How do I get my separated partition back together (on macOS)?

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iSaanro Author

Level 1

4 points

How do I get my separated partition back together (on macOS)?

Hello everyone!

I hope you're doing well. I've a (for me) major problem and want to solve it in a smooth and effective way.

I'm a Windows user and just switched to macOS around 5 months ago.

My issue now is that I can't do a backup nor update my macOS to the latest version since my space (C) is full.

I also barley can install anything since I'm always getting that "disk is full" message.

I thought at first you can set where programs are being installed by default but it's much different from Win.

Anyways, I now wanted to move my whole macOS system (with seted up Desktop etc) to an external drive so I can reset my laptop and transfer back everything to the laptop as it were before.

I do have a strong external drive I can use. My idea is to set the Hard Drive as it was (in one unite).

I render a and work alot with Adobe so separating Programs and Cache from the OS made always sense to me to work smooth and fast (for Windows it's that way at least).

My question now:

Can I export my whole macOS to my SanDisk Extreme Portable V2 SDSSDE61-4T00-G25 4TB?

(Would I have to install macOS first on it in order to do that)?

2.Do I need to have a second Macbook to transfer everything over there to solve the issue

(does an apple store would provide a macbook for that and solve the issue?)

3.Can my Windows Laptop can be useful in any case and if so what would I have to do?

4.If I remove the "Container's" (more in the coming screenshots)

will everything be lost or will it all be transferred into one unite Hard Drive?

Here are all my Informations to better understand what I mean etc:

I would love to hear from you, this topic is very frustrating for me. And thanks for your time and help!

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Apr 11, 2023 1:56 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,988 points

Apr 11, 2023 2:30 AM in response to iSaanro

The only way to recover the partitions is to erase them and expand the preceding partition into the free space after it. So, you would need to move the data to an external, turn the second and third partitions into free space, then drag the handle around from the first through the free space.

Partition a physical disk in Disk Utility on Mac - Apple Support

The OS and your data are already “partitioned” from each other on macOS.

The concept of a scratch disk I don’t think has much efficacy on an SSD, but there may be other considerations I don’t know about.

For the data on the partitions, You just need to copy the files from those two partitions over to the external. Once you remove the partitions, move back items you want on the external, and leave the rest on the external.

There isn’t a reliable way to clone the System volume anymore. To “recover” from a backup, you install the OS, then use Migration Assistant to move your data back over from the backup or other Mac. In your case, you would just move them manually from one drive to the other.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,988 points

Apr 11, 2023 4:55 AM in response to iSaanro

I don’t think you’d gain anything from that. However, you may run into problems, recombining the drive into one partition, so it might be a good idea to back everything up. You are not going to restore the system volume in any case. You have to reinstall the OS. The only things you’d be restoring would be the small mount of data you left in your home and apps you didn’t move.

As to the other apps, If all you did in the first place was move them out of applications into that external drive, moving back will be the same process.

And, even though it looks like they’re in the same place as the OS, they are not. The OS is created on the system volume and it actually mounts a cryptographically sealed snapshot of that volume. Your data, and any third-party applications that are not bundled with the OS, are on a separate volume.

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Answer 3

etresoft

Level 9

56,170 points

Apr 11, 2023 5:19 AM in response to iSaanro

You are going to have to erase that hard drive and start over. You will probably need an external hard drive to save your existing files, if you don’t already have one.

It isn’t windows. Forget the C D and F drives. Use the defaults. No partitions.

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Answer 4

iSaanro Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 11, 2023 2:55 AM in response to Barney-15E

So basically I just move all my personal data and Programs over the external Drive and

then follow the steps on the URL you sent me to unite app partition correct?

When I move any Program from Application over to my external Drive, would that be enough?

I'm used to have/move an actual folders where all files such as ".dll" or others are stored.

I would love the whole "Library" as well for example because of the "Profiles" in Google Chrome, Firefox, Thunderbird etc.

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Answer 5

iSaanro Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 11, 2023 2:56 AM in response to Barney-15E

So basically I just move all my personal data and Programs over the external Drive and

then follow the steps on the URL you sent me to unite app partition correct?

When I move any Program from Application over to my external Drive, would that be enough?

I'm used to have/move an actual folders where all files such as ".dll" or others are stored.

I would love the whole "Library" as well for example because of the "Profiles" in Chrome, Firefox, Thunderbird etc.

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

121,988 points

Apr 11, 2023 4:04 AM in response to iSaanro

Normally, the Applications are stored in the main /Applications folder. Did you somehow install them somewhere else? There should be no reason to move them as you aren’t erasing that part of the drive.

Even if you put an app on an external drive, any support or configuration files are stored in your home folder in various places, so you should be able to move them as-is. Your data (like the profiles) should remain in your home and the app will find them again when you move it.

The most common place is on Application Support which is in your user Library (hidden). You can open the user Library by holding down the Option Key and selecting Library from the Go menu in Finder. Look for a folder in Application Support named Firefox or Mozilla (or other software/company name). That is in your home folder and will remain on the macOS volumes that you are not erasing.

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