Format an External Drive to Work on PC and MAC

I am trying to format my external hard drive so that I can view files stored on it on both my MAC and PC. I think this can be accomplished through the disk utility, but trial and error have not gotten me far.
Thanks
joe

Hi,
The best best is to use Disk Utility in Mac OS X to format the drive. Pick the Erase tab, then select Windows FAT-32 for the Volume Format. Both Windows and OS X readily read and write FAT-32. Oddly, newer versions of Windows won't format a drive in FAT-32 even though FAT-32 is a Microsoft standard. Go figure.
There is a limitation of maximum file size of 4G in FAT-32, so if you are backing up DVD ISO images on a FAT-32 drive, you may encounter the limitation. A lot of applications will inexplicably just quit without generating a reasonable message when they hit the 4G file size limit. If you are just trading music and pictures between machines, you probably won't have any issues.
-Bill

Similar Messages

Formatting an External Drive to work with Leopard AND a PC

Hello,
I have 400 GBs of video footage on an external drive that only works with PCs.
I need to get this material onto my Mac running OSX Leopard.
I am guessing that my best option is to format a second external drive to work both with Leopord and Windows. Then transfer the footage onto the 2nd external drive via a PC.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Marc Griffin

What size is this HD? FYI, FAT32 has a 2TB limit on partition size & a 4GB limit on file size.
 Cheers, Tom

How can i format an external drive so as to read and write from both windows and mac side

i recently bought a macbook pro and used bootcamp so as to be able to run win7 and mac. I now wish to have an external drive so as to backup and tranfer files between the two os's. Specifically to read and write form either windows or mac. How can I do this?

Format it as FAT.

How to format external drive for use against windows and mac

Hi.
Please bear with me, a possible MAC newbie here
I'm about to buy the 13" Mac Book Pro (after ditching the Lenovo X301 because of a super slow processor, slow FSB, slow intel graphics).
But I have a couple of questions before I buy this Mac Book Pro.
NOTE:
My main OS (stationary pc) is Windows, and will probably be so for a long time.
But I need a lightweight laptop while on the run, and could not actually find any other one than the Mac Book Pro that met my requirements.
I'm using Adobe Lightroom for indexing and managing images on my windows stationary computer and will also use Lightroom on my Mac Book Pro.
I'm to use an external HDD for this purpose and will need to be able to both write and read to/from that HDD from both MAC and Windows.
Export lightroom library to External HDD from Windows (thumbnails + keywords).
Import new images and edit keywords etc from mac book pro in lightroom.
Import changes into my windows library version after been edited from library in mac book pro.
What options do I have when it comes to formatting that HDD?
What will the PROS and CONS be for the different options?
Note (I'm not to switch to Aperture (my main computer is still Windows))
Regards

Hi.. and thanks for that answer... another related here:
I'm to buy this external drive:
http://www.lacie.com/no/products/product.htm?pid=11038
This page:
http://pc.wikia.com/wiki/FAT32
tells me that windows XP will only format FAT32 to max 32GB,
will my upcoming MAC book PRO be able to format that whole disk using FAT32?
Or do I have to use something else to format it with?
Regards

How do i format a thumb drive to work with tiger and a pc

i want to transfer a video file from a pc to tiger but a pc formatted thumb drive isnt recognized in my ibook g4. how should i format my thumb drive

Perhaps the beginnings of an answer to your prob could be found in this thread, PD:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1731284&tstart=0
Personally, I have never had any probs at all with my G4/10.4.11 Powerbook (USB 1.1) seeing any USB drive, even those advertised as working with only 2.0 USB.
IMO, either your USB drive's FAT32 file structure is goofy (run Windows Scandisk & maybe even Defrag on the USB drive), or your Mac OS's USB systemfilestuff is gunked. Or your i's actual USB port(s) aren't working.
Do other USB drives work on your i? If so, the prob's your particular USB drive in question. If not, the prob's your Mac.
My 2 cents........

Formatting an external drive to use with my new Mac

Hi
As per my other posts, I'm expecting a new Mac i7 with OS X Mountain Lion, due in mid Feb.
I am currently a PC user (have been for years, apologies ) and want to take all my photos (tens of thousands) from the PC and load them to the mac, or store them in a useable way...
I have a Western Digital 1tb NTFS drive, and i understand that I need to reformat this into a FAT32 format.
Does this give me issues with a 4gb or 32gb limit? Not sure if it's relevant but I don't have massive files... movies at 700mb perhaps...
Anyone done anything similar that might be able to offer advice?
Thank
Liam

Let me clarify further (but thanks for the input so far...)
I am migrating from a life of PC use, to an all singing all dancing Mac. Once migrated, the PC will go to a nephew starting uni shortly, never to darken my doorstop again.
The ideal solution would be to produce a drive that can copy all my stuff onto, that can be read and copied from to the mac, and then ideally be formatted again, to use solely with the mac..
Does that alter anything?
Liam

Best format for external HDD for compatibility with Windows and Mac?

I have a couple of USB HDDs formatted as MS-DOS (FAT32) which I use on both my iMac and Toshiba laptop .
This week I discovered that I could have used exFAT which would have avoided the 4GB file limitation.
Apart from this, are there any other pros or cons associated with exFAT and would it be advisable to use this formatting in future?

I am cross using extern HDD and USB Stick's. Win7 64 and OSX 10.9. I had the best results when i format the drive with OSX (best cluster size by automatic). I am using small 16GB USB Stick's and large 2TB HDD.
Some Windows Programs does not work if they are not installed on NTFS and you also have no security on both systems in filesystem because exFat has no security. Could be also a bad idea to use a exFat drive for iPhoto Library but not tested.
I use exFat for Data like Music, Pictures, and Movies. To share home made things with friends and family.
If you use "active" Files like programs or databases use the "OS Native" filesystem, you have less problems :-)

How to format an external drive for mac AND pc use

i want to format my external drive so i can use it on my mac and on pc's as well. i've gathered that the MS-DOS format is the way to go. my question is this: would this create any problems for my mac then?
can i partion one part for ms-dos and part for macos extended?
cheers
-j-

MS-DOS format (or FAT32) will be fine for both Mac and PC. However there is a 4GB file size limit with FAT32.
You could use a dual partition, however the HFS+ partition would not be readable by the PC unless you installed the third party MacDrive.
Look at this page for more information on a dual partition drive for Mac and Windows.
http://macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20030613121738812
iFelix

How do I format an external drive with mountain lion?

How do I format an external drive with mountain lion?

Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility
select the external drive in the left pane
partition and format in the right pane

External drive not working on iMac, but works on Macbook Pro

I have read a few different threads relating to this question, with no real luck of a permanent solution.
I have an external drive that works perfectly on my Macbook Pro. My new iMac will not show the drive though (both with the current software).
The drive itself shows a power light and appears to be running/powered by the USB port.
I have tried several ports.
It does not show in Disk Utility.
The option in settings is set to show the drive in finder and on the desktop (I have checked this).
I have tried restarting the iMac.
I have also had this problem after the iMac has been turned off overnight, and turned on in the morning (and then plugging the drive in after powering on).
I resolved this issue once by turning off the iMac, removing the power cord for a few minutes, and powering it up again.
I don't think it should be something I have to do every time I would like to use the drive though - It would be very irritating if I had to do that every time.
Any advice or options here?
The iMac has only been used since Christmas day, 2014 - and has had this problem since that day (in which i solved it by the turn off/unplug thing).
Sorry, I am aware this question has been asked a lot. I haven't come across anything that is giving me a long-term solution to this problem.
Happy new year!

Some USB-powered drives are just crappy. They require too much current from the USB and cause the bus to fail or the bus can't provide enough power for it to fully spin up. You can often hear or feel them clicking periodically (like once a second) as they are trying to spin up.
If this is the case, a powered Hub, external power supply, or Y-cable will be necessary to consistently use the drive.

Format an external drive from mac to pc

How do I format an external drive (My Passport) from mac to pc (iOS Snow Leopard) without losing my data?

kwnola wrote:
How do I format an external drive (My Passport) from mac to pc (iOS Snow Leopard) without losing my data?
1: Remove the data off the drive
You can do this by installing MacDrive on the Windows PC to access the Mac HTFS+ format
Or you can use a Mac to remove the data.
2: Format the drive on the PC (preferably) by right clicking on the drive and choosing format
A: If data on the drive will have larger than 4GB sized files, then the format you want is exFAT
(if your using Windows XP, you can download exFAT from Microsoft)
B: If the data on the drive will always have less than 4GB sized files, then you should choose FAT32 for most compatibility with all other machines.
3: If you can only format the drive on the Mac then open Apple's Disk Utility in the Utilities folder
Select the drive on the far left, it should have the makers name and a size, then click Partition.
Now select the box and click Options: MBR Then select Format: exFAT or MSDOS (FAT32) and click Apply.
4: If any chance you need to secure delete any data remaining on the drive form being recovered, use the Erase with Zero (or 7x for very secure) before formatting.
Note: Formatting a drive on the PC there will be a option for NTFS, this is for access by Windows only, but software can be installed on the Mac to read/write this format.
If you use exFAT or FAT32, the Mac can read and write this format just like Windows can, no need for extra software.
Linux can read/write just about any format.

Mac novice needs to know how to format an external drive

How do I format a memory stick or external hard drive? I remember in PCs you could right click and click on format.
Thanks!

In OS X, there's an app called Disk Utility that allows you to do whatever you want with hard drives and external drives.
In order to format an external drive, read > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU1.html The Pondini's site guides you through the steps, so you just have to follow them. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as right-clicking the external drive

Is it safe to format ANY external drive to Mac OS Extended?

Some Seagate tech told me a while back that Seagate drives should ONLY be formatted with their proprietary formatting and that my data is vulnerable if I use something else. (I may have misunderstood this, but I'm 98% certain that's what he said.) I do remember him saying not to use the Mac's Disk Utility to format the drive.
I want to reformat this drive so that it's 100% compatible with my new Mavericks iMac.
Is there any concern about formatting ANY external drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Or are there some hard drives that should not be formatted to Mac using Disk Utility?
I'm under the impression that all external drives are basically the same and I can format them however I want. No drive is "made" to be formatted with a certain OS or a certain format.
Is that correct?

Formatting a drive simply will remove any data currently stored on it. There is no such thing as "proprietary formatting." Drives come out of the factory with no formatting.
Whatever the person told you it was patently wrong not to mention mis-informed.
To use a hard drive properly with any computer it needs to be formatted with the tool that is required for the operating system with which it will be used. For the Mac you use Disk Utility (the tool) and you format the drive using Mac OS Extended, Journaled (the format.)
Your impression is correct.

I want to format my external drive so that my new imac and my pc can read and write ,what should i do?

i want to format my external drive so that my new imac and my pc can read

Start by partitioning the drive as required for the Mac:
Drive Partition and Format
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. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply 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 Security 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.
Now click on the Erase tab in the main menu, then select ExFAT from the Format Type dropdown menu. Click on the Erase button. This format is read/write on both the Mac and the PC. If you have a problem with it on the PC, then format the drive the same way using the Windows formatter.

Do i need to re format my external drive if i am planning on using super duper for my bootable backups or does super duper do that for me?

do i need to reformat my external drive if i am planning on using superduper for my bootable backups or does superduper do that for me? thanks

You need to format a external drive using Apple's Disk Utility
Partition 1
Option: GUID
Format: OS X Extended Journaled.
Before OS X can be installed or cloned onto the drive, or else it can't be booted from.
Formatting a drive erases all data on it, so backup up any data you want to retain off the drive.
I really do not advise SuperDuper for the fact that it doesn't copy the RecoveryHD partition and restore it, as this is needed to reinstall a fresh copy of OS X from Apple's servers.
Erase, formatting, OS X installs on Mac's
A better, more powerful and more intelligent tool is Carbon Copy Cloner.
See the cloning section of my User Tip here
Most commonly used backup methods

Format an External Drive to Work on PC and MAC

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for