[sillyrabbitt]

hi all-

have an ibook with os x networked to an xp pro machine and when i transfer a file any file from the mac to the pc it creates two files one real file and with a period in front of it. how do i stop this from happening?

THANKS!

also from the mac to my xp-home pc it doesnt create the double files only to the xp-pro machine?

[christ]

You don't.

The .files are the equivalent of the old resource fork on MacOs 9 and before, and contain the icons and Mac-related stuff. (I think that) You can hide them in Windows, as they should be marked as hidden files, so clearing the 'display hidden files flag' should hide them. You can delete them with no (minimal) ill -effect, but you have to do this deletion at the windows end, as obviously you can't see them from the Mac.

You also get some other files notably '.Trashes' on each windows share that you access.

[Macola]

Unfortunately, if you use your Mac in a PC network environment, you're likely to get complaints from the typical network administrators who don't like all these files being splattered across their servers. You can use a utility like Clean Up SMB Mess to remove these files.

[sillyrabbitt]

hi-

THANKS so much for the replies. just so i understand whats what......so you mean the hide files is probably selected on my xp-home machine and not on my xp-pro thats why they are showing up on pro and not home?

deleting those files is not a problem or leaving them is fine as well too?


QUOTE "You also get some other files notably '.Trashes' on each windows share that you access."

whats does the above mean?? confused???

also that software program cleanup smb mess is for the mac or the pc????

THANKS!!!!!!!

[Macola]

Originally posted by sillyrabbitt:

QUOTE "You also get some other files notably '.Trashes' on each windows share that you access."

whats does the above mean?? confused???

also that software program cleanup smb mess is for the mac or the pc????

You will find (in addition to the other "hidden" files) two more files called something like ._Trashes and ._DStore. You can delete these or leave them as you wish.

Clean up SMB Mess is an Applescript utility. On the PC side, you could simply select all the hidden files and delete them manually.

[sillyrabbitt]

hey macola-

THANKS for helping me!!!!

QUOTE "Clean up SMB Mess is an Applescript utility. "

which would do what help prevent these extra files from being transfered to begin with???


THANKS!!!!

[christ]

Originally posted by sillyrabbitt:
...which would do what help prevent these extra files from being transfered to begin with???

No.

The files will be created during the copy (open/ save) process, but these can then be removed by the use of the AppleScript.

[sillyrabbitt]

ok so i think i got it now. you mean on the mac side they are created (open and save) and then you can use this apple script clean the files up before transfer to the pc and then all is well?

what % of the original file do these double files take up? for example let say i transfer a bunch of files 100MB what would the double files be...10mb?

THANKS!

[christ]

Nearly. They are created on which ever file system the file is accessed. If the file is copied by a mac, the .file goes too. The files are never visible on a (mac os x) mac, and therefore are never a real problem there. The Applescript (I assume) can clean up the SMB volume, so that the PC weenies don't get upset by them.

They take up negligible amounts of space (a few 10s of kb, not Mb), but PC weenies get upset by them because PCs don't create them, therefore it is more evidence to them that the mac is a toy, and not to be taken seriously.

[sillyrabbitt]

hey THANKS for the lesson! i have just decided to hide the files and now i dont see them. i dont really care as long its not hurting anything by the .files being there.