Container disc?

[cheddar-caveman]

I've been doing quite a lot of things on my 2018 15" MBP, not the least installing and uninstalling Windows (I ran out of space!) and when checking with Disc Utility I notice there is a second "disc" there called Container Disc of 51Gb.

What is this? If I delete/unmount it, will I add the GB to the main drive or will I have big problems?

 

[Taz Mangus]

I've been doing quite a lot of things on my 2018 15" MBP, not the least installing and uninstalling Windows (I ran out of space!) and when checking with Disc Utility I notice there is a second "disc" there called Container Disc of 51Gb.

What is this? If I delete/unmount it, will I add the GB to the main drive or will I have big problems?

In Disk Utility, click on View->Show All Devices. Post a picture showing the info.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

It seems my HD is split into two??

 

[Taz Mangus]

When you installed Mojave formatted you drive as APFS. APFS uses containers and volumes. Everything looks correct from the picture you posted.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

I have re installed Mojave several times recently after several attempts to install Windows to run a "special" program.

So can I re-install Mojave and change that setting, so I just have the one drive available?

Cheers

 

[Taz Mangus]

I have re installed Mojave several times recently after several attempts to install Windows to run a "special" program.

So can I re-install Mojave and change that setting, so I just have the one drive available?

Cheers

Yes, there is a single drive and you can reinstall Mojave. When Mojave installed it by default creates a container and then creates a single volume where the OS and user data is installed.

 

[LuisN]

It's perfectly normal for a APFS formatted disk. Nothing strange there.

Here's how to partition your Mac's hard drive (or SSD)

Here's how to split your Mac hard drive into multiple partitions or volumes so that you can run more than one OS on your Mac, or divide up your Mac so different users can have their own space. We'll show you how to create a volume in Mojave and High Sierra, how to create a partion on an older...

www.macworld.co.uk

 

[cheddar-caveman]

Thanks Taz, I'll do it soon......

Thanks LuisN, yes I know how to format the HD I just didn't realise there was an option when installing the OS too select the kind of disc you end up with.

 

[cheddar-caveman]

I have now re installed Mojave several times but at no time do I get the option to change the formatting, it always comes out as APFS with the b*^":* "container"!
I don't want my SSD in two parts!!

 

[LuisN]

I have now re installed Mojave several times but at no time do I get the option to change the formatting, it always comes out as APFS with the b*^":* "container"!
I don't want my SSD in two parts!!

That's how it is. Physical disk -> Container(s) -> Volume(s). If you don't want to see it just select "view -> show only volumes" in disk utility.
Your SSD is NOT in 2 parts.
FWIW Mojave does not, officially, install in HFS+ formatted disks. There are ways to do it but you'll no longer be notified of updates to the system.

It's the same with Catalina, see my disk structure:

 

[cheddar-caveman]

I guess I hadn't noticed it before. Thanks