How to Partition and Unpartition a Hard Drive on Mac

Sue Wayne

Jun 11, 2026 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

TL;DR:

You can partition or unpartition a Mac hard drive natively by using Disk Utility for macOS environments or Boot Camp Assistant for Windows installations, provided you back up your data first.
    ● Access Disk Utility via Command + Shift + U to add or erase macOS partitions, or launch Boot Camp Assistant from the Utilities folder to configure a Windows OS setup.
    ● A partition must be deleted using the exact application that created it, meaning Boot Camp cannot remove a Disk Utility partition and Disk Utility cannot reverse a Boot Camp setup.
    ● Allocate a recommended 50 GB of available space for new partitions, with a strict minimum of 20 GB required for Windows setups, to prevent disk performance decline across both drives.

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If you have tried partitioning a hard drive without any previous experience then you understand that it is a daunting task. Handling the Mac partition manager is not as easy as it sounds. Once you learn the process, it gets pretty easy. The good thing is that you don't need any external or third-party tools for partitioning and unpartitioning.

So, in this article, we are going to guide you through partition and unpartition on Mac without any hassle.

Part 1. What Does Other Mean in Mac Storage?

Before you step into detail, first you need to understand what exactly the term partitioning means.

By Partitioning your Mac drive, you split the hard drive in two or more separate, usable systems. This feature allows the users to run multiple OS on the same system/device such as Windows and macOS simultaneously. You can even run two versions of macOS on the same system. The partitioning also divides the storage space on the hard drive. And a specific portion goes to each partition. So, if you are running out of storage, it is advised that either you extend the storage or avoid partitioning at all.

Here are some advantages of Partitioning that will convince you that it is beneficial for the users.

• You get to switch between different versions of OS X including Tiger, Leopard, or Snow Leopard at the same time.
• The users can use the Boot Camp Assistant to run Windows OS on the Mac system. This way, you get to save some bucks and efforts to maintain two separate systems for your needs.
• During the startup Volume disk errors, it is needed that the repair program is run from another volume to fix the errors. Partitioning of Mac allows the users to keep a disk where the bootable copy of OS X is stored and it can be used to run Disk Utility.
• You can share your iPhoto Library between two or more user accounts on Mac after partitioning.
• Partitioning also allows Mac users to manage their backups efficiently. You can use Mac Time Machine without using an external hard drive.

If you opt-out for partitioning, make sure that your Mac has enough space otherwise the disk performance would decline and you might experience some working issues in both drives.

Part 2. How to Partition a Hard Drive on Mac?

There are two methods that allow the users to create a partition on Mac. The first method is using Disk Utility and the second one is using Boot Camp. Both these methods work great to partitioning hard drive on Mac.

Method 1. Utilizing Disk Utility for Modern APFS Configurations

If you are using a modern Mac running an SSD, you do not need to cut your drive into hard blocks. Instead, you should add an APFS Volume inside your main storage container. This keeps your storage flexible and allows both spaces to share your remaining gigabytes automatically.

1. Launch the macOS Disk Utility Console
   Press Command + Space to pull up Spotlight search, type Disk Utility, and press Enter. Alternatively, navigate to your Applications folder, open Utilities, and double-click Disk Utility.

2. Reveal the Root Hardware Container
   Click the View dropdown icon in the top-left corner of the window and select Show All Devices. From the sidebar list, select the parent internal storage container (usually named Apple SSD or Container disk).
3. Initiate the Partition Interface
   Click the Partition button located in the top menu toolbar. If a prompt asks whether you want to add a volume or a partition, click Add Volume. This ensures your space remains flexible without breaking your drive's underlying hardware efficiency.

4. Name and Format Your Storage Space
   Enter a clear descriptive label for your new virtual drive. Ensure the Format dropdown is set to APFS. If you want to place a hard ceiling on the space this volume can take up, click Size Options to set reserve and quota constraints.
5. Commit Actions and Build the Drive
   Click the Add button (or Apply if you are creating a traditional partition layout). Enter your Mac admin password if prompted to authorize the drive changes, and wait for the file system layout to update.

You can make changes to the drive even after you've created the partition. When the process is finished, the partition will be visible on the main drive. The partition size can also be modified later when required.

Method 2. Boot Camp:

Remember that you cannot partition hard drive on Mac using Disk Utility if you want to install Windows on the other partition. The Boot Camp Assistant is a handy application for partitioning your Mac drive so that you can run and operate macOS and Windows altogether. In the later version of Mac, this application is pre-installed, so you only need to open it and follow the steps below:

1. Open Application and go to Utilities. There you will find the Boot Camp Assistant. Double-click on the option to open the Boot Camp and print a copy of the installation and setup guide.

   

2. Click on the Create or Remove a Windows Partition option and Continue with the steps.

   

3. Now, you have to select a hard drive for partition. If you already have multiple drives, you can select any one which you prefer.

   

4. Determine the size of the partition for Windows OS. You can't make a partition smaller than 5 GB and it is recommended that you at least keep 20GB of space for your partitions.

   

5. Click on the Partition button at the bottom of the interface and your new partitions will be ready to use.

   

Now all there is left to do is to insert the Windows installation disk and you will have multiple OS working on the same Mac system.

By following the same methods you can partition an external hard drive on Mac whenever you want.

Part 3. How to Unpartition a Hard Drive on Mac?

When you no longer need a secondary storage space or operating system, you should delete the partition to return that unallocated space back to your main system container.

Removing an APFS Volume or Partition via Disk Utility:

If you wish to erase or remove the macOS partition, then you'll have to use Disk Utility. You need to follow the steps as:

1. Locate the Discard Target in Disk Utility
   Open Disk Utility from your Utilities folder. Look at the left sidebar layout and click directly on the secondary volume or partition segment you wish to destroy.
2. Wipe Content Safely
   If the volume contains old software files, click the Erase button in the top toolbar. Set the format type to APFS and click Erase to clear out old folder files, system paths, and applications.

   

3. Execute the Partition Removal Command
   Select the empty volume from the sidebar. If it is an APFS volume, click the Delete Volume (—) button in the top toolbar. If it is a traditional hard partition slice, click the Partition button on the toolbar, highlight the target slice in the pie chart graphic, and click the Minus (—) icon.
4. Apply Dynamic Space Reallocation
   Click Delete or Apply to confirm the removal. The macOS file system will destroy the partition map index and immediately hand that storage space back to your primary Macintosh HD system container.

Within a while, the reallocated space will be distributed and you will be able to close Disk Utility.

Using Boot Camp:

As you used Boot Camp Assistant to create the Windows partition, you'll also have to use the same app for removing the partition.

1. Boot your Mac into Mac OS X and open the Boot Camp Assistant. As the application interface opens up, you will see the Install or remove the Windows option.

   

2. Continue and choose the Restore Disk to a single Mac OS partition option from the screen. Finalize the changes and hit the Restore button to begin the removal process.

It will take a while to remove the partition and when it is done, you can exit the Boot Camp.

Part 4. How to Recover Lost Data When Partitioning Mac?

The most common reasons why data get lost from a drive are given below:

• During hard drive partition
• Drive format
• System crash
• Virus attack

Apart from these, there are other reasons too but these are the reasons which mainly affect the Mac hard drive. And as a result, data gets lost from the system. But you don't have to worry about that now as Recoverit is here.

Recoverit - The Best Software to Recover Word Files:

Whenever you experience a data loss situation, Recoverit Data Recovery Mac will help you to retrieve it. This data recovery software will come in handy even when you've never made a backup of your device. You now know how to partition Mac hard drive and un partition it. But knowing how you can recover the lost or deleted files from the drive is also necessary.

🛡️ Recovery Capabilities: Recoverit Advanced Partition Scan

When partition tables are adjusted or deleted, the underlying files often remain intact in unallocated sectors until new files overwrite them. Wondershare Recoverit for Mac reads these deep storage blocks directly:

How to Recover Lost Word Files on Mac:

Step 1: Select a Location

Launch the software and select the drive from where the data files are lost. If you don't know which drive to search, tap on the "I can't find my partition" option, and hit the Start button.

Step 2: Scan the Location

Typically, the software will run an All-Around Recovery scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive.

Step 3: Preview and Recover

When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview at them.

Part 5. Tips for Deleting Other Files on Mac

Maybe you even know how to un partition a hard drive on Mac; you still have to be careful during carrying out the procedure. So, here are some tips worth keeping mind to make sure that you don't end up with some random error using partitioning or un-partitioning.

• The most important thing that you should do before starting is to create a backup of your Mac data.
• Keep this in mind when you are creating and removing the partition that the partition created by Disk Utility can only be removed by Disk Utility. And the partition created by Boot Camp will only be deleted by Boot Camp Application.
• After you create a partition, you'll also have to install the other version of OS you want to run.
• You can also create a partition on the system using the external drive.
• It is recommended that you keep a standard amount of 50 GB space for the partition.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that creating and removing a Mac drive partition is not that tough. You just have to careful during the process. And in case of a mishap, Recoverit is always here for your help so that you don't have to suffer from data loss situation.