How to Create Partition on Mac OS X If you are running Mac operating system, it also needs to partition your internal hard drive since it will be easier to mange your data. Moreover it will allow many users to use the computer. Mac operating system includes Mac OS X10.7 (Lion), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), 10.9 (Mavericks), 10.10 (Yosemite) and the. There are also some paid-for alternatives with advanced features, see Best disk partition software for Mac for advice. Make sure the format is Mac OS X Extended (Journaled). VolumeWorks (version 1.5 - Universal Binary) is an extremely powerful OS X software application for managing the partitions on your hard drive. VolumeWorks is designed to allow the end user the ability to: Rebuild a partition table.
If you've always wanted to partition your Mac's hard drive so you can run a separate operating system — including the launch of macOS Big Sur — in tandem with your current one, it's surprisingly easy to do so thanks to Apple's built-in disk utility program. Here's how to partition your Mac.
Partitioning your Mac is basically splitting your hard drive into separate, usable systems. It makes it possible to run two separate operating systems on one device, like Windows and macOS, or two versions of macOS (like Catalina and Big Sur).
Note: If you want to run Windows on your Mac, Apple's Boot Camp assistant will automatically make a partition for you. Here's how to install Windows.
It is important to note that partitioning your hard drive also splits up your available hard drive space. Each partition will take up a portion of your usable storage. So, if you are running low on storage capacity on your hard drive, we don't recommend partitioning.
The most important thing to do before making any changes to your hard drive is to back it up. Seriously. Back it up. Please. Time Machine is the easiest way to back up your data if you don't already have another system in place.
Second, make sure you have enough free disk space to properly run a secondary operating system. Shoot for at least 30GB free, though I recommend closer to 50GB if you have it available.
Select Applications.
Double-click to open Disk Utility.
Click Partition.
Click apply.
Disk Utility will check the disk and make changes. This will take several minutes.
You can switch to the new partition, install the current macOS, and then download and install macOS Catalina from there.
Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
Click the Lock in the lower left corner of the window to unlock and make changes.
Click Restart.
You can also restart your Mac and press the Option Key when you hear the startup chime. This will take you to the Startup Manager and you can select your drive from there.
You will then be asked to install macOS. This will install the latest available macOS onto the partitioned hard drive. You may have to install an older version of macOS before updating it to the more recent version you want to run.
If you are testing a beta version of macOS, you'll first install whatever the current version is. Then, you can then install the macOS beta.
Once you've updated your partitioned Mac with macOS Catalina, you can download and install the developer beta of macOS Big Sur. You need a developer account and probably some patience. Developer betas are often a bit complicated to install. We've got a guide to help you out.
Do you have any questions about installing a partition or downloading a new operating system onto a partitioned drive? Let us know in the comments. If you're having trouble partitioning your hard drive, be sure to check out our forums for help!
Updated June 2020: Updated for the developer beta of macOS Big Sur.
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