Can't create Partition on my MacBook

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Level 1

0 points

Can't create Partition on my MacBook

Hi everyone,

first of all I would apologize for my English, (I'm just a poor Italian student.) then i would ask you a little thing about my mac:

I'm looking for a solution on a bad error than i riceve each time i try to create a partition on my macBook. Using disk utility (or even bootcamp Assistant) It start checking my disk, but when it try to reduce the disk volume it freeze and give me an error that translated say: "+impossible to resize the partition. Try reducing the amount of changes in the Dimension of the partition.+"

Honestly I have not idea of how "reducing the amount of changes in the Dimension of the partition."

I've tried checking the system permits or possible problem of the disk (always from disk utility) but without success. So, does anyone have an idea which can help me? or better a solution?

thanks a lot!

P.s
if you need it, i can upload an screen of the error!
thanks again!

MacBook Black, /

Posted on Nov 29, 2009 10:59 AM

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Answer 1

K T

Level 7

23,889 points

Nov 29, 2009 11:12 AM in response to iEnrico

Hi iEnrico & welcome to discussions.

How many partitions are you working with...

Which one are you trying to manage?

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Answer 2

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Nov 29, 2009 11:17 AM in response to iEnrico

this message means that your drive is too fragmented and bootcamp assistant can not find a contiguous piece of free space big enough to create the bootcamp partition. you can try making the bootcamp partition smaller. if that does not work either you need to defragment the drive to make this work. you can use 3rd party software like idefrag for that. another alternative is to clone the existing os x partition to another drive. You can use CCCloner or Superduper for that or just use the restore tab in disk utility. then boot from the clone, reformat the internal with disk utility and clone the clone back. this will defragment the internal drive also. and in any event make sure you have enough free space on the drive left. your OS X partition should have at least 15% space free after you've created the bootcamp partition.

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Answer 3

iEnrico Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 29, 2009 11:39 AM in response to iEnrico

Thanks for the quick answer K T and V.K,

I will try to be as clear as possible:

-Answering to K T , i haven't yet any partition (i'm trying to create my first one!) so i'm working directly on my +250,06 Gb Hitachi+ etc.. disk.

-About V.K (thank you too for the helpful post!) if i understand right my disk is too fragmented, and you are suggesting me to "format all" and take back my media (etc...) from a clone after restoration?

So i can try something like idefrag to defragment my disk or CCCloner for the clone and restoration solution? if i understand right, did you suggest me to try the idefrag method first, no?

If can help, i have 52,68 Gb free on my macbook, and i need a partition at least of 10 gb. (i've just to install winzozz for a school project. Then I can well do without!)

Thanks again for the support!

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Answer 4

Nov 29, 2009 11:44 AM in response to iEnrico

Hi iEnrico;

I would only try iDefrag if I had a known good backup.

After reading about the defrag programs and discovering that highly recommend backing up first. I never purchased one. I simple clone the disk then restore that defragments it for me and it cost less.

Allan

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Answer 5

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Nov 29, 2009 11:49 AM in response to iEnrico

iEnrico wrote:
Thanks for the quick answer K T and V.K,

I will try to be as clear as possible:

-Answering to K T , i haven't yet any partition (i'm trying to create my first one!) so i'm working directly on my +250,06 Gb Hitachi+ etc.. disk.

-About V.K (thank you too for the helpful post!) if i understand right my disk is too fragmented, and you are suggesting me to "format all" and take back my media (etc...) from a clone after restoration?

yes. clone your drive to another drive, boot from the clone, reformat the internal drive and clone the clone back. another option is using a defragmenting tool like idefrag but I agree with Allan. that option is not as reliable and I would not try it without a full backup. and so long as you are making a full backup you might as well go with the first option and forget about using idefrag altogether.

So i can try something like idefrag to defragment my disk or CCCloner for the clone and restoration solution? if i understand right, did you suggest me to try the idefrag method first, no?

If can help, i have 52,68 Gb free on my macbook, and i need a partition at least of 10 gb. (i've just to install winzozz for a school project. Then I can well do without!)

Thanks again for the support!

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Answer 6

iEnrico Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 29, 2009 12:05 PM in response to iEnrico

Thanks V.K.,
I will to it tomorrow. Just to be sure:
I can backup all my profile to an hard disk using TimeM. than boot from the external disk and via disk utility start a complete restore of my internal disk. Once it finished, i've to boot again from the external and clone the backup to the internal disk (again via disk utility?).
Right? (Please excuse me for all these explanations)

ps
thanks Allan Eckert too. 🙂

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Answer 7

V.K.

Level 9

56,192 points

Nov 29, 2009 12:24 PM in response to iEnrico

ok, that's a different method but it should work too. make a backup with time machine, boot from the install disk and reformat the internal with disk utility. then quit disk utility and choose 'restore system from backup" from the utilities menu. this will let you restore your system from the TM backup.
personally, I prefer clones to TM backups in such situation because you can boot from the clone and see if it's working before erasing the main drive and you can not do it with a TM backup.

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Answer 8

iEnrico Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 2, 2009 9:41 AM in response to iEnrico

ok, just to leave a feedback.

I used tm to create a backup of the most important things on my hard disk, than i bought iDefrag (about 25€) (i know that as k v said, all the process could be done for free creating a clone, but i used this "excuse" to defrag all the computer of my family and of friends of mine.) and (once my macbook was on transfer mode - connected to my brother's macbook) i just start the defrag tool. As usually, it took a lot (like 30 hours) but now i had a partition in my hard disk and a fully work distribution of win 7 (Thanks to my college!) that will be kicked off in a week.

Thanks for all support, see you soon.

Ps

Honestly, i've to say that after the defrag process i feel my macBook black a little slow, especially in the boot...but i don't know, maybe is just an obsession!

Bye

Enrico Guglielmi. (iEnrico)

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