Help please quick - on partitioning hard drive!

[john_satc]

I just got back from my apple store with a new Lacie external hard drive.

I want to partition the hardrive into 3 sections. I have questions!!...

A) If i choose I want another partition, is it easy to add another?

B) Can I use one partition on a PC whilst the other 2 on Macs?

C) If i want to delete partitions at a later date, am i able to delete one partition saving the others?

 

[CanadaRAM]

A) If i choose I want another partition, is it easy to add another?

Only at the time that you initially partition and format the drive. Changing partitions later wipes all the data


B) Can I use one partition on a PC whilst the other 2 on Macs?

From http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=152062

"Formatting a Windows (MS-DOS) disk

You can use Disk Utility to format an entire disk in Windows (MS-DOS) format, but you cannot format a single disk partition in Windows format.

WARNING: To prepare a disk in Windows format, you must erase the entire disk. Be sure to copy all the information on that disk before you erase it.

1. Open Disk Utility, located in Applications/Utilities, and select the disk you want to format.
2. Click Erase and choose MS-DOS File System from the Volume Format pop-up menu.
3. Type a name for the disk.
4. Click Erase, then click Erase again. "


C) If i want to delete partitions at a later date, am i able to delete one partition saving the others?

No, see A)

 

[Eniregnat]

All, please correct me if I am wrong.

Using the DiskUtility you can partition only at a disks creation. To repartion a drive is to reformat it.

You can use one partition on a Mac [Extended (Journaled)] and use others cross platform. OSX, 2k, XP will recognize UNIX file systems. Mac will recognize Unix, Extended (Os9 AFS), Extended- Journaled(OSX), and FAT32. DiskUtility dosn't give you the chance to format a drive in FAT32.

2k and XP won't recognize the AFS or Journaled partitions- I just checked, but I don't know if you mix formating, if they will be recognized by OSX.

Windows and OSX don't play well together. This may cause you problems down the line. If I may recommend, just Journal the whole drive. Laci recommends using DiskUtility, so unless you have another formatting program, your stuck with the possibility of your Windows system not recognizing your "universal" partitions.

 

[Eniregnat]

Why do you need to partition your drives?

This is not an accuazation, just a question.

I used to partition drives like this:
laptop, 40 Gb Primary (OS scratch also)
CD preburn (800mb)
DVD preburn (4.2 Gb)

Secondary drive.
200+ Gb media storage and primary application(ie FCP) scratch drive
50Gb, bootable backup.

NAS- well let the RAID software take care of that.

What are your needs?

 

[Apple Hobo]

Micromat recently came out with an interesting partition app. Maybe it can help you.

 

[john_satc]

Thanks for everyones help, i plunged it and did split it 3 times

Why do you need to partition your drives?


What are your needs?

Well I got a 160g drive and split in 3 -

1) back up of iBook 30 G
2) all my stuff, like re burning all my music (Gonna take forever) on a good quality, due to my hard drive limits before I hate to limit the quality level if imports
3) partition for an iMac backup - don't have the iMac yet but will soon

 

[Eniregnat]

Just curious.

I only slave of 50Gb of the HD for backups, so that I don't anciently go into my media space. Sounds cool, but as constantly have to remind myself, can you do it simpler. Why not just folders for the backups? SilverKeeper (came with the drive) supports this.