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The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state.
You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site.
We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.
I have my Windows PC backed up on a 500GB external hard drive but only 46GB are used. I want to partition the drive so I can use the rest of it to back up my macbook air. How do I partition it without erasing the data that is on there? Do I just make one partition 46GB and the other 454GB? How do I know where on the drive the data is stored? Or will it automatically go into one partition? Thank you much!
MacBook Air, iOS 9.1
How is this drive currently formatted? It will have to be a format that both Mac and the PC can use or you will have to install third party software if it is formatted NTFS. Time machine will work only on a Mac only format.
Your best option is to have separate drives for PC and Mac.
Ciao.
It is a 500GB drive with only 49GB used so I don't want to buy another drive. The data is Windows which is why I want to partition-so I can format the rest for Mac. I won't be using my Windows computer anymore. I want 2 partitions. One either the data that is already there, the other to be formatted so I can back up my Mac to it.
I understand you reluctance for an additional external HDD. You are certainly entitled to make that decision.
You have not answered that most important question, 'How is the HDD currently formatted'?
Ciao.
IT is formatted for Windows. That's why I want to partition it-so I can format 1 partition to back up my new Mac.
Connect the HDD to your MBP and click on the HDD icon on the desktop with the COMMAND + I keys. This should result in a display similar too this:
What does it say next to FORMAT?
Ciao.
It says: Windows NT File System (NTFS). That is why I want to partition it. Use part for Macbook and save the windows formatted data.
I suggest that you consider a third party application such as Paragon or Tuxera that will allow you to write to a NTFS formatted external HDD. Then you have no pressing need to partition the HDD.
Ciao.
Partitioning External Hard Drive
