External HDD to be shared with Mac and Windows XP

I wish to share an external HDD via firewire/USB between an ibook G4 on OSX 10.3.9 and Windows XP. Apart from using FAT32 and having partitions for each OS just in case can anyone share any risks considerations I need to be aware of? I intend on having a generic 320Gb Seagate drive installed into an aluminium box but for some reason Lacie seem to be particularly good with Mac's and I can't ascertain why.
ibook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9) Acer Windows XP

There appears to be some misunderstanding about what systems can read or write what hard drives.
OS X can read and write HPS+ and FAT32 formatted drives, and can read, but not write to NTFS drives. Windows can read and write NTFS and FAT32 drives, and cannot read nor write HPS+ drives. Fresh out of the box the only read/write file sharing is via FAT32 drives.
There are reasonable methods for expanding this capability.
(1) Windows can be given the ability to read and write HPS+ drives by installing MacDrive 6 on the Windows machine. As far as I know there is no software available which gives OS X the ability to read and write NTFS drives - - maybe it exists or is under develpment somewhere.
(2) Both OSX and Windows can read/write files that are on a networked file server regardless of the file system used by that file server. The server hides its underlying file system from clients. Just connecting a network capable HDD to a router is NOT the same thing as having a file server on the network - - the same basic file limitations still exist.

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Sharing with Macs and Windows

I am trying to access the files on my Windows machine. I try connecting and a message comes up that reads
"The Finder cannot complete the operation because some data in smb://''''''' could not be read or written."
(Error Code -36)

I am trying to access the files on my Windows
machine. I try connecting and a message comes up that
reads
"The Finder cannot complete the operation because
some data in smb://''''''' could not be read or
written."
(Error Code -36)
This is an authentication error usually caused by the XP PC not having a password and/or the XP firewall blocking the file sharing.
Sharing files between an XP PC and a Mac running OS 10.4.x
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/3020.html
iFelix

Best external hard drive format for use with mac and windows?

This is more of an apple operating system combined with windows operating system question, but being that my OS will upgrade an fluctuate there is not option to choose in the operating system section.
Anyways to the question(s)
This whole prbolem came about when my computer started having issues, I want to back it up and whether I can continue to use my laptop or not I will still be owning an apple in the future. I went to buy a hard for back up and got told that it is not as easy as one would think to transfer files from mac OS to windows OS and vice versa. I have a mac, my boyfriend has a windows computer; we share files. Mostly I just copy his files, but once in a while I give him files too. I have read up and talked to people and only found one solution so far to format the external drive to fat 32 or exfat. I think only mac has the exfat option, but works well between both OSs, correct me if I am wrong.
What is the difference between fat 32 and exfat?
A user posted some good info about formatting. More specifically .Drives, partitions, formatting w/Mac's + PC's
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3044
If I do not want to use fat32 or exfat is there a format type that works great for mac saving that I can still at least save files to that were originally on a windows computer? Such as I copy his files from his external drive to my computer and then save them to my external drive.
Is there a better format for file sharing between mac and windows that does not set a 4GB limit?
And a silly question, Can you dual format a hard drive?
Note: This format is for an external hard drive.

I still do not know which format would be the best. That is so that I can use it easily between mac OSX and windows. Is FAT32 the only true option? How limited is it? I heard it is limited to 4GB file size for windows and 32 GB for Mac. Are there other sources I have not found with more concrete information on the limitations of this format?
I really do still need this information and I need to back up my drive before I can take the computer in for service.

External Hard Drive Compatible with Mac and Windows?

So my old laptop is a Dell Latitude and I bought a Western Digital external hard drive and put all my files/pics/music on it. The information the WD came with said its compatible with Mac and Windows, but when I plug it into my brand spankin new Macbook, it doesn't register with the computer and won't show up. What's going on?
Message was edited by: philliesphan

I recently ran into that problem. In order to have the hard drive compatible for both PC and Mac it must be in a FAT32 format. In order to do this though all your files will be deleted (in order to reformat). You can do this by plugging in the hard drive into you mac and going under disk utility and there you will find your hard drive and under erase change the format to FAT32 and then you press erase (all will be deleted off the external drive though)

What format for my external drive allows use with Mac and Windows?

I got an external hard disk (1 tr) and i want to used it for my windows and mac, i read i can have two partitions one for mac and one for windows, but i dont really want to have two parts, and I read i can format it by fat32 and i can write and read on both os, is that true?
I want to use it for movies, os backups, and files..
Is it true that i can only save files up to 4 GB when the format is fat32?
please advise..

It this case you would need to to go to "Disk Utility" on mac and select 3 partions which will be under the Parition Layout in my screen shot below. "Current" is grayed out that will drop down select 3 partitions and make one NTFS, second Mac OS Extended, third FAT32. Using the FAT32 for both Mac and Windows but the files have to be under 4GB each.

Previously windows used external drive to be used in mac (and windows)

i´ve just bought a macbook and planned to use a couple of external drives i previously used on my pc with time machine and whatnot. only it seems they are write-protected in mac os, so they can´t be used as back-up drives. do i have to format them again using mac, or do it in windows, or is there a way around this? and can it be done so both mac and windows recognizes it as writable?
thanks

Dave Sawyer wrote:
They're probably formatted NTFS, which Mac OS X can read but not write. There are third-party NTFS drivers, one open-source and one commercial, but you can just reformat the drive as FAT32 (MS-DOS format in Disk Utility) and it will work just fine with both your Mac and Windows systems.
If the OPs intent is to use it with Time Machine, the external drive needs to be formatted HFS+ (Mac OS Extended (Journaled) via Disk Utility. I believe there is a Windows app that permits viewing of HFS+ drives. Since you have a 'couple' of external HDDs, it's probably best to use a dedicated HDD just for TM backups.

HT1452 I want to reset the permissions on a western digital external hard drive to work between mac and windows... How can I do this easily?

I have a MacBook Pro and have recently bought a Western Digital external hard drive. I used it on my windows laptop first and unfortunately now on the Mac it is read only. How can I set it so that I can use it successfully between the both the Mac and windows laptop?
Thanks

MacQuack wrote:
You will need to pull all the information off first. The formatting will erase it all.
Use Disk Utility (in Applications >> Utilities or use Spotlight to find it). On the left select your WD drive and then select the Erase tab. Where it says Format, select exFat in the drop-down menu. Next, click Erase and done. It will take approx. 5-15mins to re-format.
Cons: You will be unable to store files 4GB or larger in this format (usually only dmg/iso files or large Outlook files). Also, you will be unable to use Time Machine or other auto-backup programs.
That is not entirely correct, there is no 4G limit using exFat, FAT32 is the one with the limit.

How can I make an icon that links to a webpage that works with Mac and Windows??

Hi!
I burn CDs with my photos and send them to clients. Besides the photos folder, I would like to include a file (similar to the .webloc files on the Mac Desktop) that can be clicked and it will be linked to my website - it will open up a browser window and go to my website . Is it posssible to make one of these icons that works with both Macs and Windows machines? Thanks!

Now it works! Thanks, Denico!
The reason I saved to text: The first time I followed your instructions, it did not work. I tried to figure out what I did wrong and saw that you wrote to "save as plain text." I did not know what this means and there was no option available to save a plain text. So I looked around and saw "save as stationery" and I guessed that maybe that was what you meant. And after that, it worked! But the next thing you know, the icons started duplicating themselves.
I guess I had made a different mistake in the beginning and I fixed it without knowing what it is.
Thanks for clearing that up.
But just one question. WHY does saving as "stationery" make an icon duplicate itself?

5g with Mac and Windows?

Can I use my 5g ipod with both a Mac and Windows PC? I've been syncing with my Mac but I also have a PC. I downloaded the Ipod updater for Windows XP and installed it. When I connect my Ipod I receive a message that the Ipod cannnot be read and needs to be formatted. Will this formatting erase all data and not allow syncing with the Mac? Thank You,
Charles

Hi Charles, welcome to Discussions. You will need to reformat the iPod with Windows, then it work with the Mac. A Mac formatted iPod will not work with Windows. When it is formatted via the PC, you can resynch with the Mac, to upload your data. After this, set synch to manual, so you can use both computers.

Airport express with mac and windows

No problems at all with mac and airport express but I have a vaio with window xp sp2 and a pc with vista home premium and even if they connect to the wireless network they cannot receive an ip address. How can I solve this problem? ( As always, we have to waste a lot of time when we work with microsoft operating systems... ;-)) )
Thanks

Thank you for providing me with the exact model of your PowerBook. This model was available with either an optional or built-in AirPort Card. This card is only able to connect to 802.11b wireless networks with a maximum bandwidth of 11 Mbps. This card is also capable of connecting to wireless networks that use the TKIP encryption protocol. This protocol is used in either the WEP or WPA standard. The card is NOT capable of connecting to wireless networks that use the AES/CCMP encryption protocol that is part of the WPA2 standard.
However, some of the earliest versions of the AirPort Card did not work with WPA's TKIP implementation ... so it is possible that you may not be able to connect to an AirPort Express Base Station (AX) configured for "WPA/WPA2 Personal." It may also be problematic to connect to the same AX if it is configured to use one of the 802.11n modes that offer compatibility to 802.11b/g clients. This latter item does not sound like an issue as you are connecting, but wireless security does.
WEP introduces its own set of "problems." Not to mention, that is it completely un-secure. The following Apple Support article may be helpful in getting all of your wireless clients connected when using WEP: Joining an encrypted WEP or WPA Wi-Fi network

Copy CD with Mac and Windows Files

I have a CD, not copy protected that has both Mac files and Windows files on it. Specifically it is a Printer Driver CD.
When I make an image of it with Disk Utility, the only files in it are the Mac files. I wanted to make a safe backup of the CD, including both the Mac files (for my PB G4) and the Windows files for when I install the print drivers on my new MacBook Pro using BootCamp.
Any ideas as to how to make a copy of a CD that has both Mac and Windows files on it?
Thank you

Are you sure the Windows files aren't there? A lot of CDs are hybrids, and do not show the files that belong on another platform such as Windows. Put it in a Windows computer and check.
Otherwise, buy a copy of Toast and dupe it that way.

External Hard drive help: use with mac and pc? how to backup everything etc

Hello! I need some help regarding a new external hard drive I got from OWC. It is a 500 gb firewire 400 + usb 2.0 7200 rpm hard drive. I am running it from firewire. The software suggests the first thing you do is make a clone of your macbooks internal hard drive, that way if it fails later you can use the external to back everything up. If I do this ...
1. do I have to make the drive "Bootable" ? I have software called Data Backup 3 by Pro soft I think. It came with my external.
2. Can I still back up other stuff like my audio recordings and record onto that drive to a seperate folder?
3. If I make a bootable copy will it try and boot from the drive everytime I turn it on or something?
My other question is... how can I use this drive with a pc? I have a pc as well and I heard that the only way it will work is to format it in ms-dos mode (fat32?)
If I write it to fat32 will it slow down my drive or make it worse? I heard that you should format external drives specifically for mac if you have a mac; so it will only work with macs...
(sorry this is going on and on; it's like a chain reaction of questions)
so If its formatted to mac drive format then can I do this with my current situation:
1. I have wireless internet, the router is on a pc downstairs
2. Can I send files over a network somehow from the pc to my mac
3. then store it on my external?
If so can someone point me in that direction with a link?
Thank you for reading, sorry for making this so long.

1. No, you don't have to make a bootable clone.
2. If you use the drive for a bootable backup, then you cannot use the drive for other types of storage unless you partition the drive and make more than one volume.
3. No, it will not try to boot the computer. You must designate the startup volume using Startup Disk preferences.
If you wish to use the drive on both a Mac and a PC, then either you make two partitions - one for Mac and the other for the PC or you must format the entire drive using FAT32 so the drive can be used for read//write by both operating systems. If you do this then you cannot use the drive for a bootable backup nor can you use it with Time Machine.
FAT32 is slower for read/write on the Mac than using Mac formatting.
Optimally, I would suggest you partition the drive into two volumes. One volume formatted for the Mac and the other formatted FAT32.
You can send files from a PC to a Mac and vice-versa using File Sharing. Select Mac Help from the Finder's Help menu and search for "file sharing" or "sharing" to find help articles. Also see,
Mac OS X 10.5 Help- Setting up a Mac computer to share files with Windows users
Mac OS X 10.5 Help- Setting up a Windows computer to share files with Mac users
Mac OS X 10.5 Help- Sharing with Windows computers

Can I Use a network drive to work with Mac and Windows?

Is it possible to introduce a network drive which can be accessed by both Mac and PC? I manipulate images in Photoshop on my Mac but the software I use to create slide shows is only available in PC format. This software is used more or less universally in the area of photography I am invo;ved with so changing is not an option. Can anyone advise me please.
TC

Yes sure. Any NAS type drive formatted in any way will work. Both Mac OS X and Windows communicate by Ethernet Packets to a Networked drive and it is up to the NAS device OS to translate those Ethernet Packets to the format used on the drive.
Even if you are using a standard external drive connected to a Router or another computer, which is what a NAS is (A self contained computer with Operating System and hard drives), that router or NAS box does all the translating.

Sync Palm treo with Mac and Windows

Have a Palm Treo 650 for both personal and work use. Unse a Windows box at work and a Mac at home. I can sync the Palm with my Mac, and I can sync it with Outlook in Windows, but doing this leads to problems, especially multiple entries in both calendar and contacts.
What I'd like to do is set the Palm up to sync with Outlook on the Windows box, and have it overwrite the data on the Mac when I sync at home. I can't find options for this in iSync 2 (merge data or overwrite device).
Any suggestions?
Steve

Thank you for sharing this information. I'm sure it will help others.
I'll just sit back and enjoy the fact I always use the letter q to pair.
Post relates to: None

Disappearing Shared Places Mac and Windows

I have 3 Macs and a Vista and XP box and a network storage device. Router is an Apple Airport Extreme.
In the last couple days all my windows boxes and NAS dropped out of the shared area of the finder. I can still connect to them via "Go To Server" in the finder and typing in the smb address.
My windows boxes could see nothing. Only themselves.
Then as if by magic after a whole weekend like this every share reappeared and the windows boxes all see everything.
I find it impossible that an issue with OS X 10.5.4 could do this but more likely the Airport Extreme router. I've seen a couple of posts regarding similar problems and I'm wondering if the others with problems also have an Airport Router.
As I understand the problems of others my shares will probably disappear again at some point in the near future. If it's an airport problem it's almost a no brainer. I'll get another router.
If anybody has any ideas input I'd sure appreciate it.
John

IMO it is not likely to be your router.
SMB (Windows) networking relies on a "Master Browser" service to enable the various devices to "see" each other when browsing the network. The Master Browser is elected from the various devices on the network.
Problems can occur if all machines defer to a device as the Master, but the Master does not have a proper picture of the network
In this case, it is possible that another machine has taken over the Master role, and things are now working again. Perhaps a device got restarted?
You can use Terminal to identify the Master Browser. Simply open it up and enter
*nmblookup -M YOURWORKGROUPNAME*
(you should substitute the name of your workgroup or domain for YOURWORKGROUPNAME above).
This will give you the identity of the Master.

External HDD to be shared with Mac and Windows XP

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