How to use Disk Utility

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How to use Disk Utility
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To open Disk Utility, you have two ways:

1. First you go to Applications, then open Utility, and you will find this icon:

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2. You use Spotlight Search, called with Command + Space, where you write "Disk Utility" and you'll se something like this:

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Clicking on it, will show this window:

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From here you can partition a disk, erase it, restore it, mount or unmount it, see more detailed information about it or "fix it" using the First Aid function.

Let's start with the First Aid function​

It will check your volume and, if needed, it will repair it.

Clicking on it, will open this window:

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You'll click on Run. If the partition you've selected for First Aid is your Boot Volume, you'll see this window (otherwise ignore this step and go forward):

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Then, it will start and, if you expand the details, you'll see something like this:

Verifying file system.
Using live mode.
Performing live verification.
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
File system check exit code is 0.
Operation successful.

At the end, it will show up like this:

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You click on done and you're done!

 

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Now, let's see the Partition tool​

When you need to Partition an Hard Disk or an Solid State Drive, you have to select the disk and not the partition.
After you've clicked on it, it will show up something like this:

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You can add a partition simply clicking on the "+" sign, and then resize as you like (or you need).

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After that, you click on apply, and Disk Utility will prompt this window:

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Click on Partition and you're ready to go!

But, only if you are adding or removing a partition from your boot drive you'll see this windows prompting to you. If you want to continue, you click on continue.

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It will start and you'll see something similar wrote into the expanded details:

Running operation 1 of 1…
Verifying the disk
Verifying file system.
Using live mode.
Performing live verification.
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
File system check exit code is 0.
Resizing
Shrinking file system
Copying booter
Modifying partition map
Initialized /dev/rdisk1s4 as a 24 GB case-insensitive HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal

Mounting disk
Operation successful.

When finished, you'll see this window:

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Now you're done!

How to delete a partition​

To delete a partition, you do almost the same thing you've done for add a partition, but, instead of clicking on the "+" sign, you click on the "-" sign, selecting the partition you want to delete, like in this picture here:

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Then, you click on apply, and you'll see this window:

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Click on partition, then it will start and if you expand the details, you'll se something like this:

Running operation 1 of 1…
Merging partitions
Updating recovery partition location
Waiting for partitions to activate
Growing disk
Operation successful.

Then, it will show up something like this:

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You click on done and you're ready to go!

 

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Now, it's the turn of the Erase tool​

If you want to erase a disk, probably because you need to put in Clover, or for whatever reason, you can do it in this way:

Select the disk (and not the partition) if the disk has only one partition otherwise select the partition you want to format

You'll see a window like this:

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In the name space you'll write the name you want to assign to the disk.
If you're formatting the disk for Windows, select in the Format List "MS-DOS (FAT)", otherwise leave the format list as it is.
For the scheme option, if the disk will be used only on Mac, select GUID Partition Table, otherwise select Master Boot Record.

If you want to be secure when formatting your disk to erase all the content, you can open the "Security Option" window, and select the option that matches your necessities.

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When done with the settings, click on "Erase" and wait.
It will show up a window like this at the end of the process:

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And, if you expand the details, you'll see something similar to this:

Unmounting disk
Creating the partition map
Waiting for partitions to activate
Formatting disk3s1 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name Untitled
Initialized /dev/rdisk3s1 as a 981 MB case-insensitive HFS Plus volume with a 8192k journal

Mounting disk
Operation successful.

Now, you've formatted the disk and you're done!

 

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Now, the Image/Restore Tool!​

It is very useful if you want to clone your disk, then format it, use it for boot up something or stuff like that, and then restore it as it was before doing all this operations.

To "clone" a disk (to make his image) you'll need to select first the disk/partition (if the disk has more partition), and then right click.
You'll see a menu like this:

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If you click on "Image from xxx" it will open this window:

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The name can be leaved as it is, you can choose your format and your encryption. Do it according your needs.

When setted all it up, click on save and wait.

It will ask you for your password and then it will start.

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And, obviously, if you've expanded the details, you can see something similar:

Preparing imaging engine…
Reading Master Boot Record (MBR : 0)…
   (CRC32 $72DB14B1: Master Boot Record (MBR : 0))
Reading  (Apple_Free : 1)…
   (CRC32 $00000000:  (Apple_Free : 1))
Reading  (Apple_HFS : 2)…
   (CRC32 $7D06B480:  (Apple_HFS : 2))
Adding resources…
Elapsed Time:  4.464s
File size: 33855831 bytes, Checksum: CRC32 $1E49AFD8
Sectors processed: 2010112, 66114 copied
Speed: 7.2Mbytes/sec
Savings: 96.7%
Operation successful.

The restore part​

To restore it, it is very simple.

First, select your disk/partition you want to restore.
Then, click on Restore.
It will show up this window:

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Now, from the button "Image" you select the image you've done earlier.

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Then, click on restore.

When finished, you'll see something like this (obviously, expanding the details):

Validating target...
Validating source...
Could not find any scan information. The source image needs to be imagescanned before it can be restored.
Image needs to be scanned. Will restore as mounted disk image.
Validating target...
Validating source...
Validating sizes...
Restoring
Verifying
Operation successful.

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You've successfully restored your disk/partition!

 

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Last, but not least, the Info tool​

You can see the informations about your disk/partiton.
It's very simple to do this.
Select your disk/partition from where you want the information, then click the info button.

It will show up a window like that:

(this one if you've selected a disk)​

(this one if you've selected a partition)​

Done!