I have a 1TB drive currently partitioned 650GB/350GB and both partitions appear on the desktop as drives. I wish to erase the drive fully so that I have a single partition 1TB drive but, using Disk Utility, it is not clear how I would do that. Am I using the wrong tool? Is this a command line function?
The easiest path to the solution would be appreciated.
Selecting the topmost item in DU, i.e. your drive itself, and hitting "Erase" should turn the trick.
The problem is that DU lists the partitions as two separate drives and is willing to erase each of them. However, that leaves me with two erased drives whereas I want the 1TB drive to be a single partition fully erased.
I don't have a partitioned drive with which to double-check this, but in Disk Utility, when I select the "Partition" option, there is a +/- below the drive image. Select "-" to delete the partition? I would think you will get a warning that you will lose data, but that's OK in your situation. Then erase the single remaining partition.
The earlier Disk Utility app used to show the drive as well as the volumes.....the later releases of Disk Utility only show the Volumes by default, however, there is a "view" button (just below the three color pills in the upper left corner) that will allow you to view all just as before. This is what you are looking for in order to erase the entire drive rather than individual Volumes on that drive.
I would add that when you reconfigure the drive that unless you are intending to use it as a Time Machine drive you might consider formatting it APFS. Although APFS is not ideal for HDs, I find the ability to create and delete APFS volumes with no size restrictions is very useful. I have two rotating rust drives formatted APFS with multiple volumes on each and while I/O may technically be a touch slower the system has been completely stable as well as offering a very useful way of organizing my storage requirements.
.... there is a "view" button (just below the three color pills in the upper left corner) that will allow you to view all just as before. This is what you are looking for in order to erase the entire drive rather than individual Volumes on that drive.
That was the key....being able to see the two drives as one. Thank you.
Strange that it isn't the default view.
Strange that it isn't the default view.
In my experience it IS the default view.
DU has
always shown my drive...NEVER just my volumes; I never even knew there was an option until MM pointed out the "View" button.
Strange that it isn't the default view.
In my experience it IS the default view.
It wasn't the default view on mine. I only had the two partitions and didn't see the drive, with the partitions shown under it, until I used the View button.
I have reason to believe both the View option and the default setting are recent changes. I don't recall encountering either either until the latest MacOS 10.15.1 beta and for one reason or another I have been in disk Utility a lot in the last few weeks. Perhaps the last ro und of updates to Mojave and the Catalina betas.