Resolved Disk Utility won't let me create a new partition

[Patrick946]

I want to split a partition on my external hard drive into two parts. Right now there are two partitions: one for Time Machine and one for storage. I want to end up with three partitions.

In disk utility, I select the hard drive on the left side, choose the partition tab, and then select the partition labeled "Storage." Based on what I've read, I should be able to click on the + button underneath that window, but it is greyed out for me. Am I missing a step?

 

[old-wiz]

In order to do it via Disk Utility you have to erase the parition first, then delete it, then split it. IIRC there might be 3rd party utilities that will do it on the fly, but I'm not sure.

The easiest thing to do is copy the data from storage to elsewhere, erase it, then delete and create new.

 

[Mal]

In order to do it via Disk Utility you have to erase the parition first, then delete it, then split it. IIRC there might be 3rd party utilities that will do it on the fly, but I'm not sure.

The easiest thing to do is copy the data from storage to elsewhere, erase it, then delete and create new.

Actually, Disk Utility is perfectly capable. There's another problem here most likely.

jW

 

[Damo01]

Assuming you're using an external HD for TM and storage with two partitions formatted as HFS+, right?

If you have any free space on that particular partition of that HD you selected, that + option button should be available and not grey out. Although the "greyed out" could mean a numerous of things other than just "free space".


It could mean that you don't have any free space or the Partition you selected isn't of one apple's formats but formatted as windows NTFS or something else.

 

[Patrick946]

Assuming you're using an external HD for TM and storage with two partitions formatted as HFS+, right?

If you have any free space on that particular partition of that HD you selected, that + option button should be available and not grey out. Although the "greyed out" could mean a numerous of things other than just "free space".


It could mean that you don't have any free space or the Partition you selected isn't of one apple's formats but formatted as windows NTFS or something else.

I'm assuming it's HFS+ since I formatted it and created the current partitions with my macbook. I'm not sure what you mean by free space. Do you mean space that isn't part of either partition, or space within the partitions? The one that I'm trying to split in two is about 1/3 full, so there should be enough free space there. I'll take a screenshot after work today and post it here, maybe that will help clear things up.

 

[Patrick946]

It took longer than I had planned, but here's a screenshot of what's going on when I try to partition.

 

[Patrick946]

I don't want to be a pest about this, but can anyone help? Do I need to delete the partition in order to split it?

 

[Morod]

The + button is grayed out as you said, but the Volume Scheme menu looks active. That is where you want to begin. What are your other options there besides Current?

 

[Patrick946]

The + button is grayed out as you said, but the Volume Scheme menu looks active. That is where you want to begin. What are your other options there besides Current?

The reason that I wasn't able to split the partition is because I had originally formatted in Master Boot instead of GUID. I ended up re-formatting the drive to have 3 new partitions in GUID instead of Master Boot. I had to copy everything to another drive and then re-backup time machine and move everything back into the storage partition.