already is 3 partitions). Click on the Options... button. In the window that opens, select either GUID Partition Table or Master Boot Record. GUID Partition Table would be best for use on the Mac, as long as the PC is OK with it (I'm not sure). Now, when you return to the Partition tab, you should be able to select MS-DOS (FAT) for one partition while keeping the others formatted for Mac.

  • Is there any way to connect an iPhone to an external hard drive without the use of a computer?

    Hello All,
    I am planning to travel to Central America, and I want to take pictures with my iPhone. I only have 8 GB memory, so I wanted to take my 1 TB WD Mac External Hard Drive with me on the trip. Is there any way I can connect my iPhone directly to the external hard drive, without the use of a computer? Thanks in advance!

    The external hard drive has only one input port which is usb, so you can only use usb here. Also try considering online storage.

  • Hello, I need help to retrieve deleted information to partition an external hard drive. What should I do?

    Hello, I need help to retrieve deleted information to partition an external hard drive. What should I do?

    I'm not about the question, and giving you the right answer requires me to ask a few more questions.
    Do you want to retrieve deleted information for future usage, or to completely delete a partition? The latter is straightforward: simply erase the partition. The former is more complicated: it's very difficult, even using available commercial software, to recover deleted information. If the data is important, you may want to contact a professional like DriveSavers. It won't be cheap.

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