The Erase button allows you to erase an entire hard disk or partition. You can also choose to only erase its free space. You can use this feature to securely wipe a hard drive. Click a drive, then click the 'Erase' button, then click 'Security Options' to select a number of passes to overwrite the drive with. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continuebutton. After Disk Utilityloads select the drive (usually, this is the out-dented entry with the mfgr.' S ID and size) from the side list. Click on the Erasetab in Disk Utility'smain window. A drop-down panel will appear. A reader preparing their Mac for sale has a well-meaning friend erase the startup volume. That allows you to run Disk Utility, reinstall or wipe and install the system, access Terminal for.
Ok, you got a dual boot setup, you must of have used Bootcamp to create the partition and then installed Linux in there instead of Windows.
First thing to remmeber is Linux reformatted the partition to EXT when it installed.
Mac's can't read that format or even acknowledge it exists.
Second it's likely a sub partition called Linux Swap was also created as this is how Linux handles excess memory needs, by swapping the contents to a seperate partition for security.
It's possible this sub-partiton is under the main partition, so dealing with the main Linux partition should hopefully remove it in Step #4, else #2 or #3 will do it.
Mac Disk Space Utility
Step 1
The first order of business is your going to have to get a copy of your User file folders (Music, Documents, Pictures etc) out of OS X and onto a external hfs journaled (Disk Utility) formatted drive (not TimeMachine!) and disconnect this drive. (and any other drives as well so there are no mistakes)
You should also make a note of anything like serial numbers, email addreses or other things that are very important as you might be having to erase and reformat the entire drive and reinstalling OS X.
How To Free Up Disk Space Mac
Note: Always keep a two copies of your vital data at all times.
Step 2
The absolute best method. If you have another blank external powered drive (not the one with your backup of files) then download the free to use Carbon Copy Cloner and simply clone (use the default settings for now) your OS X 10.6 to the external drive.
When that's finished you can hold the option key and boot the computer from it. Now your happy. 🙂
You can use Disk Utility on the clone to erase and format the entire drive, GUID partition map, HFS+ journaled and simply CCC back onto the internal drive.
Reboot and run ALL of OnyX's maintainence and cleaning aspects and reboot. Zoom 😉
Step 3:
Not the best method, but works, hold c and boot off the 10.6 installer disk, select Disk Utility and Erase the whole drive format hfs+ journaled and quit, reinstall OS X, Software Update, install programs from fresh sources and finally files from backup back into their respective folders like before (not Library, leave that alone)
When you enter the hard drive name, use the same name as before, when you go through setup, use the same username as before. This is important or you lose your pathnames to your iTunes music file locations and wind up with a bunch of exclamation points.
Step 4
A chance this might work and save yourself some work and be experimental before trying the Step 3 above. Go to Disk Utility and select the Linux partition, rename it BOOTCAMP and change the partition to MSDOS and let it rip. Then enter Bootcramps and see if it recognizes it and allows you to unpartiton it.
If it works then the 2 and 3 steps are obviously not needed, but #2 is advised as a bootable backup method in addition or surplanting TimeMachine as TM drives are NOT bootable. 😟
You can use Disk Utility on the clone to erase and format the entire drive, GUID partition map, HFS+ journaled and simply CCC back onto the internal drive.
Reboot and run ALL of OnyX's maintainence and cleaning aspects and reboot. Zoom 😉
Step 3:
Not the best method, but works, hold c and boot off the 10.6 installer disk, select Disk Utility and Erase the whole drive format hfs+ journaled and quit, reinstall OS X, Software Update, install programs from fresh sources and finally files from backup back into their respective folders like before (not Library, leave that alone)
When you enter the hard drive name, use the same name as before, when you go through setup, use the same username as before. This is important or you lose your pathnames to your iTunes music file locations and wind up with a bunch of exclamation points.
Step 4
A chance this might work and save yourself some work and be experimental before trying the Step 3 above. Go to Disk Utility and select the Linux partition, rename it BOOTCAMP and change the partition to MSDOS and let it rip. Then enter Bootcramps and see if it recognizes it and allows you to unpartiton it.
If it works then the 2 and 3 steps are obviously not needed, but #2 is advised as a bootable backup method in addition or surplanting TimeMachine as TM drives are NOT bootable. 😟
Sep 13, 2011 4:17 PM
