Partitioning External FW for Mac and Vista

want to be able to also backup my kids laptops (vista) on my bootable mac external
when i checked formats on my external my win xp partition done through boot camp says NTfilesystem
when i go to format in disk utility it gives ms-dos format option
i just want to make sure i can keep my bootable mac partition and be able to back up kids computers (vista) to a partition in ms-dos format
id rather not do it through win xp ( bootcamp) if i dont have to
id like to just plug in kids comps and do what i have to do
i only use xp for games on my mac
i hope i explained this right LOL
thanks
Bryan....................

ive thought about it and im getting another external 500gb i think
use that for my mac and xp clone and use my current 250 gb lacie for all kids stuff (and also Father inlaws Vista DEll peace of junk ! LOL ) had many issues with that system ! Finally get his up and going then mine decided to crap out LOL !
it just makes better sense there so cheap now and after the problems ive recently had i dont want to play around at all with my mac clone drive
i guess i just like to tinker to much !
if it aint broke dont fix it ! LOL
i like the fact that i have the option to do it all on one drive thou.
and im a firm believer in backing up the back up LOL
thanks for the info Dennis
and i wish i could afford macs for the kids this year but LOL
later
Bryan........................
Message was edited by: bmoraski

Similar Messages

How to partition my drive for Mac and XP use? from a novice

I would like to use my MacBook Pro for both Mac ad PC programs (Office and others) and hear that I can partition the drive. How is the best way to do that? Also I have an external Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex external drive to set up that supposedly can back up both Mac and PC without formatting each time. Do I have to partition the drive first? Do I use Time Machine?

Is it your intent to run Windows programs on your computer? If so then this is more than simply a partitioning exercise.
In order to use an external drive on both Macs and PCs there are two options. Option One is to partition and format the drive MBP and FAT32, respectively. OS X can read/write a FAT32 formatted drive. However, due to filesystem differences some features of the OS X filesystem are not supported by FAT32, so FAT32 is not the best choice for transferring OS X documents, but would be fine for transferring Windows documents.
Option Two is to partition the drive using GUID then creating two partitions. One partition is formatted Mac OS Extended, Journaled and the other partition is formatted FAT32. Each partition can be used for the data from the appropriate platform.
TM is not a file transfer program, cannot be used for Windows documents, and does not work on Windows.
If you wish to run Windows on your Mac then see the following:
Windows on Intel Macs
There are presently several alternatives for running Windows on Intel Macs.
1. Install the Apple Boot Camp software. Purchase Windows XP w/Service Pak2, Vista, or Windows 7. Follow instructions in the Boot Camp documentation on installation of Boot Camp, creating Driver CD, and installing Windows. Boot Camp enables you to boot the computer into OS X or Windows.
2. Parallels Desktop for Mac and Windows XP, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7. Parallels is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
3. VM Fusionand Windows XP, Vista Business, Vista Ultimate, or Windows 7. VM Fusion is software virtualization that enables running Windows concurrently with OS X.
4. CrossOver which enables running many Windows applications without having to install Windows. The Windows applications can run concurrently with OS X.
5. VirtualBox is a new Open Source freeware virtual machine such as VM Fusion and Parallels that was developed by Solaris. It is not as fully developed for the Mac as Parallels and VM Fusion.
Note that Parallels and VM Fusion can also run other operating systems such as Linux, Unix, OS/2, Solaris, etc. There are performance differences between dual-boot systems and virtualization. The latter tend to be a little slower (not much) and do not provide the video performance of the dual-boot system.
See MacTech.com's Virtualization Benchmarking for comparisons of Boot Camp, Parallels, and VM Fusion. Boot Camp is only available with Leopard or Snow Leopard. Except for Crossover and a couple of similar alternatives like DarWine you must have a valid installer disc for Windows. You must also have an internal optical drive for installing Windows. Windows cannot be installed from an external optical drive.

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

New external drive for mac and windows

Hello,
I am looking to buy a 500gb maxtor external drive. Partition it 250gb for winxp and 250gb for my imac. I am really looking to make these drives as backup drives. I currently have an old 250gb (not all used) formatted as os x entended. I use it for all my itunes, photos, movies... photoshop, you get the picture... I just want to drag and drop to that drive. The same for my windows.
Does this sound correct? Has anyone done it this way?
Another way, would be to have it formatted for windows and drop and drag into two different folders : win and imac. But then I will be losing the naming conventions from the os x? isn't that why and want to use os x extended?
Thanks for all ideas,
Charlie

Piece of cake!
For those who want to know:
usb connection to imac first. I started disk utility. Split the partition to two parts and formated only one partition as OS X extended. After done, copied my directories as a bkup.
usb connection to windows. I started computer management and saw that the usb disk had two partitions: the first was healthy but unknown. That was ok, I wanted the second partition to be NTFS and formated. Then copied my directories to that drive as well.
Connected back the imac and saw both partitions, imacbkup and winbkup. I forgot, just like what I do with the imac and winxp, I can see the c: drive via the mac.
Very cool and easy. Maxtor drives are very reliable and easy to use.
Thanks,
Charlie Cooperman
If anyone wants more detail info, you can email me at [email protected]

Itunes library on external hdd for mac and pc

I want to store my my iTunes library on an external hdd and use it with a Mac and a PC. All changes made on the Mac should be recognised on the PC and all changes made on the PC should although be recognised on the Mac - one library for both.
I already tried to store my library from my PC on an external HDD and then started iTunes on the Mac, pressing "alt". But I wasn't able to open the library. When I choose library.itl, the Mac just opens iTunes without opening my iTunes library.
Any ideas, how I can put all my music, videos and podcasts on the external and then use it on Mac and PC?
Kind regards,
Matthias

The only format drive that will work with both a Mac and a PC without you using additional drivers is an older format called FAT. Disk Utility can create this. Otherwise if you use Windows' NTFS you need something like NTFS3G or MacFuse, and if you use OSX's HFS format you will need MacDrive on Windows (others may also work for both PC and Mac -- those are just the ones I could remember).
Theoretically the Mac should have been able to read the .itl on the Windows NTFS drive but maybe since it found it could not write to it, it reverted to default.
Note, if anything happens to the FAT32 drive you will need to repair it using Windows. I also assume you aren't usign this drive for huge files because FAT32 has a 4GB filesize limit.
You will have to completely erase the drive to partition and re-format it.
iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
do not confuse moving your whole folder and library with moving just media files as in
iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Media folder - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
Quick answer if you let iTunes manage your music: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Start iTunes with the option key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
Macworld - How to transfer iTunes libraries between PC and Mac - http://www.macworld.com/article/46248/2005/08/shiftitunes.html

Backup on external HD for Mac and PC

I'm planning to use LaCie's Silverkeeper to do a backup of my Mac onto an external hard drive that is formatted as MS-DOS (to use with both Mac and PC). I also have a PC in my household that I'd like to backup a few things onto this external drive. I've been reading these discussions about people having problems with not being able to copy certain Mac files due to some characters not allowed on Windows (such as "/"), and restoring issues due to the drive not being Mac Extended format. So is there a way I can confidently use this drive to backup data from both the Mac and PC, and be able to restore? If I reformat the drive to Mac Extended, will I be able to copy any files from the PC onto it?

An MSDOS formatted drive should not be used for OS X backups. If you need to do PC backups then I would suggest a separate external drive. Otherwise, format the drive for use with OS X (Mac OS Extended.) Get MacDrive (Media Four) for the PC which enables Windows to read/write Mac drives.
Alternatively if you think you are sufficiently skilled you can try the technique outlined here for creating HFS+ and FAT32 partitions on one drive.

TimeCapsule as external harddisk for Mac and PC

Hi,
we set up TimeCapsule as basestation for our wireless network yesterday. We chose TC over Airport E. in order to use it as a backup with Timemachine for me (Mac), and at the same time use it as storage for shared files and music (hubby has windows). At the shop the told us we could partition the disk and reformat (part of) it for FAT32, so that we both could read it.
How do we do this? DiscUtility doesn't even show Timecapsule, and neither does 'my computer' on the PC.

to partition the disk you must remove the hard drive and place it in a docking station or external enclosure or internal to a Mac Pro.
Also even if you partition you can only have one file system at a time. It either or....not both.
Message was edited by: Smokerz

How to format external drive for mac AND pc use

hi
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-

There are a couple of disadvantages with formatting a
disk as FAT32. Firstly, there is a limit on the file
size for FAT32. I think it like 2 GB so if you
capturing video the results will probably not fit
into this file limit. Secondly FAT32 will not be
bootable. I alway clone my system to a backup disk as
bootable. That way if anything goes wrong with my
system, I can just boot from my backup disk and fix
it.
The problem with doing this though is that the drive will not be usable with Windows (which was in the original posting) unless you use the third party MacDrive software on the PC.
iFelix

Formatting an external HD for mac AND pc?

I need to use my 500g external hard drive on both macs and pcs for mostly music files.
I cannot modify ntsf files on my mac and my pc will not even read the mac format.
I heard that the FAT32 is supported by both systems but how do i use disk utility to change it to this format? Is there a better format?
Thanks,
Andrew
Macbook

I just bought my first Mac this afternoon and I wondered the same thing. A quick Google search brought me to this video:
http://www.ohiou.edu/aac/lab/techies/episode21.html
According to the video, use the MS-Dos formatting option in Disk Utility. The guys in the video say it's like the FAT32 file system and is for use on both Windows and Mac computers.
So far it seems to be working for me.

External HD for Mac and PC

I unfortunately will be using a PC in my new job. I would like to use my iTunes music library at work (that is currently on my Mac). I have bought an external drive to copy/back my music library.
1. What formatting do I use with my new external drive that will allow me to backup the Mac music library then use with a PC?
2. Is there anything else to keep in mind with the PC/Mac shared files with iTunes?
I just want to make sure that the PC will recognize the files on the new HD.
Thanks!

Format the drive as FAT32, this is the same formatting used by Windows iPods. Your Mac will read a Windows formatted drive but Windows won't read a Mac formatted one without the aid of a third party helper program such as MacDrive. You can format the drive for Windows using Disk Utility on your Mac, choose the MS DOS Setting. Have a look at this article for some more information, particularly this section in case you ever want to use the drive for more than music "If you plan to work with large files, such as digital video, the largest file you can write to a disk in MS DOS format is 4GB. The MS DOS format is also known as FAT32" : Sharing a drive between a Mac and a PC

Is there is common format for an external harddrive for Mac and a PC?

I'm planning to have some 8mm film digitized, and would like the result to go on an external drive that could be used on both a PC and a Mac.
I think that FAT 32 would work, but that it has a file size limitation that might be a problem with video files.
My questions are:
First, is there a way of formatting an external hard drive which that it would work both both a Mac and a PC for transferring/working with video files?
And two, what codex should the film to video be saved in, to work with iMovie?
And three, does it matter now is the hard drive is USB, or must it be FW?
Thanks,
Hal

First, is there a way of formatting an external hard drive which that it would work both both a Mac and a PC for transferring/working with video files?
FAT32, unless the drive needs to contain files which are 4GB or larger, in which case, no.
And two, what codex should the film to video be saved in, to work with iMovie?
DV.
And three, does it matter now is the hard drive is USB, or must it be FW?
It doesn't matter.
(55447)

External drive for MAC and PC?

My client wants to be able to view all the .mov files I've shot for them and due to file sizes, I need to deliver them all on a hard drive.
Is there any easy fix on my end or their end to facilitate this?
Thanks!

I was assuming that with Quicktime they'd be able to view full size .mov files
QuickTime .mov is a container, the video inside could have been made with any one of a number of codecs. If they do not have that particular codec, they won't be able to play the video. Not even all Macs have the same codecs, many are installed by FCP and unavailable elsewhere.
Also - do you know someone that has had success with MacDrive 8 on a PC?
It goes exactly what it says on the tin. Another alternative is for you to install the MacFuse/NTFS 3G package, which will enable your Mac to write files to a Windows NTFS formatted drive.

Format external drive for Mac and PC?

Can I format an external Drive to have 1 partition for OS X and another for my wife to use with her PC?
thanks!
ray

Yes, just use Disk Utility under OS X to create two volumes on it, one Mac OS Ext, the other FAT. Use a Master Boot Record partition scheme (also known as “fdisk”).

How to partition external HD for backups and storage?

Hey All,
I'm just setting up a backup system for my computer for the first time and need some help. I have purchased Super Duper and a 1TB Fantom firewire external HD and am ready to start, but don't fully know how to begin. Here are some questions:
Question#1 - how do I partition the hard drive?
Question #2 - once I have partitioned it, can the partitions be changed down the road if I need to shift how I allocate the space?
Question #3 - if not, can you help me make guesses to how best to partition it? My internal HD has 74.41 gb capacity but is only using 31.94 gb right now. The fantom external HD uses up a lot of its space in formatting, so it actually has 931.24 GB available.
I was thinking of making two HD backup partitions so that I can alternate them for cloning -- say 70 GB each.
then I want a partition for my iphotos library - maybe 40 GB ( right now the library is 10 gb and I expect to be adding.
then a files partition for documents etc - probably 20 GB.
and a partition for video -- cause I am going to be starting a small documentary and will need to store video and editing. I'm new to this and really have no idea how much room it needs, but maybe 500 GB for starters.
is there some other sort of partition I should create?
any ideas are helpful.
Thanks so much,
Katarina

The reference that baltwo points to is an excellent guide for a new drive. You also have very detailed instructions on creating backups in your SuperDuper Users Guide.
Everyone has their own style of backing up, so do what's comfortable for you. I schedule my backups to run in the middle of the night. They only backup the files that have changed since the last backup, so it shouldn't take that long. My log tells me that SuperDuper took about 14 minutes to perform last night's backup. It's also good to rotate so you have a system that hasn't been touched for a while in case you want that folder you trashed a week ago.
Yes, it is convenient to be able to boot from the clone to repair your internal and vice versa. For instance booting from your clone and running Disk Utility "Repair Disk" is a lot faster than using the DVD. Same goes for any utility you want to run that your internal needs to be not mounted to run like TechTool, DiskWarrior, etc.
It's good to keep another backup and keeping it on the net is fine (as long as you're not compromising any personal data). I really wasn't thinking of your house burning down but more along the lines of a hard drive failing when I made the statement about separate drives Yes, it is good to have a copy of your data "off premesis".given the need for extra free space for the system clones, if my HD is 74 Gb capacity with 32 GB used right now, won't I have plenty of space if I set aside 70 or 74 GB for that partition?Yes, even if your internal grows it should suffice if you stick with the 85% rule.
-mj
[email protected]

Partitioning Drive for Mac and PC to deliver 10GB video file

I need to deliver several video files to a client on a drive.
Because some of the clips are over 10GB I cannot use the drive in its current FAT state.
I want / need the drive to be read by both Mac AND PC.
If this is the case, and I cannot use FAT, should I partition the drive into TWO partitions?
If so, should I then make one partition for Mac and the other for PC... then upload the video files twice, once to each partition?
Is there an alternative? How do I make the drive partitioned for both allowing the video to be ready by both Mac and PC.
Can I do what needs to be done using Disk Utility?
What 2 formats should I use? Is MS-DOS (FAT) the windows based partition, and is that the only one? And won't that not work for my issue of needing to load a file over 4 gigs?
What partition scheme do I want? It appears I can only use one partition scheme... or is this incorrect?
I'm using Mac OS X 10.5.5
Computer is Mac G5. Drive is the WD 250GB passport.
Thanks

If you format the drive as Microsft NTFS, there will be no problem with split files.
[NTFS-3G 2009.4.4 Driver|http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com>
[Instructions|http://hem.bredband.net/catacombae/ntfs-3g/macntfs-3g_userguide.pd f] Be sure to read them!
The PC needs to be running Win NT, 2000, XP, Vista etc to read the NTFS format.

Partitioning External FW for Mac and Vista

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