Author Topic: Patitioning Assistance? (Read 2836 times)

Parker · « **on:** December 10, 2006, 04:18:27 PM »

I have my external USB 2.0 hard drive
and i open disk utility because it's a 250gb and only 120gb mounts
and i find i have over half of the drive as unpartitioned free space.

i called apple and they said the only way to make the free space useful is by getting a third party application
beause disk utility will just wipe both partitions
and i can't have that happen
considering that one of the partitions has EXTREMELY VITAL information
from a computer that i cloned because i had to reformat the hard drive
(Yes, this EXTREMELY VITAL information is a bunch of word docs for school that are also on my iDisk, photos, videos, and music)

Anyone have the Free solution?
(Because if it's Free, it's for me!

-Parker

kps · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2006, 06:39:40 PM »

So backup the vital information, wipe / repartition the external....done.

I wouldn't trust a third party or any utility period, to format and mount that free space if I had such vital data on that drive.

Backup, backup, backup...then mess around.

Parker · « **Reply #2 on:** December 10, 2006, 07:25:07 PM »

actually... yea
i could reclone it to the computer
find a third party app to try and format the free space
(still looking for suggestions)

that's one thing i must give bill gates credit for
is the ability to partition in Windows
and save the existing data

10000 photos and 8000 itunes songs are vital information

D76 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 10, 2006, 08:25:55 PM »

There's this, but it costs 60 bucks.

I ran a search for mac OR macintosh AND dynamic partitioning. Maybe there's other stuff that's cheaper.

MamaMoose · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2006, 01:55:33 AM »

Parker,

Be very cautious about using ANY dynamic partitioning scheme. I find that none of those I know about can guarntee a "safe" partitioning. I am puzzled. If the disk has half its space in a partition, doesn't the other half of the so-called free space also a partityion? If so can't you use that second partition?

On the other hand, if you have space on your main internal drives, you could as was suggested above, dump your critical data into the internal drive and then erase and repartition your external drive.

MamaMoose

kbeartx · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2006, 02:52:14 AM »

QUOTE(Parker @ Dec 10 2006, 07:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that's one thing i must give bill gates credit for is the ability to partition in Windows
and save the existing data

I seriously doubt that Mister Gates had anything to do w/ this functionality...

And it's not even built-in to Windoze, is it?

Isn't it a 3rd-party utility that gives Windblows this facility?

Parker · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2006, 09:36:42 PM »

no it's built-in
i'll take a screenshot when i get a chance

Gregg · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2006, 07:38:16 AM »

Looking at the topic, I thought this was about Iraq.

Texas Mac Man · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2006, 10:26:29 AM »

Some older Macs can only "see" a maximum of 128GB on a HD (probably about 120GB useful). Not sure if this applies to external HDs.

How Big a Hard Drive Can I Put in My iMac, eMac, or Power Mac?

What Macs natively support large IDE drives? (over 128GB formatted)

krissel · « **Reply #9 on:** December 13, 2006, 06:18:55 AM »

Drive Genius can do this and offers a free demo but I don't know how crippled it may be. Full app is $59 at OWC.

http://www.prosofteng.com/products/drive_genius_info.php

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Prosoft%20Engineering/36100/

News:

Author Topic: Patitioning Assistance? (Read 2836 times)

MamaMoose