External HD in MS DOS FAT and partitions in Mac OS X extended

Hi,
I am in midst of reorganizing back up.
I noted my Maxtor external HD, 300 GB, has format MS-DOS FAT,
but the 2 partitions are set up in Mac OSX extended: one for TM in extended journaled, the other partition in extended.
Anybody knows what implications I might run into ?
Should I reformat ?
Thanks
Tom

this screenshot does not contradict anything. it just says that if you use the erase tab on the whole drive with the currently selected erase settings it will erase the whole drive and reformat it to a single partition formatted FAT. but what i do see at the bottom of this screenshot is that the partition scheme is set to MBR. that's bad if you ever want to use this drive for TM or bootable backups. the partition scheme should be GUID for that. so if you ever want to use the drive for that purpose you should repartition it with GUID partition scheme. that can be done using that partition tab. set the number of partitions to what you want (but not "current"), click on "options" and set the scheme to GUID. note that this will wipe the whole drive.

Similar Messages

How to format external drive as MS-DOS (FAT)

How do I format the external drive as MS-DOS (FAT)?
I followed the instructions and have Disk Utility open for the external drive. Then > Erase > changed format from Mac OS to ExFAT and did the same with the RAID tab. But this does not change the Format from Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Thanks in advance for any advice..........It's never easy is it?

biddymon wrote:
Snip snip...........and I appreciate your sense of humor. Unfortunately mine is in the sleep mode at this stage of the game.
(3) Boot Camp 4. downloaded to 16-GB flash drive, which is recognized in Windows but will not install due to following prompt: "The version of this file is not compatible with the version of Windows you're running. Check your computer's system information to see whether you need an x86 (32-bit) or x-64 (64-bit) version of this program, and then contact the software publisher." This flash drive is formatted as MS-DOS (FAT), although ExFAT was an alternative.
OK, that does not suggest a disk format problem, but it does suggest that (as it says) you have the wrong Boot Camp version, or the wrong Windows version. ie, you have a 32bit version of Windows installed and you may have a 64bit version of Boot Camp on your Flashdrive.
I'll be back shortly, I'll get links for the various versions of Boot Camp, if there is no 32bit version for your Mac a reinstall of Windows is indicated, the 64bit version though.
OK
Even better, here is a link to a page with all the versions, if you click the version name a description will be displayed, find the correct one for your Mac and version of Windows.
Finally this page contains a model by model breakdown of which version of Windows will run on which model of Mac.

Format an External HDD - Cannot see DOS ( Fat 32 )

I have an empty My Book external HDD, which is formatted in Mac OS extended , and I would like to format it to MS - DOS ( Fat 32 ) to be able to also use it on a PC ,ive looked in Disk Utility ( Erase ) and cannot see an option to format to MS - DOS ( Fat 32 ) , where should I be looking please ..?

Select the drive (not the volume indented below it), click the "Partition" tab, set "Volume Scheme" to "1 Partition", click "Options", select "Master Boot Record", click "OK", set "Format" to "MS-DOS (FAT)", enter a volume name, then click "Apply".

Seagate external hard drive -- should I format and partition?

Hi all,
Sorry, three weeks into owning my MacBook Pro, I'm still a newbie.
I got rid of PCs because they just kept grinding to a halt, and so I want to do everything EXACTLY right as I start out in Macworld.
I need to get an external drive for Time Machine and other back-ups. Is it generally accepted by you all that the drive should be formatted (to get rid of whatever Seagate puts on it) and then partitioned along the lines of Answer #5 in the Time Machine FAQ? Is that what most people do -- with good results?
Thank you.

MarkPek wrote:
I need to get an external drive for Time Machine and other back-ups. Is it generally accepted by you all that the drive should be formatted (to get rid of whatever Seagate puts on it) and then partitioned along the lines of Answer #5 in the Time Machine FAQ? Is that what most people do -- with good results?
If the Time Machine FAQ recommends something, I'd do it.
By the way, if you're going to use that drive for Time Machine and "other back-ups", I'd create separate partitions for each of those two uses.

Should I format my external drive to MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT ??

Hi ,
Which format would be most appropriate for reformatting my external drive whilst keeping it compatible across platforms (mac and windows)??
Thanks.

FAT:
Works natively with all Macs & PCs, but can't handle files larger than 4GB.
exFAT:
Works with large files, but requires OS X 10.6.6 or later, & Vista SP1 or Windows 7 or later. Don't use your Mac to format exFAT, as Windows machines won't be able to use the drive. Must be done on a PC.

External hard drive to be read and write for MAC & PC

All,
I recently bought a Mac Book Pro and have always used a PC until now, which i used an external hard drive to use to copy files to. My mac does not let me write to this hard drive.
What do i have to do to be able to read and write to this hard drive on my MAC & PC?

your drive is formatted NTFS. OS X can only read but not write to NTFS drives. you can reformat it FAT which is writable from both OS X and windows. (this will wipe the drive of course). However, FAT is an inferior format with a number of limitations. another option is to install macfuse and NTFS-3g on your mac
http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/
It will let you write to NTFS formatted drives.

I was using an external hard drive to store video with my MAC. I absent mindedly connected the external drive to a Windows PC and now my mac will not recognize the video files.

convert my video files back to a mac recognizable format on external hard drive.

What did you do to the drive while connected to a Windows PC?

Want to partition a new External Hard drive for both pc and mac

Hello!
I am going to partition a new Seagate external hard drive for both my pc and mac. What format do I choose for the PC partition? MS-DOS (FAT), ExFAT, or Free Space.
Thank you!
Nikki

If I may suggest:
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
7. After formatting has completed select the main entry for the new drive (mfgr.'s ID) then click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Click on the large partition rectangle then click on the Add [+] button. The partition should divide into two equal volumes. Resize as you prefer. Select the second or bottom volume to use on the PC. Set the format type to ExFat, then click on the Apply button. Wait for the two volumes to finish mounting on the Desktop.

Formatting a particular partition to MS-DOS(FAT)

I have a 1TB Lacie external hard drive with two partitions (300GB and 700GB). Both are Mac OS Extended (Journaled) right now. I want the 700GB partition to be MS-DOS(FAT) but when I select the partition and go to the erase page it does not give me the MS-DOS(FAT) format option in the pull down menu. If I click on the entire disc and choose to format both partitions back into one it DOES allow me to use the MS-DOS(FAT) format but not if I only have one partition selected. Why is this? Is there any way to just format one partition to MS-DOS(FAT)?

Done reformatting and it worked. Thanks!
Here's something off topic: I was concerned with formatting a partition to fat32 because I wanted to use my external drive with my PS3. When my drive was formatted with the APM scheme my PS3 didn't pick it up, even when it was fat32. But now that it is GUID it works on the PS3 as well. So, two problems solved.

How to reformat a mac os formatted external hard drive to ms dos fat

i partitioned a external hard drive so it could work as both my time machine back up and an external hard drive, i got another external hard drive as i was running out of space and wanted to use that one as a back up only, how do i reformat the partitioned one to MS-DOS (FAT)

Use Disk Utility in the Utilities folder: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1075

Ext disk volume still says "MS-DOS (FAT)" after erase/partition?

Hi, and thanks in advance. I have actually searched here, read quite a bit including the FAQ on using an ext drive with Time Machine (what I'm trying to do) but am still not clear.
I'm bringing over a 500G ext drive from my PC to my new iMac. I've used Disk Utility (I thought) to erase the drive, and form a single new partition.
When I click on that partition, the Volume info appears correct: it is Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and named Backup Book. However, if I click on the drive itself (with size and ID info) that still is listed as a MS-DOS (FAT) volume, and is untitled.
I'm doing a giant "huh" here, even with all my searching, so will be grateful for any assistance. Should I expect this behavior? If not, where did I go wrong? Thanks again.

Do this:
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

FedEx/Kinkos and StaplesPrint Can't Read MS-DOS (FAT) Formatted Thumb Drive

Lately, when I take a thumb drive that I've formatted using Disk Utility to MS-DOS (FAT), the computers at FedEx and Staples can't mount them. I've tried multiple thumb drives and multiple stores--same thing, they won't mount.
Shouldn't a MS-DOS (FAT) formatted thumb drive work? Or, an I missing something.

Fortuny wrote:
Hi,
thank you for the valuable informations about the MacDrive on these stations.
But are you sure about the APT partition scheme ?
Shouldn't it be GPT (GUID Partition Table) in conjunction with Mac OS Extended file system ?
Never used such stations, only trying to avoid confusion.
Stefan, you're incredibly helpful and don't need to worry in the least about me taking your posts the wrong way.
The combo of APT (Apple Partition Table) and HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) is the most compatible across platforms. GPT doesn't offer any advantages to a USB flash drive unless you are intending to use it as boot drive on an Intel-based Mac. GPT also limits the backwards compatibility (possibly not an issue) with older versions of the Mac OS.

Can't boot windows after creating new MS-DOS (FAT) partition

I created a new MS-DOS (FAT) partition on Yosemite, and now I am unable to access my windows bootcamp partition.
- I can attempt to boot into windows from Yosemite however after a long while, I am prompted with "no bootable device".
- The option to boot windows from the startup manager is no longer visible.

It still shows the bootcamp partition with windows.
EDIT: Creating the new FAT partition did seem to create another partition which is visible when looking at the partition layout; the other partition is 1.04gb; format "Free Space". Apparently that's from bootcamp - hadn't noticed before.
I took some screens to show what I mean ("WINDOWS EXT" is the new partition I created):
- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23413810/Apple/new%20fat.png
- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23413810/Apple/new%20fat%20details.png
- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23413810/Apple/created%20alongside%20fat.png
- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23413810/Apple/windows%20bootcamp.png
- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23413810/Apple/windows%20bootcamp%20details. png

I am setting up a time machine backup to a external Hard drive. I want to backup by Mac book Pro running OSX 10.8.5. I would like to Partition the disk and use one partition for Time machine backups and the other for my Lightroom backups. How to do this?

I want to create a two partition disk. One partition for time machine, the other for Lightroom backup. Currently Time Machine is using the entire drive and it is doing the intial encryption and is about 29% complete after two days. I've decided that I want to turn encryption off and partition the disk. So I do I start over?

With the external drive attached, open Finder>Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility. Select the external drive from the list in the left side panel of the DU window. In the main window panel, click Partition in the buttons top center of that panel.
Select the number of partitions you want and adjust their sizes.
For the first partition, click to highlight the partition, then select the format, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then the partition table as GUID [both of those are the defaults]. Click Apply and it will ask to confirm and erase and format that partion...oh, give the partition a name, like Backup.
Then repeat those steps for the second partition..and remember to name it...something like Lightroom.
Close Disk Utilitty and you are ready to send TM to the one partition, and do your backup of Lightroom to the second partition.

Using a Fat 32 partition to share between OSX and WinXP

If I take a hard drive and partition half of it as NTFS and install Win XP on it using Bootcamp and partition half of it as FAT32 and leave it as an empty space, and have it as one of the drives in a Mac Pro running OSX, would I be able to copy files to and from the FAT32 partition when running either Win XP or OSX so that the files could be shared?
Can you create partitions on a drive of different formats such as NTFS, FAT32 and also the Mac's format (I forget the name of it)? Could they be made bootable partitions?
Thanks for any advice.

It takes an extra step to format it to NTFS from Windows, which works fine. I've done that a number of times, and have Vista on its own drive with a couple NTFS and one FAT32 partition. Just create the one to be NTFS as FAT, give it a name (NTFS_FAT) so you are sure which it will be and the size.
I never use BootCamp, no need for that but might try. I just format it with Disk Utility. I never touch my OS X boot drive at all, and in fact pull it when installing Vista.

External HD in MS DOS FAT and partitions in Mac OS X extended

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for