MacMost Now 321: Using Disk Utility to Format Drives

Learn how to use Disk Utility to erase and format an external drive. You can also create drives with multiple partitions.

Comments: 8 Responses to “MacMost Now 321: Using Disk Utility to Format Drives”

    Homer
    14 years ago

    Thanks Gary!
    About partitioning volumes (not formatting), there's a less known feature available since Leopard I think. It is the ability to change the size of existing partitions and this action, if you stay on free space, won't erase the existing data if any. This could be very handy.

      14 years ago

      Yes, you can do that if the drive is formatted properly, and if the drive supports it -- not all drives support it. So I recommend a complete backup of all data on the drive before attempting this.

    edward McCrea
    14 years ago

    Hi Gary
    I have started looking at macmost and find it useful enough to keep on your mailing list as well as recommend it to other folk as well. So thanks for you time. I found the disc utility very useful and one of those things that I often forget how to do because you do not use it all the time and when you need it you know it is there but can never find it. So thanks for this post. I have now made notes and stored it somewhere I can find it. I am a pc user that just recently switched to mac (very happy I did) but I still find somethings hard to do on a mac because I am stuck in pc mode. . . learning fast.

    Something I am looking for is information on how to use time machine - again not something I use a lot but I am pretty clueless about how to use it and if you can recommend any resources that would be much appreciated.

    Thanks
    Teddy McCrea

    Gill AND JANE JACOBSON
    14 years ago

    Your book is OK,but Iam not a computer person.Your videos at Mc Most are To fast.So why dont you make DVDs of each chapter of your book slow down your examples and speech.Put the DVDS on sale to the public,I know that I would buy them. Thank you for showing me a lot.A person who has never used a computer before,but would like to learn. Thanks Gill Jacobson

      14 years ago

      The DVD model hasn't really worked for the most part. You have to sell too many of them to make it worth it -- only a few companies have been able to do it, and with a lot of marketing effort. I think the book is a good alternative for many, but I know I can't please everyone.

    Vasily
    14 years ago

    Lary, keep doing the great job! I am not a Mac person. A friend gave me a Powerbook G4. I want to erase all the data completely and have it clean to sell it. (I believe somebody could use this cute, but with lots of scratches, laptop.) The friend doesn't have the installation CD. Question: Can I somehow do what I want without it? (I think I can't format the drive where operating system is installed.) Thanks.

      14 years ago

      You need to installation CDs to do that. Alternatively, you could do it with a Mac OS X (10.3, 10.4 or 10.5) install CD too, though it wouldn't replace the iLife applications, only the base OS and base applications.
      So you might be better off selling it to a used Mac shop that can re-install the system on their own. See if there is one in your area.

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