I need to merge Untitled and Untitled 2 together to make 1 big parition, but it wont let me do squat with Untitled (other than change the formatting), what do I do? (also the Tim M drive is a time machine I dont want to delete)
![1633984671435.png]( "1633984671435.png")
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Partitioning problems
- Thread starter Anonymous420
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Partition maps are sort of physical. You can only merge things that are adjacent. You can't remove a partition if it's not the last entry in the partition table.
You *can* muck around with this manually with gdisk and depending on the topology of things it may be possible to manually fiddle in place, but based on the look of this setup I don't think so. This is why APFS uses container groups so you can add/remove and resize volumes without changing the partitioning layout
Well, it appears that they aren't ajesent, so what do I do to merge them, if I remove Untitled 2 it merges with Tim M, not Untitled and if I attept to increase the the size of Untitled when Untitled 2 is gone, it just refuses.
I would backup all data stored on these partitions with CarbonCopyCloner and erase the whole disk completely.
After erasing I'd format it and make the new partitions as desired.
When all set , clone back the data from your CCC clones.
I'm pretty sure this is the fastest and failproof way.
I agree with KeesMacPro, but you should not even be using partitions. With APFS, you can have multiple volumes in one container. That's how you want to set it up...one partition, one container, multiple volumes (all sharing the same space).
eclecticlight.co
Add, delete, or erase APFS volumes in Disk Utility on Mac
In Disk Utility on Mac, add, delete, or erase APFS volumes.
support.apple.com
Juggling with HFS+ and APFS partitions and volumes: a primer
The differences between HFS+ and APFS volumes explored. What a container is, and how to add new HFS+ and APFS volumes to a disk.
eclecticlight.co
Yep, the other two are right. While it is theoretically possible to do this on one disk with enough free space at the end of the disk, it's a long, manual, advanced and risky procedure with a great many chances for data loss and it's more of a theoretical possibility than anything I'd ever recommend in practice.
OP wrote:
"Well, it appears that they aren't ajesent, so what do I do to merge them"
You haven't told us WHICH VERSION OF THE OS that you're using.
My suggestion:
1. Back up the bootable partition (if there is one) using CarbonCopyCloner (which is free to download and use for 30 days). This should create a BOOTABLE cloned backup.
2. Back up the data on the other partitions onto other drives (again, use CCC).
3. Boot from the cloned backup (CCC created) or... from another EXTERNAL drive which is bootable.
4. Launch disk utility.
5. Go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
6. Select the item line (on the left) which represents the PHYSICAL drive you are trying to re-partition.
7. Click ERASE and select the format (looks like you want APFS?).
8. Once the entire drive has been erased, RE-partition as needed.
9. Now, use CCC to "Re-clone" the backup of the boot partition BACK TO the source drive.
10. Restore data from other partitions as required (you'll probably need to do this "by hand" in the finder).
Time consuming?
YES.
But this is how you "get the job done"...
"Well, it appears that they aren't ajesent, so what do I do to merge them"
You haven't told us WHICH VERSION OF THE OS that you're using.
My suggestion:
1. Back up the bootable partition (if there is one) using CarbonCopyCloner (which is free to download and use for 30 days). This should create a BOOTABLE cloned backup.
2. Back up the data on the other partitions onto other drives (again, use CCC).
3. Boot from the cloned backup (CCC created) or... from another EXTERNAL drive which is bootable.
4. Launch disk utility.
5. Go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
6. Select the item line (on the left) which represents the PHYSICAL drive you are trying to re-partition.
7. Click ERASE and select the format (looks like you want APFS?).
8. Once the entire drive has been erased, RE-partition as needed.
9. Now, use CCC to "Re-clone" the backup of the boot partition BACK TO the source drive.
10. Restore data from other partitions as required (you'll probably need to do this "by hand" in the finder).
Time consuming?
YES.
But this is how you "get the job done"...
One thing I havent seen mentioned/considered here and doesnt come forward in post #1 by the OP either.
In case this disk is used for a multiple OS setup (which I'd personally not do on the same physical drive anyway),
Working with containers instead of partitions will get the OP in devil's kitchen.
Especially since the way the APFS containers are set up and managed by the OS has developed a lot since Mojave.
So to speak Big Sur is generation 3 APFS and Mojave is generation 1 APFS.
Mixing these would be the perfect recipe for disaster.
In case this disk is used for a multiple OS setup (which I'd personally not do on the same physical drive anyway),
Working with containers instead of partitions will get the OP in devil's kitchen.
Especially since the way the APFS containers are set up and managed by the OS has developed a lot since Mojave.
So to speak Big Sur is generation 3 APFS and Mojave is generation 1 APFS.
Mixing these would be the perfect recipe for disaster.
Its big sur 11.2 and I also have figured out another soulution to my problem which works for me.
No, I do not use it for OSes, it is an external disk I use for backups and other things.
I wasn't using volumes in one container because I didn't know you can do that and im also changing the format to fat32 so it can be read by computers other than macs.I agree with KeesMacPro, but you should not even be using partitions. With APFS, you can have multiple volumes in one container. That's how you want to set it up...one partition, one container, multiple volumes (all sharing the same space).
Add, delete, or erase APFS volumes in Disk Utility on Mac
In Disk Utility on Mac, add, delete, or erase APFS volumes.support.apple.com
Juggling with HFS+ and APFS partitions and volumes: a primer
The differences between HFS+ and APFS volumes explored. What a container is, and how to add new HFS+ and APFS volumes to a disk.
I highly recommend using ExFAT for that. FAT32 is very limited. Fore example, no file can be larger than 4GB
If you use ExFAT, format it on a Windows-based machine. Something about the way the Mac platform does it that causes mount issues from time to time. Mounting it under Windows always fixes the issue. So in a nutshell, if you use ExFAT, make sure to always have a PC handy... just in case.
- I avoid backing up data to the same physical device as the data. If the physical device fails, you lose both the data and the backup.
- But perhaps you're trying to squeeze everything onto the same physical device to avoid buying and attaching or installing a second device. If your device is a rotating disk, you'll slow things down if the device is too full.
- This may not suit your situation, but: You could create an alias on Untitled1 that points to Untitled2. Drawbacks might be:
- If any of the files you want on Untitledmerge are larger than either Untitled1 or 2, or
- Not having all the files in the same merged "directory" doesn't suit your situation.
- I, for one, and I suspect the others on this thread would be interested in your solution. You might have come up with something we'd never thought of.
My soulution was to make a seperate partition for what I was needing the space for.