how to remove partitions iMac 27" late 2015 2Tb Fusion

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how to remove partitions iMac 27" late 2015 2Tb Fusion

If I use a USB boot drive to do a clean install and go into Disk Utilities, how can I make my HD drive back into 1 partition before doing the AFPS format? Thanks

iMac 27″, macOS 12.0

Posted on Nov 16, 2021 3:39 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

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Nov 20, 2021 1:03 PM in response to anthonyhague

As is stated before, there aren’t two partitions. There is an orphaned data volume in the same container as your system volume. They share the same space. You can remove the bottom one.

A fusion drive as configured by Apple will use an SSD and an HDD. you don’t have an HDD, but that may because it died.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

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Nov 17, 2021 6:10 AM in response to anthonyhague

You can't join the as-is.

You can erase the later partition and then merge the free space into the partition before it. The second link I posted should have directions for that.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

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Nov 17, 2021 5:43 AM in response to Barney-15E

If it is partitioned, but the Fusion is intact, Partition a physical disk in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

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Nov 20, 2021 1:39 PM in response to anthonyhague

Select the last one listed there and click the Remove Volume button in Disk Utility.

When you select it, you should not see a home icon badge in the name. If you do, that is the current data volume.

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Answer 5

Barney-15E

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Nov 17, 2021 1:13 PM in response to anthonyhague

Yes, you can turn it into one partition. I have explained that several times including instructions from Apple.

What you cannot do is stick the second partition onto the first partition and keep all of the data on the second partition. You must turn that second partition into free space and then you can merge that space into the first partition.

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Answer 6

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 17, 2021 10:37 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hi Barney -

So I cant turn it back to 1 partition? someone from here told me I could, bummer because my work files can often get large and I need more than the 300Gb I have free in Partition 1.

Your 100% im stuck with 2 partitions? can I not change the memory allocation from 50/50 to 90/10 so ive go a bigger main drive?

Thanks

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Answer 7

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 17, 2021 2:19 PM in response to Barney-15E

Please can you send me the link to your explanation or tell it one more time? Ive searched for the answer too and only find making more partitions.

Ive formatted the drive before and the partition remains. I cant work out how to select both partitions and make it into one. Sorry to be repetative.

Thanks in advance

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Answer 8

Barney-15E

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122,162 points

Nov 17, 2021 7:12 PM in response to anthonyhague

I don't see a 2TB Fusion drive. All I see is a 1TB internal startup drive and a 2TB external drive.

On your internal drive, you only have one partition (actually, a container). So, there isn't any partitions to merge.

Inside that container you have your System volume, your Data volume, and an orphaned Data volume.

You can just remove the orphaned Data volume by selecting it and clicking the Remove Volume Button (–).

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Answer 9

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 20, 2021 10:34 AM in response to Barney-15E

Honestly I don't know what your talking about. When I bought this iMac it came with a 2Tb hard drive. From what I can see from the 'About This Mac' its 2Tb but in two separate partitions. 1Tb in iMac 2016 + 1Tb in iMac 2016 data = 2Tb right?

Its never had any mods.

So can I turn it back to a single 2Tb drive like before?

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Answer 10

Barney-15E

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Nov 20, 2021 11:24 AM in response to anthonyhague

I don’t know what you think you are seeing, but all I see is a 1TB SSD with the OS Volume, Data volume, and an extra Data volume which you can remove as I described above, but it won’t increase the storage in the SSD.

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Answer 11

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 20, 2021 11:36 AM in response to Barney-15E

So are you saying my drive is now only 1Tb? **** I wonder what happened to the other 1Tb, or perhaps over this dual partition period ive imagined it was 2Tb's. I can't imagine id pay for the iMac to be fully spec'd (32Gb RAM & 4GB GPU) and leave the HD at 1Tb, especially in my job but anything is possible.

Can I consolidate this two partition or whatever you call it back into one drive? If not, what do I use the .data folder for?

Thanks for baring with me btw.

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Answer 12

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 20, 2021 1:20 PM in response to Barney-15E

So right now I have 1Tb of SSD. And its possible it was a 2Tb Fusion but the 1Tb HDD has died. That seems most probable.

Please can you tell me how to get rid of the -Data part? so its just one simple drive again.

Thanks

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Answer 13

anthonyhague Author

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Nov 17, 2021 5:58 AM in response to Barney-15E

The fusion 2Tb is fine but in 2 partitions and I can’t work out how to select both partitions and turn them in to one partition in Disk Utility? Please describe the process for a AFPS drive? Thanks

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