Q: How can I remove a partition? Standard procedures don't work
Hi there
Context:
Macbook Air (mid 2011), OS X El Captian version 10.11.4
128GB SSD split into a 70GB partition (OS X el capitan, name is "Macintosh HD") and a 50GB partition (used to be bootcamp, name is now "B"). The 50GB partition needs to go.
I have erased the 50GB to an OS X extended (Journaled) partition, but when I click on partition, I still cannot remove it (the infamous "minus greyed out", see image).
I can resize it, but Macintosh HD stays at 70GB, and a third partition is made which in turn can be removed, but the space it liberated is allocated to B again, which doesn't solve anything.
Rebooting on recovery mode and using disk utility there hasn't allowed for the partition to be removed either.
As you can see on the image above, I also made an eDrive, from which I still can't remove the 50GB partition.
Note: Filevault is turned off.
I feel quite silly since I managed to do this before on a previous version of mac OS.. (at the time I had to enlarge the bootcamp partition, but for that I had to remove it first, due to its format)
Help me, apple community, you're my only hope!
MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)
Posted on Jun 7, 2016 2:08 AM
Before going the Terminal way, you must backup your Mac since a wrong command line will invite fresh trouble and your entire Macintosh HD can go unrecognised. Other way round will be using a partition manager utility by creating a bootable USB and resizing / creating / deleting partitions. You may look at these applications for partitioning Mac.
1) Stellar Partition Manager - http://www.stellarinfo.com/mac-software/partition-mac/partition-mac-drive.php
2) iPartition - https://coriolis-systems.com/iPartition/
3) Paragon Partition for Mac - https://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-mac/
Posted on Jun 7, 2016 5:30 AM

