Disk Utility - Partitioning an external HD

[Eluzion]

So I have an external HD that is currently one big partition (FAT32).

I want to split it up into two partitions, one FAT32 and one Mac OS Extended. However, I have a lot of data on it now that I don't want to lose. Can I use Disk Utility to split the drive into two, creating a second Mac OS Extended partition without losing any data? Will it just resize the FAT32 partition and create a new Mac OS Extended partition, or does it format the entire drive then create the partitions?

Thanks!

 

[Eidorian]

Disk Utility will destroy the current partition.

 

[Eluzion]

That's what I figured. Thanks.

 

[ChrisA]

So I have an external HD that is currently one big partition (FAT32).

I want to split it up into two partitions, one FAT32 and one Mac OS Extended. However, I have a lot of data on it now that I don't want to lose. Can I use Disk Utility to split the drive into two, creating a second Mac OS Extended partition without losing any data? Will it just resize the FAT32 partition and create a new Mac OS Extended partition, or does it format the entire drive then create the partitions?

Thanks!

"parted" can resize FAT32 partitions. Use it to shrink the current FAT32 and to add an HFS+. read more about it hare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Parted
The above page has links to other parttition editors