External Hard Drive read only

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My hard drive is only read only, i cant modify folders, add anything to the hard drive, or delete files. I can open them and transfer them on to my computer. I share this hard drive between a PC and a Mac, but i know other people that do the same with out any problems.

I have the new intel macbook, and its only around a week old. Can i re format the drive to something that can be shared btwn macs and PCs? Also is there a way to do it without losing everything on there. I ahve more on there than i have space on either of my comps combined.
 
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What did you format the drive as? Sounds like its NTFS.
You will need FAT32 to use it for read/write access in both Windows and Mac.

Take a few moments to search the forums as there is a plethora of threads that discuss this topic.

:black:
 
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is there a program fro macs like there is for XP taht will write NTFS, like how xp has macopener? Cause then i wont lose all my data.
 
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just copy all of the data onto another drive and you can format it fat32 in OS X and have read/write
 
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I have too much to put on another drive, i have like 70 gb, and i ly have 15 open on this comp, and 15 on the other, the only option would be tp find someone wit another external to load my up on to.

But doesnt XP only read up to 32 gb of FAT32?
 
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OS X can format it to any size and XP has no problem reading it. There are no programs that I have seen that allow you to write to NTFS on macs
 
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can i partion the drive so i save all the stuff on there, move it to the other side and then put them together again?

Wats better using FAT32 or formating it to MAC format and using MacDrive on the PC?
 
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I'd go with FAT32, simply because you can access that data format from any pc or mac, regardless of what it's running.

You can't repartition that drive without copying the data off it first though.

DVD spindle anyone? :)
 
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when i go to reformat it these are the format options it gives to me . Which ones it FAT32?

Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Mac OS Extended
Mac OS Extended (case Sensitive, journaled)
Mac OS Extended (case sensitive)
MS-DOS File System
UNIX File System

Is there a guide to doing this online somewhere?
 
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MS-DOS File System
 
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so i just hit erase drive, and then put MS-DOS for teh format to put it into and hit OK or whatever? Thats hit? Its that easy?

On XP it would be way harder.
 
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apg96 said:
so i just hit erase drive, and then put MS-DOS for teh format to put it into and hit OK or whatever? Thats hit? Its that easy?

On XP it would be way harder.

Welcome to the world of Apple ...it's easier.... :)
 

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