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Mr Mushroom · Dec 9, 2005, 10:00 AM

Hi - I have a 320GB WD External drive that I have bought to back up everything I have.

As I am a PC user as well, I would ideally like to partition the disk half Mac and half windows, so that I can swap files easily between the 2 Computers.

1 - Can this be done simply in disk utiltity?

2 - Would I be better off just using NTFS format for the whole disk, as I understand that the Mac will be able to read/write to this anyway, and then I will have no problem swapping.

Any advice much appreciated

Thanks

Mush'

RevEvs · Dec 9, 2005, 10:14 AM

Format it as FAT32, then pretty much anything can read it.

DO not use NTFS, you can read but not write to this. All non-windows OS's and such that write to NTFS use unofficial hacks and workarounds, and are not safe!

Mac/Windows/Linux/Unix etc can all read FAT32..

Can disk utility format as FAT32? im not 100% - you can just use Windows though.

There is no need for two seperate paritions or anythign fancy.

TETENAL · Dec 9, 2005, 10:14 AM

Mac can read NTFS, but not write to.

Disk-Utility can only format as MS-DOS (FAT) not NTFS, and Disk-Utility can only format the whole disk for MS-DOS not just a partition. Therefore you can't have one DOS and one HFS+ partition. You need to format the whole disk for MS-DOS. Mac can read and write to a DOS formatted disk, and I would assume Windows can too.

Mr Mushroom · Dec 9, 2005, 10:50 AM

So I can just format the external to FAT32 and then use it with both the Mac and the PC? If so that will be ideal.

Are there any performance loss issues from using the FAT32 format with my powerbook instead of the Mac format?

Thanks again

RevEvs · Dec 9, 2005, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Mr Mushroom

So I can just format the external to FAT32 and then use it with both the Mac and the PC? If so that will be ideal.

Are there any performance loss issues from using the FAT32 format with my powerbook instead of the Mac format?

Thanks again

Yep - format it all as FAT32.

RE Performance issues - i think its slightly slower, but nothing really noticable. Theres not really any alternative way to do this though. so....

f1000 · Dec 9, 2005, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Mr Mushroom

Are there any performance loss issues from using the FAT32 format with my powerbook instead of the Mac format?

In my experience with Flash drives, FAT32 runs slower on a Mac than HFS does. FAT32 also cannot be journaled as can HFS+.

My recommendation is for you to hook up your external drive to just one computer (the PC) and then to access the drive from your other computer(s) across your LAN.

RevEvs · Dec 9, 2005, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by f1000

In my experience with Flash drives, FAT32 runs slower on a Mac than HFS does. FAT32 also cannot be journaled as can HFS+.

My recommendation is for you to hook up your external drive to just one computer (the PC) and then to access the drive from your other computer(s) across your LAN.

WOuldnt that be slower still? and i think any benefits would be outweighted by having to have both computers ona nd file sharing running etc..

Fusion · Dec 9, 2005, 12:53 PM

Do NOT format it FAT32... you will have problems using it as a backup drive. FAT32 has file name size limitations and almost every backup software chokes on this error when the disk throws it up.

f1000 · Dec 9, 2005, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by RevEvs

WOuldnt that be slower still? and i think any benefits would be outweighted by having to have both computers ona nd file sharing running etc..

Yes, it'd be slower for the PowerBook, but he could have his computers backup files when he's asleep. He could also use Wake on LAN to remotely activate his PC.

Originally Posted by Fusion

Do NOT format it FAT32... you will have problems using it as a backup drive. FAT32 has file name size limitations and almost every backup software chokes on this error when the disk throws it up.

Good point. I retract my recommendation.

BLAZE_MkIV · Dec 9, 2005, 01:50 PM

I have a firewire drive with 2 partitions, one hfs+ the other FAT32, I forget were i found the steps to do it but it did requer using the command line format tools.

RevEvs · Dec 9, 2005, 02:23 PM

Right - so say we discard 2 partitions, and having FAT32 - what other options are there? why is there no standard HD format? there should be!

BLAZE_MkIV · Dec 9, 2005, 06:37 PM

Why is there no standard OS?
Why is there no standard Tire Size?
Why is there no standard digital media format?
Why is there no standard envelope size?

ghporter · Dec 9, 2005, 06:47 PM

And why does all this crap happen to me?!?!

The only answer to that is "because."

There's a tool that lets OS X read AND WRITE to NTFS partitions. I just can't remember what it's called right now, but someone will pop in and say "dopey Glenn, it's called..." so maybe I'll have been helpful by just mentioning it. There are also OS extensions for Windows that let IT read and write other file systems, but I have only seen them mentioned, not named.

Fusion · Dec 10, 2005, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

And why does all this crap happen to me?!?!

The only answer to that is "because."

There's a tool that lets OS X read AND WRITE to NTFS partitions. I just can't remember what it's called right now, but someone will pop in and say "dopey Glenn, it's called..." so maybe I'll have been helpful by just mentioning it. There are also OS extensions for Windows that let IT read and write other file systems, but I have only seen them mentioned, not named.

I have NEVER heard of a program that will allow OS X to write to an NTFS drive. I would love to hear more info on this...

There is a program that let's Windows write to HFS however.

ghporter · Dec 10, 2005, 11:19 AM

Fusion, I'm starting to think my brain was playing tricks on me when I "remembered" hearing about something that would let OS X write to an NTFS volume. I've searched quite a bit this morning, and haven't come up with anything...

Sorry for the false lead.

I think the Windows plug in to read HFS (and hopefully HFS+) would be a better solution anyway.

tigas · Dec 12, 2005, 02:53 PM

MacOpener or MacDrive (for Windows). MacDrive works best, and handles HFS+ drives with more than 400GB.

Don't know if they can be called "plug-ins", but they are cheap enough.

My USB pen is formatted in HFS+ because using FAT32 will usually break OS9 to OSX file compatibility (some kinds of files, like extensions or applications, get trashed). Then all my Wintels have MacDrive. Cheap volume licensing, too.

blackbird_1.0 · Dec 12, 2005, 09:59 PM

So Macs can't network with newer Windows OSes? Windows uses NTFS now doesn't it?

slugslugslug · Dec 12, 2005, 10:04 PM

Networking is different: the Mac isn't seeing the filesystem directly, it's asking the the networking software on the other OS what files are available.

Calli46 · Dec 12, 2005, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV

I have a firewire drive with 2 partitions, one hfs+ the other FAT32, I forget were i found the steps to do it but it did requer using the command line format tools.

Mine is a USB 2 external, half HFS+, half FAT32. The FAT part is for connecting to PCs at work. I did it too using the command line, following the steps given here http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...30613121738812

Works perfectly for me

but YMMV.