How to get a Sandisk USB drive running on MAC?

Got a USB mem stick to use but I have to download all this crap and then install. Cant get it working. its a sandisk 8g stick. I get a message that the download is not from the app store and it won't download it, what do I need to do?

Thanks

Return it for a refund and buy a USB stick that doesn't need "downloads" to work. That's just ridiculous.

chas_m said:

Return it for a refund and buy a USB stick that doesn't need "downloads" to work. That's just ridiculous.

Click to expand...

I agree!

Ok so how do I get the pics over from Iphoto onto a usb stick?

Ah, that's an easy question to answer.

1. Select the photos you'd like to copy over. I find it's quick and easy to create an album (even if just temporarily) for this if we're talking quite a number of photos.

2. Once all the photos you want are selected, drag them from iPhoto onto the stick.

That's it.

Thanks, do I drag them in the finder or what? I am an idiot? Can you tell me the proper sequence to do this?

It has first to be formatted in a way that your version of OS-X recognises and can write to. Do you only want to use it on your own Mac, or do you want to plug it into other computers (Mac or Windows) as well? If so, what will those operating systems be, and what is your own OS-X? Sadly formats for USB sticks aren't universal - I took one to Italy that worked on both my Win7 and Snow Leopard machines, only to find that Win-XP as used by all internet cafes I went to couldn't read it. I've also discovered that the formats I use on Mac & Windows can't be read by a friend's older MBP.

Generally speaking, most smaller-capacity (under 16GB) sticks are formatted FAT and can be read and written to by both machines, so the format isn't an issue.

Large sticks sometimes are written NTFS by default so they can handle large individual files. Those sticks need to be reformatted for Mac (for exclusively Mac use) or FAT32 (for both Mac and PC use). FAT32 format limits individual files to a max size of 4GB. Other than videos, this should be enough for all other file types without issue.

To answer how to do this, I just open iPhoto and adjust the window size so I can see the right hand part of the desktop. Then I insert the USB stick and wait for it to appear on the desktop. Then I select the photos I want and drag the onto the USB stick icon. Once copied, I select the USB stick and right-click and select "Eject"*. I wait for any lights on the USB stick to stop flashing AND the icon to disappear from my desktop before removing it.

*There are several other ways to do this, but that's the way I do it.

Thanks, taking back that stick today and getting another one that will not require downloading other files.

A format I use on my Win7 and Snow Leopard machines is exFAT, which doesn't have the 4gb size limit. I have many files over that size, so a solution that handles them is important to me. But exFAT is not usable by older versions of OS-X or by Win-XP. Presumably you will want this memory stick to be usable on at least one other machine..? FAT always works, but of course has that size limit.

All my SanDisk flash drives (4GB, 8GB, 16GB and a few others) were formatted FAT out of the package and work on all my macs, Windows boxes, Linux and even my Haiku machine!

Ok, so I put the stick in the usb slot and nothing happens, meaning it does not appear on my desktop. I opened finder and it was in there. So how do you get it to appear on desktop when you insert it?

Do this, If u can , put the USB in your mac then goto Disk Utility and it should recognize it and reformat the drive for Mac cause its probably formatted for windows :/

5altyFX said:

Do this, If u can , put the USB in your mac then goto Disk Utility and it should recognize it and reformat the drive for Mac cause its probably formatted for windows :/

Click to expand...

Thanks, its FAT format, supposed to work in PC and MAC, at least thats what the guy at best buy told me.

edit: I will need to be able to plug it into a PC and view files also.

Click on Finder. On the Top Bar open Finder Preferences. Click the General Tab. Look at the pic below. Is everything checked?

Leave it at FAT if you want it to work on a Windows system.

dtravis7 said:

Click on Finder. On the Top Bar open Finder Preferences. Click the General Tab. Look at the pic below. Is everything checked?

Leave it at FAT if you want it to work on a Windows system.

Click to expand...

Thanks, none of those were checked. I corrected that.

Once again, thanks for the help.