Back up disk partitions

[AppleFan22]

I've got an external HDD, which has always been used for backups, and I recently cleared the OS X Mavericks backup partition (it had two, one for Mavericks, just in case, and one for Yosemite).

Using Disk Utility, I've tried clearing this partition, by selecting it and clicking the little minus button, which has erased it, but left the 300 GB or so that it was as free space. I want to merge it into the Yosemite partition, but I can't see how. Any ideas?

 

[Weaselboy]

It sounds like the Yosemite partition is on the bottom and the now free space it up top in Disk Utility?

You will need to add the top one back then move the Yosemite data form the bottom to the top. Then you can remove the bottom and expand the top one into the empty space at the bottom.

To move the data (after you added the top in again) go to the restore tab in Disk Utility and drag the Yosemite partition into the source filed and the top partition name into the destination field then click restore to clone the data over.

 

[AppleFan22]

It sounds like the Yosemite partition is on the bottom and the now free space it up top in Disk Utility?

You will need to add the top one back then move the Yosemite data form the bottom to the top. Then you can remove the bottom and expand the top one into the empty space at the bottom.

To move the data (after you added the top in again) go to the restore tab in Disk Utility and drag the Yosemite partition into the source filed and the top partition name into the destination field then click restore to clone the data over.

Dude, it seems like it's working! Thank you so much!

 

[AppleFan22]

It sounds like the Yosemite partition is on the bottom and the now free space it up top in Disk Utility?

You will need to add the top one back then move the Yosemite data form the bottom to the top. Then you can remove the bottom and expand the top one into the empty space at the bottom.

To move the data (after you added the top in again) go to the restore tab in Disk Utility and drag the Yosemite partition into the source filed and the top partition name into the destination field then click restore to clone the data over.

It worked, thanks man! I appreciate it!

 

[poiihy]

It sounds like the Yosemite partition is on the bottom and the now free space it up top in Disk Utility?

You will need to add the top one back then move the Yosemite data form the bottom to the top. Then you can remove the bottom and expand the top one into the empty space at the bottom.

To move the data (after you added the top in again) go to the restore tab in Disk Utility and drag the Yosemite partition into the source filed and the top partition name into the destination field then click restore to clone the data over.

Why is this, I don't understand?

 

[Weaselboy]

Why is this, I don't understand?

Take a look at this and it shows how you resize. You can only resize down and not up (if that makes sense).

 

[poiihy]

Take a look at this and it shows how you resize. You can only resize down and not up (if that makes sense).

I know what you are talking about, I've noticed this myself, but I don't understand why. Why does it work like that? It doesn't make sense. You expand partition, you shrink partition. Why isn't it always like this? Why can't you resize upward too?

 

[Weaselboy]

I know what you are talking about, I've noticed this myself, but I don't understand why. Why does it work like that? It doesn't make sense. You expand partition, you shrink partition. Why isn't it always like this? Why can't you resize upward too?

I don't know the technical reasons behind it.

 

[maflynn]

I know what you are talking about, I've noticed this myself, but I don't understand why. Why does it work like that? It doesn't make sense. You expand partition, you shrink partition. Why isn't it always like this? Why can't you resize upward too?

The only reason why I've come up with, is that the developers didn't feel comfortable about moving all that data. If the free space is in the right place then its a lot easier to adjust the partition size. If the data is spread out across the disk and the app is moving it around, the risk of corruption increases. Perhaps they didn't want to take a chance.