OS 10.4 - Formatting HDD for MacBook & Windows

BigDaddy · BigDaddy #1 (**permalink**)

06-27-2006, 11:12 PM

I just bought a MacBook a few weeks ago and my wife needed to have windows to run a piece of software for her work. So I used BootCamp and installed windows. Then I bought an external hard drive to store home movies and pictures of my family on and I need to format the new drive. I want to format it so that the files can be read by both Mac and Windows. From what I am seeing the biggest problem I have is that it is a 250GB drive.

Can anyone help me out on formating the entire drive to be read on both OS's?

mac57 · mac57 #2 (**permalink**)

06-27-2006, 11:30 PM

Happily, Mac OS will read PC formatted disks. So, simply format it on the PC for FAT32 and the Mac should be able to read it. Alternately you can use Disk Utility on the Mac to format it for the PC format, and that should work too.

mac57 · mac57 #3 (**permalink**)

06-27-2006, 11:39 PM

Didn't you just post this in another of these forums? I answered it there.

Cross posting is generally considered to be a no-no, and a violation of forum etiquette.

DeathToPCs · DeathToPCs #4 (**permalink**)

06-27-2006, 11:42 PM

Why did you post this in 3 different areas???

BigDaddy · BigDaddy #5 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 12:09 AM

I wanted to make sure that I got some answers. I assume that not everyone reads out of the same forums

BigDaddy · BigDaddy #6 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 12:10 AM

Will this allow me to write from both Windows and Mac?

BigDaddy · BigDaddy #7 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 12:12 AM

Noob mistake. I just wanted to make sure this question gets answered so that I can get my new drive up and running.

D3v1L80Y · D3v1L80Y #8 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

I wanted to make sure that I got some answers. I assume that not everyone reads out of the same forums

Welcome to the forums. Just to let you know, cross-posting is heavily frowned upon here.
Please see the Forum Rules before you post again.
:black:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/ann...nouncementid=7

Murlyn · Murlyn #9 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 01:44 AM

I will be merging your threads which is going to look mighty strange and might deter people from answering your question. As has been mentioned above.. please do not cross post it's not good on so many levels regardless of the fact that it's against the rules

Thank you and welcome to the forums!

Once you read the rules and abide by them you'll have a better welcoming party then how you were received this time

avcabob · avcabob #10 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 02:17 AM

If you format the drive as NTFS, you won't be able to modify the files from OS X.

BigDaddy · BigDaddy #11 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 10:13 AM

Is there any way to format the drive so that I can write files from OS X and then be able to read on Windows and rewrite from Windows and be able to read and rewrite again from OS X?

surfwax95 · surfwax95 #12 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 10:20 AM

FAT32 will let both OSs read/write info from the disk.

NTFS=Windows Read/Write, Mac Read
HFS+=Windows NO Read/Write, Mac Read/Write

Go with FAT32.

Logan · Logan #13 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 11:28 AM

It's not possible for winblows to read OS X's partition. (Windows sucks.)
It is possible for OS X to read FAT32 windows partitions.

So while in OS X, you just write to the windows partition, and while in windows, you write to the windows partition too.

(Just clarifying in case the post above isn't the exact answer you're looking for)

kaidomac · kaidomac #14 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 02:57 PM

There are three main formats you have to deal with:

1. HSF+: OS X's format
2. NTFS: Windows' new format (Windows 2000 & XP)
3. FAT32: Windows' old format

By default, Windows cannot read or write to OS X's HSF+ format. OS X can read Windows' NTFS format, but cannot write to it. FAT32 is the "universal" format - it can be read and written to by both OS X and Windows. If you want to share a hard drive between the systems, you will need to format it to FAT32. This can be done in OS X or Windows XP. In OS X, use Spotlight to find "Disk Utility". Within Disk Utility, select your spare hard drive and go to Erase. Instead of using Mac OS Extended (Journaled), which is another name for HFS+, use the MS-DOS File System, which is another name for FAT32. This will allow the drive to be used by both OS X and Windows. Hope that helps!

surfwax95 · surfwax95 #15 (**permalink**)

06-28-2006, 03:33 PM

mac57 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 29, 2006 Location: St. Somewhere Posts: 4,547 Mac Specs: PowerMac G5 Quad, 2.5 GHz, 4 Core, 120 GB SSD, 500 GB HDD	06-27-2006, 11:30 PM Happily, Mac OS will read PC formatted disks. So, simply format it on the PC for FAT32 and the Mac should be able to read it. Alternately you can use Disk Utility on the Mac to format it for the PC format, and that should work too. My Macs: PowerMac G5 Quad, 2.5 GHz, 4 Core, Mac Pro, 3.2 GHz 8 Core, Power Macintosh 7500/100 My iStuff: 32 GB iPhone 4, 30 GB iPod Video, 16 GB iPod Touch My OS': Mac OS X Tiger, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Leopard, Mac OS 8.6, openSUSE 10.3, Win XP I was on the Mac-Forums honor roll for September 2007
	QUOTE Thanks

Murlyn #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 11, 2003 Location: Mount Vernon, WA Posts: 4,905 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 2.6 GHz Core 2 Duo 4GB RAM OS 10.5.2	06-28-2006, 01:44 AM I will be merging your threads which is going to look mighty strange and might deter people from answering your question. As has been mentioned above.. please do not cross post it's not good on so many levels regardless of the fact that it's against the rules Thank you and welcome to the forums! Once you read the rules and abide by them you'll have a better welcoming party then how you were received this time ---> Join the Mac-Forums Folding team: use 37954 as your team number. View Mac-Forums Folding team statistics (More Info) Don't forget to use the User Reputation System
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surfwax95 #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 27, 2005 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 2,410 Mac Specs: 15" Powerbook G4 • 24" iMac • iPhone 3Gs	06-28-2006, 10:20 AM FAT32 will let both OSs read/write info from the disk. NTFS=Windows Read/Write, Mac Read HFS+=Windows NO Read/Write, Mac Read/Write Go with FAT32. I try to Command+Shift+/ when I can. They're - Their - There \| Two - Too - To \| You're - Your \| MAC - Mac I was on the M-F honor roll for October, 2006.
	QUOTE Thanks

kaidomac #14 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 18, 2006 Posts: 1,868 Mac Specs: G4 Cube	06-28-2006, 02:57 PM There are three main formats you have to deal with: 1. HSF+: OS X's format 2. NTFS: Windows' new format (Windows 2000 & XP) 3. FAT32: Windows' old format By default, Windows cannot read or write to OS X's HSF+ format. OS X can read Windows' NTFS format, but cannot write to it. FAT32 is the "universal" format - it can be read and written to by both OS X and Windows. If you want to share a hard drive between the systems, you will need to format it to FAT32. This can be done in OS X or Windows XP. In OS X, use Spotlight to find "Disk Utility". Within Disk Utility, select your spare hard drive and go to Erase. Instead of using Mac OS Extended (Journaled), which is another name for HFS+, use the MS-DOS File System, which is another name for FAT32. This will allow the drive to be used by both OS X and Windows. Hope that helps! Mac Sites - down for reconstruction
	QUOTE Thanks

surfwax95 #15 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 27, 2005 Location: Fayetteville, AR Posts: 2,410 Mac Specs: 15" Powerbook G4 • 24" iMac • iPhone 3Gs	06-28-2006, 03:33 PM I try to Command+Shift+/ when I can. They're - Their - There \| Two - Too - To \| You're - Your \| MAC - Mac I was on the M-F honor roll for October, 2006.
	QUOTE Thanks

OS 10.4 - Formatting HDD for MacBook & Windows

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BigDaddy #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 35 Mac Specs: 13" MacBook w/ 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo 512MB memory & SuperDrive	06-27-2006, 11:12 PM I just bought a MacBook a few weeks ago and my wife needed to have windows to run a piece of software for her work. So I used BootCamp and installed windows. Then I bought an external hard drive to store home movies and pictures of my family on and I need to format the new drive. I want to format it so that the files can be read by both Mac and Windows. From what I am seeing the biggest problem I have is that it is a 250GB drive. Can anyone help me out on formating the entire drive to be read on both OS's?
	QUOTE Thanks

DeathToPCs #4 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	06-27-2006, 11:42 PM Why did you post this in 3 different areas???
	QUOTE Thanks

BigDaddy #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 35 Mac Specs: 13" MacBook w/ 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo 512MB memory & SuperDrive	06-28-2006, 12:09 AM I wanted to make sure that I got some answers. I assume that not everyone reads out of the same forums
	QUOTE Thanks

BigDaddy #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 35 Mac Specs: 13" MacBook w/ 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo 512MB memory & SuperDrive	06-28-2006, 12:10 AM Will this allow me to write from both Windows and Mac?
	QUOTE Thanks

BigDaddy #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 35 Mac Specs: 13" MacBook w/ 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo 512MB memory & SuperDrive	06-28-2006, 12:12 AM Noob mistake. I just wanted to make sure this question gets answered so that I can get my new drive up and running.
	QUOTE Thanks

avcabob #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Sep 21, 2004 Posts: 199 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 15" 2.16Ghz Core Duo 1GB Ram 80GB	06-28-2006, 02:17 AM If you format the drive as NTFS, you won't be able to modify the files from OS X.
	QUOTE Thanks

BigDaddy #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 35 Mac Specs: 13" MacBook w/ 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo 512MB memory & SuperDrive	06-28-2006, 10:13 AM Is there any way to format the drive so that I can write files from OS X and then be able to read on Windows and rewrite from Windows and be able to read and rewrite again from OS X?
	QUOTE Thanks

Logan #13 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	06-28-2006, 11:28 AM It's not possible for winblows to read OS X's partition. (Windows sucks.) It is possible for OS X to read FAT32 windows partitions. So while in OS X, you just write to the windows partition, and while in windows, you write to the windows partition too. (Just clarifying in case the post above isn't the exact answer you're looking for)
	QUOTE Thanks

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