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Understanding formatting/partitioning/OSX install

Julien

Julien

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
11,875
5,455
Atlanta
New to Mac. Bought a Mac Pro today and installed 2-1TB HD's. When I started the install there where no drives listed as a place to instal the OSX. Used the Disc Utility but could not find a way to format. I then made 1 partition and gave it the name "Boot Drive". Did the same for the 2ed HD and named it "Time Machine". Then they both showed up as a choice to install the OSX to (which I did on Boot Drive"). Thy both also appear on my Desktop. Is this the correct procedure for installing new HD's?

Also I noticed that Disc Utility offers RAID support. Could I go back and install 2 more 1TB HD and then make RAID 0 for a 2TB "Boot Drive" and 2TB "Time Machine" without install a RAID card?
 
Julien said:
New to Mac. Bought a Mac Pro today and installed 2-1TB HD's. When I started the install there where no drives listed as a place to instal the OSX. Used the Disc Utility but could not find a way to format. I then made 1 partition and gave it the name "Boot Drive". Did the same for the 2ed HD and named it "Time Machine". Then they both showed up as a choice to install the OSX to (which I did on Boot Drive"). Thy both also appear on my Desktop. Is this the correct procedure for installing new HD's?
Click to expand...

The "format" option is entitled "Erase..." in Disk Utility.

Perhaps that is the source of confusion?
 
Julien said:
New to Mac. Bought a Mac Pro today and installed 2-1TB HD's. When I started the install there where no drives listed as a place to instal the OSX. Used the Disc Utility but could not find a way to format. I then made 1 partition and gave it the name "Boot Drive". Did the same for the 2ed HD and named it "Time Machine". Then they both showed up as a choice to install the OSX to (which I did on Boot Drive"). Thy both also appear on my Desktop. Is this the correct procedure for installing new HD's?

Also I noticed that Disc Utility offers RAID support. Could I go back and install 2 more 1TB HD and then make RAID 0 for a 2TB "Boot Drive" and 2TB "Time Machine" without install a RAID card?
Click to expand...
In answer to your second question: Yes, you can - but remember that what you are creating is called "software RAID", and has some limitations compared to using a RAID card to create hardware RAID.

That said, using software RAID it is possible to make RAID arrays of things you can't normally make RAID arrays of, such as a collection of same-size USB thumb drives.
 
Infrared said:
The "format" option is entitled "Erase..." in Disk Utility.

Perhaps that is the source of confusion?
Click to expand...

Did I mess up by using a single partition to "format" the HD. I probably lost a few MB's of space. Is there a way to see the whole HD to see the amount I may be missing?
wrldwzrd89 said:
In answer to your second question: Yes, you can - but remember that what you are creating is called "software RAID", and has some limitations compared to using a RAID card to create hardware RAID.

That said, using software RAID it is possible to make RAID arrays of things you can't normally make RAID arrays of, such as a collection of same-size USB thumb drives.
Click to expand...

What are the limitations I would be facing? Wouldn't using 2 HDs to make a RAID 0 (and doing the same for a TM HD) be a good option?
 
Julien said:
Did I mess up by using a single partition to "format" the HD. I probably lost a few MB's of space. Is there a way to see the whole HD to see the amount I may be missing?


What are the limitations I would be facing? Wouldn't using 2 HDs to make a RAID 0 (and doing the same for a TM HD) be a good option?
Click to expand...
You might not be able to make your boot drive into a software RAID configuration, for example. However, for Time Machine this is certainly doable.
 
wrldwzrd89 said:
You might not be able to make your boot drive into a software RAID configuration, for example. However, for Time Machine this is certainly doable.
Click to expand...

Talked with tech support and they said you could make a RAID 0 software HD as you boot drive. Has anyone done this before I spend the money on 2 more HDs?
 
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