How To Partition A Hard Drive Mac Without Losing Data

Partition a concrete disk in Deejay Utility on Mac

Sectionalisation a disk divides it into private sections known equally containers.

Nevertheless, with APFS, you lot shouldn't partition your deejay in most cases. Instead, create multiple APFS volumes within a unmarried partition. With the flexible space management provided by APFS, you tin can even install another version of macOS on an APFS book.

Of import: If you're partitioning your internal concrete disk because y'all want to install Windows, apply Boot Camp Assistant instead. Practice non use Disk Utility to remove a partition that was created using Boot Camp Assistant. Instead, use Boot Military camp Assistant to remove the partition from your Mac.

Open up Boot Campsite Assistant for me

Open up Disk Utility for me

Add together a partition

Important: As a precaution, it'due south best to support your data earlier creating new partitions on your device.

In the Disk Utility app on your Mac, select a volume in the sidebar, then click the Partition push in the toolbar.

If Deejay Utility isn't open, click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, type Disk Utility in the Search field, so click the Disk Utility icon .

If y'all take multiple storage devices connected to your Mac, brand sure you lot select a book that's on the device you desire to partition.

When you select a volume that already has data on it, the pie chart shows a shaded area representing the amount of data on the volume and an unshaded area representing the amount of gratuitous space available for another volume. Disk Utility also shows whether the volume tin be removed or resized.

Note: If you lot see a small volume with an asterisk, the partition is smaller than can exist represented at the correct scale in the chart.
Click the Add button below the pie chart.
Read the information in the dialog that appears, then click Add Partition.

Note: If you click Add Book instead, you can click the Add button to create an additional APFS volume in the container, or click Cancel to return to the Disk Utility window without making any changes to the storage device.
Blazon a name for the book in the Proper name field.

For MS-DOS (FAT) and ExFAT volumes, the maximum length for the volume proper name is 11 characters.
Click the Format popular-upwards menu, and so choose a file system format.
Enter the size or elevate the resize control to increase or decrease the size of the book.
Click Utilise.
Read the information in the Partitioning Device dialog, then click Partition.
If a dialog appears that indicates it will accept a long fourth dimension to resize the startup volume, read the data in the dialog, then do one of the post-obit:
- If you want to proceed with segmentation the disk, click Continue.
- If you don't want to go along with sectionalization the disk, click Cancel.
After the operation finishes, click Done.

After you partition a storage device, an icon for each book appears in both the Disk Utility sidebar and the Finder sidebar.

Delete a partitioning

WARNING: When you delete a partition, all the data on information technology is erased. Exist sure to support your data before you begin.

In the Deejay Utility app on your Mac, select a book in the sidebar, so click the Partitioning button in the toolbar.

If Disk Utility isn't open up, click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, type Deejay Utility in the Search field, then click the Disk Utility icon .
In the Apple File Arrangement Space Sharing dialog, click Partitioning.
In the pie chart, click the segmentation you want to delete, then click the Delete push button .

If the Delete push button is dimmed, yous tin't delete the selected partition.
Click Utilize.
Read the information in the Partition Device dialog, so click Partition.
Afterwards the operation finishes, click Done.

Erase a partition

In the Deejay Utility app on your Mac, cull View > Testify All Devices, then select the container you want to erase in the sidebar.

If Disk Utility isn't open, click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, blazon Deejay Utility in the Search field, and so click the Disk Utility icon .
Click the Erase button in the toolbar.

If the Erase push is dimmed, y'all can't erase the selected container.
Blazon a name for the volume in the Name field.
Click the Format pop-up card, then choose a file system format.
Afterward the performance finishes, click Done.

Enlarge a partition on a storage device

If you have multiple partitions on a device and one of them is running out of space, you lot may be able to enlarge information technology without losing any of the files on it.

To enlarge a volume, yous must delete the book that comes subsequently it on the device, and then move the cease bespeak of the book you desire to enlarge into the freed space. You can't enlarge the terminal volume on a device.

Alert: When you delete a volume or division, all the data on it is erased. Exist certain to back upward your information before you begin.

In the Deejay Utility app on your Mac, select a book in the sidebar, and then click the Partition button .

If Disk Utility isn't open, click the Launchpad icon in the Dock, type Disk Utility in the Search field, then click the Disk Utility icon .
In the Apple File System Infinite Sharing dialog, click Partition.
In the pie nautical chart, select the partition you want to delete, then click the Delete button .

If the Delete push button is dimmed, you can't delete the selected partition.
Click Employ.
Read the data in the Partition Device dialog, then click Partition.
Afterward the operation finishes, click Done.