Resolved Help! Disk Utility doesn't won't resize a partition on the external drive :S

[NazgulRR]

Situation:
So I have a 1TB external drive with these 3 partitions:
- partition1 (253GB) (if it matters, this one is a bootable clone of my MBP drive made by CCC)
- partition2 (496GB)
- partition3 (249GB)

Aim:
Downsize partition3 to 179GB
and then
Upsize partition1 to 321GB

Problem:
I managed to resize partition3, but partition1 just won't go up to 320GB . If I put "320" in the Size field and partition the drive, Disk Utility just verifies, unmounts and remounts without any change in size :S. FYI, there is more than enough of unpartitioned space left on the drive. (You can do the math yourself).

So..why doesn't Disk Utility resize the desired partition?

Screenshot of the external drive in the Disk Utility:

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Because partition 2 is in the way, and partitions need to be continuous.

 

[NazgulRR]

Oh, I was afraid it would be that :/.

What if I delete Partition1 and make a new partition with the size of 321GB at then end of the drive? Would that work? Would it be bootable then even though it is at the end of the drive?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Oh, I was afraid it would be that :/.

What if I delete Partition1 and make a new partition with the size of 321GB at then end of the drive? Would that work? Would it be bootable then even though it is at the end of the drive?

It will not work, as partition 2 is still in the way.
You have to copy everything off the drive, the repartition it as you want, during which everything gets deleted, then copy it back.
To have a bootable partition, it doesn't matter where the partition is, it just needs to be HFS+ formatted on a GUID partitioned HDD (like yours is).

 

[NazgulRR]

Oh, so the unpartitioned space does not accumulate at the end of the drive? Damn, I have nowhere to backup the middle 500GB partition .
Is there maybe any 3rd party software that would allow me to partition the drive as I wish without losing any data (or at least without losing any data on the middle partition)?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Oh, so the unpartitioned space does not accumulate at the end of the drive? Damn, I have nowhere to backup the middle 500GB partition .
Is there maybe any 3rd party software that would allow me to partition the drive as I wish without losing any data (or at least without losing any data on the middle partition)?

Maybe: http://www.prosofteng.com/products/drive_genius_features.php

 

[Jolly Jimmy]

Risky business performing that kind of partitioning without a backup for if something goes wrong.

 

[NazgulRR]

Yeah, decided to just live with the way I have it now.