Mac Hard Drive Partition Question

[Enigmafan420]

I just purchased a 500 GB mini-stack for my Mac Mini-I have partitioned it into roughly 410 MB and 50 MB (They never add up to the advertisied size).

Anyway, I would like to partition the 50 MB for use with Windows XP and Bootcamp, but I do not see this option using the Disk Utility. Does anyone know if this possible?

Jack

 

[mad jew]

Sorry mate, but you can't install Boot Camp on external drives at this stage.

 

[munson]

I don't even think you can run XP from an external drive anyway.

 

[Enigmafan420]

I don't even think you can run XP from an external drive anyway.

I am NOT trying to RUN bootcamp from the external-it is already on the internal-but I need more XP storage space, so I want to use the partition as a 2nd windows hard drive.

Is it possible to format the parition as FAT 32? And if yes, how? That is all I'm really asking.

Thanks!

 

[Cave Man]

Yes, you can initialize it (and I presume you mean 50 gb, not 50 mb) with Disk Utility. Click on its partition, then choose to erase and use FAT32. But doesn't FAT32 have a 32 gb limit?

 

[JNB]

Simple (but note the note):

 

[Enigmafan420]

Yes, you can initialize it (and I presume you mean 50 gb, not 50 mb) with Disk Utility. Click on its partition, then choose to erase and use FAT32. But doesn't FAT32 have a 32 gb limit?

Yeah I thought about that and reduced the size to 30 gb-thanks I will try it and report back

 

[Enigmafan420]

Simple (but note the note):

Done this-but the only partition options are MAC OS X partitions, FAT 32 is not a choice

 

[cube]

Note the partition table format is MBR in the screenshot.

 

[Enigmafan420]

Ok I am simple-I didn't see the ERASE part-did that and now FAT is a choice-thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Enigmafan420]

I AM a DORK

Okay-FAT is only a choice if I erase THE WHOLE HARD DRIVE-I need to keep the OS-X partition in tact-I am sorry, I am totally a Mac n00b-I was stuck for too many years behind opaque windows...

 

[Cave Man]

That's because you want do it at the volume level, not the drive level. The picture in John's image above is for drive level. Look at the attached screen shot.

 

[Cave Man]

Note the partition table format is MBR in the screenshot.

Partition table is at the drive level, not volume level. Only one partition table can be selected for a given drive. If the drive is on GUID, then the only Windows volume that can be initialized is FAT32. You cannot initialize an NTFS volume under either APM or GUID.

 

[Enigmafan420]

That's because you want do it at the volume level, not the drive level. The picture in John's image above is for drive level. Look at the attached screen shot.

Yep-did it that way, and I have the first FOUR choices in your screen shot-no choice for FAT 32 though?!?

Do I need to do something special when I originally partition the drive in order to get it "set-up" for a FAT partition?

 

[Cave Man]

OK, in Disk Utility, click on the drive (as in John's screen shot above) and tell us what the Partition Map Scheme is (located at the very bottom of Disk Utility).

 

[cube]

That's what I'm saying. He has to erase the whole disk to MS-DOS first.

 

[Enigmafan420]

OK, in Disk Utility, click on the drive (as in John's screen shot above) and tell us what the Partition Map Scheme is (located at the very bottom of Disk Utility).

It says Apple Partition Map

 

[Cave Man]

That's a bummer. You have to reinitialize the hard drive at the drive level. When you do, click on the drive as in John's screen shot, then the Partition tab will become visible. Next, click on Options and set the partition table to GUID. Set the number of partitions to 2 from the pull-down menu, then click inside one of the boxes and set its size to 32 gb. While still in this box, set it to FAT32. Go to the other box (with the remaining drive space) and choose OSX Extended for the Mac side, then initialize the drive.

I don't know why, but Disk Utility always defaults to APM on new external drives, even if you're using an Intel-based Mac. Apple should fix that.

 

[Enigmafan420]

That's a bummer. You have to reinitialize the hard drive at the drive level. When you do, click on the drive as in John's screen shot, then the Partition tab will become visible. Next, click on Options and set the partition table to GUID. Set the number of partitions to 2 from the pull-down menu, then click inside one of the boxes and set its size to 32 gb. While still in this box, set it to FAT32. Go to the other box (with the remaining drive space) and choose OSX Extended for the Mac side, then initialize the drive.

I don't know why, but Disk Utility always defaults to APM on new external drives, even if you're using an Intel-based Mac. Apple should fix that.

That did the trick-thank you VERY MUCH!! From a MAC n00b