Creating a separate partition or volume on your Mac can be useful for different tasks as this allows you to designate a part of your hard-drive where you can install new software without allowing it to affect the rest of your system. In most cases, creating disk partitions and volumes is used by early adopters and beta testers of new macOS versions who want to install the beta version of the OS without removing the current stable version.
This is the recommended way of trying out beta macOS versions as it will keep them separate from the rest of your system and if there are any problems with them, this won’t affect the partition/volume where the current stable version of the OS is installed. This way of testing macOS beta versions also makes it easier to uninstall them afterward, once you decide you have tested enough.
- Go to Finder from the Menu Bar at the top and select Applications on the right. Open the Utilities folder and start the Disk Utility app. Select your current hard-drive from the Disk Utility (it should be the first one from the list and would usually be named Macintosh HD or Fusion). Select the Partition tab and click on the Partition button.
- Price: Free (In-built) 2. Stellar Mac Partition Manager. Stellar Partition Manager is safe and reliable software, allowing you to create partitions in your Mac. The formatting option allows you to either join two spaces or edit earlier space for creating a new one. With this software, you can create, delete, resize and hide partitions.
Difference between a partition and a volume
The software should be compatible with the latest versions of the macOS like Catalina. The tool should be compatible with the latest versions of the macOS like Catalina. Best Hard Drive Cloning Software For Mac 1. EaseUS Todo Backup. EaseUS Todo Backup is one of the best and free disk cleaning tools.
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Partitions and volumes are very similar and can be used for the same thing but there are some key differences that one must consider before deciding which of the two they are going to make.
What is a partition?
Creating a new disk partition on your Mac practically splits your hard-drive into two separate parts (partitions) that could have different macOS versions or even different OS types (for example macOS and Windows) installed on them. The amount of storage available on these partitions is predetermined by the user when they are partitioning the hard-drive and cannot be changed unless a new partitioning is performed.
Once you partition your hard disk, the overall storage space on your Mac will be separated between the new partitions according to how much storage you have assigned to each partition. If you are intending to create a separate partition for the purposes of installing a macOS beta version or the Windows OS on it, make sure that you assign to it enough free storage space. It is recommended that you assign at least 50 GB of storage to the new partition.
If your Mac has an HFS+ file system (Macs manufactured before macOS Catalina), it is advisable to create a new partition if you want to test macOS beta versions.
What is a volume?
A volume is also a designated data container within your hard-drive, but it is stored within the same partition instead of being a new one. You can still install a different macOS version on it and this will not affect/replace the current stable macOS version that you are using. The advantage here is that you won’t have to worry about assigning enough HDD space to the volume like it is when you’re creating a new partition because the volume would expand the storage space that it uses from the current partition if need be, making it a more flexible option.
For example, if you install macOS Big Sur beta on one of your volumes, that volume would expand to accommodate the new macOS version, leading to a redistribution of the storage space within the partition. Of course, you still need to have the needed free storage space on your Mac as a whole to contain the new macOS version.
For Macs with APFS file system, Apple recommends creating a new volume within your current partition when attempting to install a separate macOS version in addition to your current one.
Always back up!
Every time you are about to make any significant changes in your system, it is best if you back up the data on your Mac to make sure that nothing gets lost in the process. Even though creating a new partition/volume is a safe process, mistakes can always happen, so it’s best to be prepared. There are different ways you could create a backup of your Mac and one of the easiest one is to use Time Machine. You can learn how to back up your Mac using Time Machine on this page (LINK).
How to create a partition on Mac
- Go to Finder from the Menu Bar at the top and select Applications on the right.
- Open the Utilities folder and start the Disk Utility app.
- Select your current hard-drive from the Disk Utility (it should be the first one from the list and would usually be named Macintosh HD or Fusion).
- Select the Partition tab and click on the Partition button.
- Select the Plus button to add a new partition.
- Use the slider to change the size of the partitions so that the one where you want to install another OS or macOS version has enough space for the installation.
- Give a name to the new partition and choose a system format type. If your current macOS version is 10.13 or higher, it is recommended that you go with APFS. If your current macOS version is 10.12 or older, it is recommended to pick Mac OS Extended.
- Select the Apple button and wait patiently for the process to complete without interrupting it.
How to create an APFS volume on Mac
- Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities and open the Disk Utility app.
- Select your current APFS drive from the sidebar (it should be named Macintosh HD by default if it hasn’t been changed).
- Type a name for the volume and pick an APFS format. It is recommended that you go with APFS.
- If you want, you can set size limits for the new volume so that it can’t go below or above certain size parameters. This can be useful if you want to make sure that the volume will never exceed a certain amount of storage space that it can use. To set size limits, click on Size Options.
- Next, enter a Reserve Size value – this will be the minimum storage space that will be available for this volume at all times.
- Enter a Quota Size value to set the maximum amount of disk space that can be used by this volume at any time. Make sure that this value is at least 40-50 GB to ensure that you can install the beta macOS version that you want to test (if this is the reason you are creating the volume).
- Finally, click on OK and then on Add to create the new volume with the parameters you’ve chosen.
How to switch between partitions/volumes
After you create a new partition/volume and install a different version of the macOS on it or an entirely different OS, you can switch between the different partitions/volumes on your Mac and use the different operating systems or macOS versions that are on your Mac.
- Go to the Apple menu (top-left side of the screen) and select the System preferences option.
- Open Startup Disk and then select the Padlock icon in the bottom-left part of the window.
- You will be asked to provide your admin password so do that and select OK.
- Select the OS you want to use after the restart and click on the Restart button.
After the restart, your Mac will boot with the OS/macOS version you have chosen from the Startup Disk window. If you want to test a macOS beta version, this is the one you must pick for the restart.
Installing macOS beta version
If you are interested in trying out a macOS version that is still in its beta state, you could do that so long as you have a developer Apple ID account. If you wish to learn more about how you can test beta macOS versions, visit this page and read the instructions provided there.
Create New Mac Hard Drive Partition. The Best Mac Partition Manager Software helps the Apple macOS user to create a new partition on the hard drive. Additionally, if there is any free space available on HD, then below mentioned application also shifts pre-exist space onto that drive to make some room available for new Mac-partition. Stellar Partition Manager for Mac to manage Mac partitions & optimize Mac hard drive performance. Mac partitioning software to create, resize, delete Mac volumes. Yes, you can create a fresh partition from the free space available in the existing partition. You can easily do it by dragging and reducing the volume to the desired size. Compatible with macOS Sierra 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7 & 10.6 Manual Guide: Steps On How To Partition Mac Disk. First of all download Partition Manager Software and install it on Mac.; Now make selection of a drive onto which partition procedure has to take place.
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How To Format Mac Partition
To format Mac partition, execute the below mentioned steps : Firstly run Partition Manager Software. The interface will list all the attached drive in the system. Make selection of the drive, in which formatting of the partition has to take
NOTE: The following guide is for installing Mac OS X Snow Leopard only, because it uses the same method that I use for my standard Snow Leopard installation guide. For this virtual machine, we're going to use Virtualbox, which is a free and open-source virtualization suite.
How to Delete Partition for Mac
To delete partition for the Mac, follow the below mentioned steps : Download and install Partition Manager Software. The initial screen with a brief about the particular software will get open. Tap ‘Continue’ to go to the main window. Make
How to add a new mac partition
To add a new partition in the Mac hard drive, implement the below mentioned steps : First of all download and install the Partition Magic Software. The main interface will list all the hard drives attached to the system. Select
How to Hide & Reveal Mac Partition
To hide Mac Partition, implement the below mentioned steps : Initially ensure that the volume which is to get hide is mounted and visible in the Finder. Now make a note of the chosen name of the volume. Launch Terminal
How To Resize Mac Partition
Resizing of the Mac Partition is done via two ways i.e., through increasing the partition of the Mac partition size and decreasing the Mac partition size. Steps on How To Increase the Mac Partition Size Tap the particular Volume/Partition from
How to Optimize Mac Performance
To optimize the Mac, implement the below mentioned steps : Initially Download and Install the Mac Optimizer Software by double-clicking it. Secondly, follow the simple two-step installation steps to install the particular software in the PC. Now, the software on
Partition Magic Mac : An Ultimate Tool To Partition Mac Hard Drive
Here, it is strongly recommended to make use of Partition Manager Software as it has been proven one of the most finest solution to partition the Mac. Being embedded with tons of highly applicable as well as enhance programming skills, this software has been notified including potential of overcoming these obstacles and furnishing the users with a highly simple as well as easy-to-use platform for creating or adding new partitions on the Mac hard drive. Furthermore, aside from this the particular software provide the Mac users with options to create a ready-to-use bootable disc for booting up the system and making partitions onto the start-up volume.
About Mac – Why Partition Magic is needed?
Mac is undoubtedly today's one of the most comprehensive operating system available in the market in today's date. It has been notified capable enough to provide the users with a interactive as well as reliable working environment. Now though the OS is highly efficient in all it's working skills, but yet likewise several other OS's hard drive, it's ones also becomes full after a certain period of time, enticing it's own to make purchasing of an extra external hard drive. Now this new external hard drive requires initialization as well as separate partitions/volumes regarding storage of several distinct categories of data. Mac being a highly applicable as well as enhanced OS, furnish the users with a facility of running another operating system on the computer along with the Mac OS X. Regarding this particular purpose, Mac users are require to create a separate partition on their respective Mac hard drive via an appropriate partition scheme.
How To Format Mac Partition
Format of the entire Mac hard drive becomes literally essential for the users after the occurrence of several unfortunate scenarios. Some of them are discussed below :
- At times, the Mac partition get badly corrupted because of several issues and becomes completely unused for the users. In this type of situations, the condition of the volume/partition gets beyond repairing. So, in these type of cases, formatting the entire volume is the only option to reuse the hard drive.
- One other common situation arises at the instant of time when there is requirement of purchasing a new SATA/ATA (Internal)/ Firewall (External) hard drive for the Mac system. The hard drive actually generally comes with with platform compatibility i.e., can work easily on both the Windows as well as Mac operating systems. Now though the functionality appears applicable but yet with this cross platform compatibility, some certain facility issues get arise. Chances are high that the new hard drive might do have a file allocation size limit of 2 GB or so. So, this could create trouble while storing a bigger file onto the disk. Here, the only option left for the users to store the new hard drive is to store it in the multiple memory chunks with a maximum size of 2 GB each, which ultimately degrades the data access speed of the system. So, because of this majority of the Mac users who do not utilizes Windows on their hard drive desired to format the drive for the Mac only.
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How To Create a New Partition
Now the Mac partition can get done via two distinct built-in methods i.e., through Boot Camp Assistant which is utilized to set-up Windows in a new partition and via the Disk Utility which actually utilized distinct custom partition schemes. In order to create partition in the Mac hard drive through Disk Utility, users are required to boot their Mac from the OS installation disc via keep pressing the key 'C'. Now following this, they are require to implement certain instructions i.e., go to 'Utilities' → Disk Utility from the menu bar. Aside from this, in order to create a new partition on the Mac hard drive, other than the start-up disk, users are required to go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Then they need to choose the drive and tap the 'Partition' tab. Here, under the 'Volume Scheme', users are required to provide several information such as volume name, size and number of partitions. Now before the completion of the entire procedure, users need to make selection of the correct partition scheme (i.e., GUID Partition Table/ Master Boot Record/ Apple Partition Map), as per their requirement. So, via this Mac partition one can very easily run two operating systems on the same computer. Now although Apple has provided the aforementioned options regarding formatting Mac and they works also effectively but at the same instant of time hectic also. Researchers report the processes the extremely long as well as complex in nature. Along with this, surveys also proves that majority of the Mac users do not find Disk Utility a friendly or interactive application in partitioning Mac and prefer to make usage of any other third-party party Mac partition software.
How to Resize Mac Partition
Resizing Mac Partition is literally a very important while utilizing Mac hard drive having partition in it. Requirement of Mac Partition With the passing of time, users generally keep adding enormous volume of data to the several partition/volumes of the Mac system. So, in this case it is common the users to finally come in a situation when there will be requirement of increasing the partition size to accommodate all the data in a single storage location. Aside from this, users often install all their application files in a singly partition. So, in this situation also there is requirement of increasing the size of such volumes. One another common situation encountered by the Mac users is the presence of very little amount of data in a particular partition/volume than the storage space assigned to it. This space generally remains unused. So, it needs to get decreased in size.
How to Hide / Reveal Partition
These options enables the Mac users to secure any partition/volume against any sort of undesired access via temporary unmounting. Now upon being unmounted/hidden, the partition/volume can only get back via utilizing the Reveal option of the Partition Manager Software. To hide Partition, select Volume > Hide To Unhide/Reveal Partition, select hidden volume >Reveal
How to Delete Mac Partition
Mac partition is an efficient way of running multiple operating systems simultaneously at the same instant of time in the single system. Now though the functionality is highly beneficial but yet often because of severe file corruption, the OS malfunctions or other similar sort of causes, the Mac partition gets corrupted and becomes completely inaccessible. This situation sometimes becomes so hectic in nature that it becomes highly difficult for the users even to format the partition. So, in this sort users are only left one option i.e., to firstly delete the corresponding volume/partition before creating a new partition. Aside from this, deletion of the unused partition is also required in the situation if their requirement of increasing the size of the particular Mac volume/partition and no free spaces are left on the drive.
How To Create Bootable Media
- Download and install Partition Manager Software.
- Now insert the USB drive in the system to fix the entire installation of OS X. Here it is important for the users to kept notice that all the data in the USB will get erased. So, kindly ensure that the vital documents has been taken off.
- Right-click the Partition Manager Software icon and 'Run as administrator'. Here the user will be prompted to Enter Key or Run. Tap 'Run'.
- Further on the left pane, the Windows PC drives will get listed. Here right-click the USB drive which is to get utilized for reinstalling the Apple OS X and then tap 'Restore with Disk Image'.
- Tap 'Yes' in the warning dialog box.
- Utilize the 'Restore Disk Image to Drive' dialog box for browsing the DMG file with the installation files for Mac OS X Yosemite in this situation and then tap 'OK' to create a bootable USB of the operating system.
Wait for a certain period of time as the entire procedure might take one or two hours to complete the process depending on the system and several other variables.
How To Resize Boot Camp Partitions
Boot Camp is actually an application from the Apple Inc developed with the primary intention of helping the Mac users in installing Microsoft Windows operating system on the Intel based Mac. This multi-boot utility makes it literally very easy for the users to install and utilize any Windows OS along side their Mac OS. On the completion of the configuration of the Boot Camp Assistant, one can boot his/her Mac, choosing between the Mac and Windows OS and utilizing the features of both the OS. Besides from this, Boot Camp has been reported furnishing the Mac users with opportunity of utilizing necessary Windows programs, without the requirement of another Windows-only system. Now though because of all such features, Boot Camp undoubtedly seems and sounds highly applicable in nature, but yet there are some scenarios in which users requires either desires to trim extra space from the Boot Camp partition or more space in it. This is actually a sort of serious requirement of majority of the Mac users which has not addresses by the Apple. So, currently there is no option available in the Disk Utility for resizing the Boot Camp partition. Though the situation the situation is hectic but can get overcome by the usage of aforementioned Partition Manager Software.
How to Rollback / Undoing a Parition
Rollback actually means undoing the partition on Mac. So, to delete a hard drive partition on Mac, execute the below mentioned steps :
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- Firstly open Disk Utility.
- Tap the partition from which deletion under the logical volume has to take place.
- Tap the Erase tab and ensure that the Mac OS X Extended is selected.
- Click the Erase button.
- Tap the logical volume.
- Click the partition tab.
- Next highlight the partition which got erased in step 4.
- Tap the '-' sign and then Remove.
- Utilize the drag handle to reallocate the space blank relinquished by the deleted partition.
- Tap Apply → Partition.
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Frequently Asked Question
Q) Is it possible to merge two distinct Mac partitions utilizing the Partition Manager Software ?Answer : No, it is impossible to merge two distinct partitions utilizing the Partition Manager Software. Nevertheless one can merge two or more free spaces in the hard drive via shifting the partition upwards or downwards.Q) I do have 120 GB Mac partition, but only 25 GB of data. I wish to split the partition and create a new one with 100 GB. Is it possible with Partition Manager Software ?Answer : Yes, it is possible. One can very easily create a fresh partition from the available free space in the existing partition via dragging and reducing the volume to the desired size. One can also make usage of 'Resize' option to complete the procedure. Hence, one can utilize the released free space for generating the fresh new partition, he/she wants.
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