Help with Partitioning (OS 10.5.1)

Madelin · #1 November 27th, 2007, 01:50 PM

I am trying to partition my 500GB external HDD into two partitions. One for my files, one for time machine.

When i try to make the Time Machine partition it gets 1/3 of the way through before reporting back that there is not enough space left. The exhdd has ~300GB of free space, im trying to make a 175GB time machine partition.

I heard that parallels may be causing these errors. So i uninstalled parallels and tried again. This time 1/3 of the way through, my screen darkens and a message appears telling me i need to restart my Mac.

Whats going on? How can i partition my external harddrive?

pedz · #2 November 27th, 2007, 06:34 PM

Are you, by chance, trying to partition as a DOS file system? I've had trouble like you describe when doing that (sorta kinda).

The repartition should take only a few moments if the partitions are both Mac file systems.

Madelin · #3 November 27th, 2007, 06:38 PM

No, Mac OS Extended (journaled). Thanks for the reply though.

Satcomer · #4 November 27th, 2007, 07:03 PM

Check your Time Machine System Preferences and make sure it is not trying to copy ALL of your mounted disks.

Madelin · #5 November 28th, 2007, 02:51 AM

No ive checked. Since my last post i have erased all time machine backups and switched time machine off. Still partitioning is failing. Perhaps its just not meant to be ....

pedz · #6 November 28th, 2007, 11:23 AM

I'm still not clear exactly what you are doing.

I usually get in Disk Utility, select the disk (not the partition), then hit partition, set my partitions like I want them, then hit apply. Is that what you are doing?

Madelin · #7 November 28th, 2007, 09:03 PM

Yeah thats exactly what i am doing.

PROBLEM NOW SOLVED. I dont know what happened but after restarting and numerous tries the partition actually worked. Sorry for wasting anyones time.