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Partitioning and Formatting Your Hard Drive

• Finding out the current partition map scheme
• Finding out the current disk format
• Partitioning your hard disk
• Formatting your hard disk

For all tasks described here, use the Disk Utility application located in the Applications/Utilities folder.

Finding out the current partition map scheme

Select your hard drive (not a volume) in Disk Utility. The information bar will display the partition map scheme of your drive.

Finding out the current disk format

In Disk Utility, select a volume to see its format.

Partitioning your hard disk

Partitioning erases all data on your disk.

1. Select the disk in Disk Utility.
   
   
2. Switch to the Partition tab.
   
   
3. In Volume Scheme, select how many partitions (volumes) you wish to create.
   
   
4. Name each partition, set up its size and choose the format. For disk cloning, select the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
   
   
5. Click the Options button and select GUID Partition Table (GPT) for Intel-based Macs, or Apple Partition Map (APM) for PowerPC-based Macs. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the Apply button.

Formatting your hard disk

Formatting erases all data on your disk.

1. Select the disk or volume in Disk Utility.
   
   
2. Switch to the Erase tab.
   
   
3. Specify a disk name.
   
   
4. Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the disk format.
   
   
5. Click the Erase button.