how to partition external hard drive on mac

Others may create partitions for music, photos, and documents, using their external drive to back up files stored on their computer. Some external hard drive users may partition their devices to keep personal data and programs separate. You can separate this partition into smaller ones to split up different types of data on the drive. Partitioning lets you divide up space on your drive, enhancing its usability.Īn external hard drive includes a single partition that holds all files. You can use an external hard drive to back up data easily, transport it anywhere, and upgrade your computer’s storage capacity. A Closer Look at External Hard Drive Partitioning

It will also outline how to take the appropriate steps to complete the process. This guide will help you understand the pros and cons of partitioning an external hard drive. Partitioning an external hard drive can be beneficial for many computer users, but doing so is not for everyone. But this drive alone won’t necessarily help you manage all the storage space at your disposal.Įnter external hard drive partitioning, which can help you keep different types of data separate. To get the most value out of your machine, you may invest in an external hard drive, so you can maintain the storage space you need for music, movies, and other data-intensive applications. If you need help backing up your Mac, we’ve got a great guide that covers all the ins-and-outs of local and cloud-based backups.A computer only offers so much storage space. Please note that the existing drive will be erased prior to making the partition! You can also use the drag bar in the Partition Layout to resize them. Once you select the number of partitions, you can click in each one to name it and decide how much space to give it. In this menu, you can choose how many partitions you want. In the Partition tab, click the dropdown box under Partition Layout.

Then, select the drive that you want to partition and click the Partition tab. To get started, launch the Disk Utility app (It’s under Applications/Utilities). It’s convenient for separating data or allowing you to store both SuperDuper! and Time Machine backups on the same hard drive, but it’s important to note that if the drive goes bad, you will possibly lose everything on both partitions. Mac OS X makes it incredibly easy to partition external hard drives into multiple “drives.” Creating partitions on a drive means you can see multiple “drives” from OS X, but they’re all contained on the same hard drive.

How to partition external hard drive on mac