Q: Alternative to Disk Utility?

Clean OS X GM   Golden Master install. If you feel you have a solid OS X installed then Migrate to the new install. I like to migrate like OS X example Mavericks to Mavericks.

Or just do a clean install on a small fast SSD and don't set up iCloud anything. Partition it and use it boot OS X and have your add-on installers right there.

linda2009 wrote:

 

dialabrain,

Actually, I think it is the iPhone and iPad, etc that keep them in business.

Yes Linda. I was talking about design philosophy in general.

Kind of just noticed we've completely lost track of the original question.

If you want to look into other means of partitioning a Mac formatted drive, take a look at this page. They list four different third party alternatives along with links to each one.

Before trying any of them, be sure to have full, restorable backups in case something goes very, ugly wrong. I'd steer clear of Gnome Editor. Not sure why the writer thought a Linux tool would be good to use on a Mac.

The first link in the article just goes to a purchase page, not the product. That's here.

I downloaded the Recovery Partition Creator, but I can't find instructions?

I have the YM install app, but not sure how to proceed, what to do first?  Install YM on external usb (which has to be at least 8 gb, right?  How do create the recovery HD on a 4gb usb?

 

There are no instructions. Just follow the prompts. It's an Apple script so all you do is double click the app. You'll see some instructions of what it's about to do. Then, you select the thumb drive from a list of drives to write the Recovery HD. Make sure you choose your USB thumb drive. Next, it asks where your Install OS X -----.app file is. And then it will ask you to click one of two buttons. One button has 10.7 10.8 on it and the 2nd button has 10.9. Just click the 10.9 button. That one applies for OS X Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan. The developer just didn't update his application to change that button. The app will do its thing and create the Recovery HD on the thumb drive and let you know when it's done.

There might be some instructions of something on the link I provided to the developer's Web site for the utility.

linda2009 wrote:

 

Thanks! keg55 -- that was helpful even if the forum won't let me click on the "helped me."  So thanks.

 

It seems it wouldn't let me do it with my El Cap OS on my fusion drive. Don't know if it was what I did or what.

 

Hi again linda,

It wasn't something you did. From the RPC 38 page…

For those of you with Fusion drives or Core Storage Volumes this program will not work on those.

It seems it wouldn't let me do it with my El Cap OS on my fusion drive. Don't know if it was what I did or what. 

That utility will NOT let you create a Recovery HD ON a Fusion Drive or a drive that has the CoreStorage file type. But it should have let you create it on a USB thumb drive (formatted as OS X Extended-Journaled) within OS X El Capitan regardless what your internal drive is (Fusion in your case). I'm running OS X El Capitan and my file type is CoreStorage. I used my Install OS X Yosemite.app file to create a 10.10.5 Recovery HD on a USB thumb drive and had no problem at all using the utility. So, you may have done something wrong at the beginning like accidentally pointed to your internal Fusion drive instead of your external USB thumb drive.

In any case, glad you got one created to solve your problem of using an older version of Disk Utility.

My biggest complaint with the new Disk Utility is the inability to open multiple windows and run First Aid on multiple volumes simultaneously. That was always possible before. I now have to do it with multiple Terminal windows.

Third party developers seem to be pretty adept at writing GUI front-ends to Apple's built-in command line tools. Hopefully someone with the know-how will step in to fill the gap.

Hi linda2009,

While keg55's third party instructions may, or will work, it's the slow way if you do already have a full OS X .dmg installer on hand. There also isn't any need to use Recovery Partition Creator since Apple already provides a way for the user to do that. Personally, I always use DiskMaker X.

What's the difference?

Apple's instructions and Recovery Partition Creator only create a minimal bootable USB drive. That is, it's the same as the Recovery partition already on your drive. As such, when you boot to it, most of OS X has to be downloaded from Apple's servers. Depending on your connection speed, this can take quite a while. DiskMaker X (use an 8 GB USB drive), builds an entire bootable USB drive from the full .dmg installer. When the automated process is complete, everything necessary to reinstall OS X is on the USB drive. Nothing needs to be downloaded from Apple's servers during the install.

FWIW, I only used DiskMaker X once but it did the job well. I still have it installed and if I need it again I will use it. So that's two recommendations.