How to Change the Size of a Partition in a MacBook Pro

Apple MacBook Pro laptops are shipped from the factory with a copy of the Mac OS X operating system preinstalled. Mac OS X requires an HFS+ partition to install and operate correctly. HFS+ supports features necessary for Mac OS X including permissions and resource forks. You can change the size of a Mac OS X partition on a MacBook Pro laptop by booting to the Mac OS X installation disc and running the Disk Utility program.

Instructions

1. Insert the Mac OS X install disc into the disc drive, then restart the computer.

2. Press and hold the "C" key until the computer begins to boot from the disc.

3. Click the "Next" arrow.

4. Click the "Utilities" menu at the top of the screen, then click "Disk Utility."

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

6. Click the "Partition" tab.

7. Drag the the slider bar in the lower-right corner of the "Volume Scheme" box to the desired size of the partition.

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

Tips & Warnings

• While this is a nondestructive process, it is always a good idea to have a backup of any important data before beginning a partition operation.