In Disk Utility, WHERE is "Volume Scheme List"?

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Level 1

47 points

In Disk Utility, WHERE is "Volume Scheme List"?

In Disk Utility, I need to change the "Volume Scheme" from the Volume Scheme pop-up menu, as listed clearly in the Disk Utility help files, from whatever it is now to a "GUID Partition Method." (Mac OS X 10.8.4)

But when running Disk Utility, THERE IS NO Volume Scheme pop-up menu!

I've tried everything I can think of to get it to work as the docs say: I can dismount the drive in question, or eject it, but neither of these options helps. ALL ITEMS in the Partition dialog remain grayed out except for making a second partition. I need ONE partition. But the so-called "Volume Scheme pop-up window" is NOWHERE to be found. :-(

I am screwed until I get an answer to this problem.

What do I need to do to get Disk Utility to work as described in the Disk Utility docs?

Thanks for any assistance.

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), 18 GB ram, 10 TB storage

Posted on Oct 12, 2013 12:55 PM

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Answer 1

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DrStrik9 Author

Level 1

47 points

Oct 12, 2013 1:19 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for your kind reply.

Unfortunately, my OS X 10.8.4 (upgrade) was a Download from the Apple Store, and I DO NOT HAVE a current system install disc. (Gee thanks, Apple.) So what you describe in booting from a current system install disc is not possible.

The latest Mac OS install disc I have is 10.6. :-( Is it even worth a try?

This is a brand new internal drive. What I'm trying to do is replace my aging backup drive with a new drive, and make it a BOOTABLE BACKUP (which can be used as a start-up drive) using Synchronize Pro X (latest version). This is how I've done it for years, and it has worked flawlessly. Even Synchronize Pro docs say Disk Utility should have features not present in Disk Utility 13 (450) which should be lastest from 10.8.4 upgrade.

So I'm stuck.

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

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Answer 2

DrStrik9 Author

Level 1

47 points

Oct 12, 2013 3:44 PM in response to Kappy

Well, it's all a moot point now. The brand new Toshiba (Hitachi) 3-TB drive was BAD. After bashing my head against it for almost 7 hours, OWC gave me a RMA #.

Fortunately, I got two identical new drives, and the second one is working like a rockstar: all the options in Disk Utility which were contextually missing for the first drive are there for the second. So job half done. Sometimes you just win the "evil lottery." :+)

Thanks to Kappy and Eric Root for your help. You guys rock.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 12, 2013 12:57 PM in response to DrStrik9

Drive Partition and Format

1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.

If you are preparing an external or a non-startup drive, then open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.

2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.

3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.

4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.

5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.

6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.

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Answer 4

Eric Root

Level 10

684,045 points

Oct 12, 2013 1:25 PM in response to DrStrik9

Try rebooting into the Recovery Volume (command - R) and use Disk Utility there to do Kappy's suggestion.

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 12, 2013 1:29 PM in response to DrStrik9

Then boot from your backup drive if you can instead of from an installer disc. Once you've partitioned and formatted the new drive you can clone your backup to it:

Clone Lion/Mountain Lion using Restore Option of Disk Utility

Boot to the Recovery HD:

Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.

1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue

button.

2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.

3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.

4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it

to the Destination entry field.

5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to

the Source entry field.

6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

Destination means the new drive. Source means the old drive.

If your backup was is a Time Machine backup using Mountain Lion 10.8.2 or later, then it should be bootable using OPTION booting:

Boot Using OPTION key:

1. Restart the computer.

2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the

"OPTION" key.

3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.

4. Select the desired disk icon from which you want to boot.

5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

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Answer 6

DrStrik9 Author

Level 1

47 points

Oct 12, 2013 2:44 PM in response to Kappy

I tried booting from the recovery partition, but it did not help. The new drive could not be dismounted by Disk Utility. Same fail under a normal boot.

Oddly, the new drive had about 48 MB of data on it, but Drive Utility said it was FULL (3 TB) with 0 space available. So right now I'm "erasing free space," (the only option possible in Disk Utility) and this should take about four hours. :-(

I'm beginning to wonder if the brand new drive is defective, but time will tell.

I spoke to Apple Support, and learned that erasing with "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" automatically uses the GUID Partition Method, which according to Synchronize Pro X, would allow the drive to become a boot drive. But Synchronize Pro X said it was NOT a GUID partition. :-( At this point, I'm not sure who or what to believe.

Hopefully, more shall be revealed when Apple calls me back in a couple of hours ...

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