How Can I Repartition My Mac Drive?

Apple Macintosh computers running the Mac OS X operating system use partitions containing the Hierarchical File System Plus (HFS+) to store and organize files on the hard drive. HFS+ supports features necessary for the proper operation of Mac OS X, including permissions and resource forks. You can repartition your Mac drive to add new partitions, or to completely erase the hard drive so that you can install a fresh copy of the Mac OS X operating system.

Instructions

1. Open the "Disk Utility" program in the "Utilities" folder.

2. Click the hard drive in the left column of the window.

3. Click "Partition."

4. Click the desired number of partitions under the "Volume Scheme" box.

5. Click "Apply," then click "Partition."

Tips & Warnings

• Boot from the Mac OS X installation disk and run the Disk Utility program to modify the partitions on the boot drive.

• This process erases all existing data from the hard drive being partitioned. Be sure to have a backup of any important data before proceeding.