Is it possible to merge two mac partitions

[stevenros]

I have three partitions in my Mac drive.
1. System drive (Main volume) (20 GB)
2. Data drive (10 GB - 4 Gb free space)
3. Data drive2 (10 GB - 2 GB free space)

Now I want to merge Data drive and Data drive2 so that I can use 6 GB of free space all together.

I didn't find any option in Apple's disk utility.
Help please.....

 

[Mal]

You would have to erase Data drive2, then expand Data drive to fill the space. Only possible with Leopard and later, IIRC. I'd say with that small of a drive, it's time for an upgrade, though.

jW

 

[Dwalls90]

I have three partitions in my Mac drive.
1. System drive (Main volume) (20 GB)
2. Data drive (10 GB - 4 Gb free space)
3. Data drive2 (10 GB - 2 GB free space)

Now I want to merge Data drive and Data drive2 so that I can use 6 GB of free space all together.

I didn't find any option in Apple's disk utility.
Help please.....

I would advise transferring the data off of the "Data drive" 1 and 2 using target disk mode and an external HDD or a USB stick, delete the two partitions, and then repartitioning the two partitions as one large partition. Then just transfer the data back to the new partition. There might be an easier way, but this shouldn't take long at all and is guaranteed to work.

 

[stevenros]

partition manager for Mac

You would have to erase Data drive2, then expand Data drive to fill the space. Only possible with Leopard and later, IIRC. I'd say with that small of a drive, it's time for an upgrade, though.

jW

Thanks Mal,

But your solution could delete my data and require an external drive.
I have planned to merge the free spaces (4 GB from Data Drive and 2GB from Data Drive 2) to create a new partition.
My friend has a third party tool for such tasks and today I am going to try that. I hope it will work.

will be back soon....

 

[Mal]

Thanks Mal,

But your solution could delete my data and require an external drive.
I have planned to merge the free spaces (4 GB from Data Drive and 2GB from Data Drive 2) to create a new partition.
My friend has a third party tool for such tasks and today I am going to try that. I hope it will work.

will be back soon....

That's the only way to do it and preserve the data. I don't think your friend's tool will help you out, and I really hope you have the data backed up before you try it, because you're setting yourself up for problems if you don't.

jW