Partitioning disk with disk utility after using bootcamp

[-tWv-]

I have used bootcamp to partition my disk and install windows vista onto my uMB. Now I want to partition the disk again to create a tri boot setup where I can either install ubuntu or the dev preview of snow leopard (I haven't decided yet). Can I just do this with disk utility and shrink my OS X partition in order to create a new partition or will this cause problems with the disk? I would really like to not do a fresh install of OS X because I have had to do this twice to fix disk problems relating to bootcamp. Any advice on how to do this would be appreciated.

 

[Dexter v House]

I've been wanting to do something similar to you but have not tried it.
Disk Utility warns you that your bootcamp partition may not work if you attempt to partition again. So I wasn't brave enough to try.
I have read somewhere it can be done and that the warning is just that - a warning. But again, I wasn't willing to risk hosing my system and having to re-instal.

Guess I'll be tracking this thread to see if anyone has come up with a sure fire method.

 

[-tWv-]

You know what, I'm just gonna try this later today and see what happens. I will tell you if I have any problems.

 

[Dexter v House]

You know what, I'm just gonna try this later today and see what happens. I will tell you if I have any problems.

Cool. Tell us either way dude.

 

[-tWv-]

I have run into a problem of not having dual layer dvds so i can't burn snow leopard to a disk. Is there any other way that you know of to install osx from a dmg file. I have already started a thread on this, no replies yet but I wanted to see if anyone else did on here.

I haven't tried to partition the disk yet because i want to make sure i have a method to install before i partition the drive. I don't want empty space hanging around until i figure it out.

 

[-tWv-]

I am actually thinking about using my gparted live cd instead of disk utility because it says it will erase the disk and partition.

 

[Finlandboy]

I have run into a problem of not having dual layer dvds so i can't burn snow leopard to a disk. Is there any other way that you know of to install osx from a dmg file. I have already started a thread on this, no replies yet but I wanted to see if anyone else did on here.

I haven't tried to partition the disk yet because i want to make sure i have a method to install before i partition the drive. I don't want empty space hanging around until i figure it out.

restore it to an external hard drive with disk utility. then boot up your mac while holding down the option key (i think , maybe its ctrl or command key, idk try them all, lol) and then you should see the partition with the OS X install on it, choose that and you should be able to install from there

 

[Finlandboy]

sry, i didn't even look at your topic post, ....but yah you should have no problem shrinking your OS X partition (or/and maybe you Windows partition, not completely sure) with disk utility to make a new partition and installing a new OS in it....i've done it a few times a while back when i first got leopard

 

[-tWv-]

sry, i didn't even look at your topic post, ....but yah you should have no problem shrinking your OS X partition (or/and maybe you Windows partition, not completely sure) with disk utility to make a new partition and installing a new OS in it....i've done it a few times a while back when i first got leopard

So I will be able to use disk utility to shrink my OS X Partition? I will attach a screenshot of what it says when i select my osx partition. It says something about erasing the disk.

 

[-tWv-]

Alright so I tried it and it worked, with a few things that went wrong. When it was done partitioning all the new partitions showed up on my desktop which was good so it worked, but i could no longer select them in the disk utility window. So i proceeded to restart the my macbook and when it booted up the keyboard would not work. So I sorta freaked out for a second and then booted up into the OS X install dvd and repaired the permissions my drive that had leopard on it and rebooted and that solved my issues. So Dexter and whoever else wants to try this, go for it. It doesn't erase anything but you may need to repair permissions after so make sure you have the install disc handy.

 

[Infrared]

Alright so I tried it and it worked, with a few things that went wrong. When it was done partitioning all the new partitions showed up on my desktop which was good so it worked, but i could no longer select them in the disk utility window.

I've had similar. Disk Utility seems to lose track of things.
The cure in my case was to quit and re-open Disk Utility.

 

[Dexter v House]

Alright so I tried it and it worked, with a few things that went wrong. When it was done partitioning all the new partitions showed up on my desktop which was good so it worked, but i could no longer select them in the disk utility window. So i proceeded to restart the my macbook and when it booted up the keyboard would not work. So I sorta freaked out for a second and then booted up into the OS X install dvd and repaired the permissions my drive that had leopard on it and rebooted and that solved my issues. So Dexter and whoever else wants to try this, go for it. It doesn't erase anything but you may need to repair permissions after so make sure you have the install disc handy.

You're braver than me to try it. Good to know of the workaround.

 

[-tWv-]

You're braver than me to try it. Good to know of the workaround.

Yeah, it works fine, and unless your hardware acts up, like the keyboard did to me the first time, you don't have to repair permissions, just quit and restart disk utility and it should be fine.