Signed applet works on pc but can't print on mac! security issue!

Question

Hello
I have an applet which works beautifully on the pc under ie, firefox, chrome and safari. Essentially - it uses the batik libraries to download an svg file and then print it.
Problem is that firstly - no matter which operating system or browser the applet ALWAYS asks me if i want to give it access to the printer. The checkbox that says don't ask this again does not work except while the same applet is loaded. Subsequent loads make it reappear. So that one annoys me.
But the big issue is that under the Mac OSX my applet will not print. It claims a SocketPermission issue for the localhost port 631 connect,resolve. Of course, before you ask, yes, the jar is signed , and yes i was asked on the mac if i trust this user. It is a self signed certificate by the way.
I have no idea why the mac is not allowing my trusted app access to the printer when the other operating systems do. Is it perhaps that i am not somehow getting the AllPermission policy file read?
I have no idea where to even put the java.policy.applet that eclipse generates so i also put it into my jar file. I can't find any knowledge of that file out there or where to deploy it but i keep seeing reference to java.policy. so i copied java.policy.applet and renamed it java.policy and also included that in my jar. the upshot of doing that? Nada. With or without those policy files in my jar it makes no difference.
DocPrintJob tmpJob = tmpPrinter.createPrintJob();                    
HashPrintRequestAttributeSet set = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
tmpJob.print(tmpDoc, set); // its this line that fails
I am new to java development (well actually about 8 years abstained from it) and this is one of those prototypes that says we either will use java or we won't. Please help, its the final hurdle. If it doesn't work on the mac then all that effort getting it to work on the PC was wasted. I also need to understand how to stop the annoying access the printer dialog before i can go live.
Cheers

Answer 1

If it is in the wrong format it must probably still show up though, if your mac does detect it, go to disk utilities> choose the device from the left hand side > go to the "erase" tab and change format to "Mac OS extended (Journaled) then hit "erase".
IMPRTANT! : this will erase ALL of the files on your external hard drive
If this dosent work, make sure your external hard drive's USB port is compatibe with both USB 2.0 and 3.0 and also make sure your mac USB socket isnt damaged either.
Hope this helped