Formatting Mac HDD to use for MAC and PC, what file system?

p1tse

p1tse

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thanks for all your help on my previous HDD upgrade.

I've now got the original HDD in a caddy to use as a backup disc, mainly for itunes and iphoto.

i thought i would test the HDD on my pc, but the pc wouldn't pick up properly. I found out it is because mac has a different file system

my issue is i need to format it, to enable me to back up photo's i.e. jpeg files so that i can share it on family pc's etc.

ideally would have liked time capsule to do the backup of itunes and iphoto, but i don't think time capsule enables read on pc's. don't want to do it manually i.e. drag and drop itunes folder as i would need to rewrite over previous data each time etc.

thanks again.

(i'll get there in the end LOL)
 
I seem to recall it can be NTFS if you only want the mac to read, not write, but it sounds like you want all machines to do both read and write. I did a bit iof googling for an external drive a month or two ago and it seems it had to be FAT for both flavours of machines to use, so thats what I used but I am sure someone can advise better than I. Not sure how all this would work with an auto-backup system as I do generally use drag and drop, or back up during lightroom import for current stuff.
 
FAT32 is the most convenient formatting, there are ways of reading/writing to NTFS but it's a bit of a faff and probably not worth it unless the size of the drive is affected by the formatting.
 
FAT32 but youre limited to a maximum file size of 4GB, not good if youre into HD movies.

personally id pay for the app and go NTFS, journalled and fragments less than FAT.
 
Fat32 is what i have read too.

i want my photo's accesible to read and write from a pc and mac and back to both etc.

i can drag and drop photo's backup easily, but a software would be nice, to be able to do a manual timed backup of itunes and iphoto's. harder for itunes to drag and drop, as not specific files etc. any suggestions on what i could use?

4GB won't be a problem, just means i would have to do it more often or in small batches.
 
not sure how i would copy itunes in small chunks though...hmmm?
 
I faced the same problem a few weeks ago, and was advised to try NTFS for Mac. This allows you to read a write to to the drive on both your Mac and on Windows. It's free for a 1 week trial, i think it's then a $30 fee to get the activation license.
 
neil_g said:
either or.. as long as you format the disk in OSX as journalled its nearly the same as HTFS..
Click to expand...

Yep, but if he's mainly on mac and just needs windows sometimes then it makes more sense to have it OSX and then use windows software when needed. If using windows mainly and sometimes OSX then makes sense to do it the other way.
 
wow, thanks.

really confused now lol

scenario. i'm the only one in the family with a mac, and i use my mac for personal use daily, photo's and music (itunes) - iphone to come))

i tend to share pics with family, which they all run windows and my spare computer is a pc laptop, so need it to read and write at times from that. so don't want to run another software/ programme on each pc i link it too.

some say NFTS, some say FAT32?


also i would like a programme to sync and back up itunes and iphoto alike
 
"format it as FAT32 as you'll never have a file 4GB+ in size within iTunes or iPhoto. I use a nice piece of software called AarRsync that you can set up to backup folders to another drive and then the next time you run the backup it will just sync the folders so they match."
 
p1tse said:
"format it as FAT32 as you'll never have a file 4GB+ in size within iTunes or iPhoto. I use a nice piece of software called AarRsync that you can set up to backup folders to another drive and then the next time you run the backup it will just sync the folders so they match."
Click to expand...

thats nice if you just use itunes or iphoto..

if you want to master DVDs or ISOs or have large video files then youll be up the swanny.. :lol:
 
p1tse said:
wow, thanks.

really confused now lol

scenario. i'm the only one in the family with a mac, and i use my mac for personal use daily, photo's and music (itunes) - iphone to come))

i tend to share pics with family, which they all run windows and my spare computer is a pc laptop, so need it to read and write at times from that. so don't want to run another software/ programme on each pc i link it too.

some say NFTS, some say FAT32?


also i would like a programme to sync and back up itunes and iphoto alike
Click to expand...

Ok but when you say you share pics with the family members, are you expecting to share these by disconnecting your hard drive and plugging it into theirs? How many pics are you sharing and how often?

When I share pics with my windows using friends and family i'll usually email them, or put on a drop site or transfer them to a small usb stick thats fat32. I'd never take my hard drive to them and plug it in.

In which since you use mac most then MAC formatted and the software on your spare pc makes the most sense, then share them with your family in the ways suggested above
 
good point, i guess it's not that often.
but my only spare computer at home is a pc laptop, so on that thought it would be better if i needed to access files and the macbook was down, to be pc read and write proof.

in fat32, when it copies itunes, does it do it per song, rather than itunes as awhole, hence the 4gb limit won't be an issue. i hardly do dvd copies so that would be ok.

i managed to plug in my pc external HDD and import photo's to iphoto, can i find out what file system that is in, as obviously it worked pc to mac, so assume it would work mac to pc (will test though)

then i need to think about sync'ing
 
If it is NTFS OS X will read it, but not write to it, without the software that has been linked to quite a few times on here.
 
Looking at the OP's posts above, your best option (for your specific needs) is to format it as FAT32 and use for both. The 4GB rule only applies for a single file (single song/photo/movie). It's practically impossibe to have a single song or photo that is larger than 4gb, so that leaves movies. If that is not a problem, and you've said above that it is not - then FAT32 is ideal for you.

With FAT32, you can still move/backup iTunes or iPhoto folders that are larger than 4gb in size. Once again, the 4gb rule is for files, not folders.
 
Craikeybaby said:
If it is NTFS OS X will read it, but not write to it, without the software that has been linked to quite a few times on here.
Click to expand...

Or native in Snow Leopard with the creation of an fstab entry.
 
thanks.

i think fat32 is the best option and will do that tonight.

what software/application can i then use on my macbook to sync (backup) iphoto and itunes (as time capsule won't work with fat32)?
 
i've decided i want to use time machine on my macbook due to the ease of backups mainly will be for itunes and iphoto

what format file do i need to do this and how do i go about doing it on snow leopard?

decided this choice as main importance is to backup photos say, rather than having to open up other software/convert etc.

at least they will be backed up somewhere.

if i was to copy pics to family PC i'll just use a usb memory stick or burn on disc i guess
 
You need to use Disk Utility. you'll find it in the Utilities Folder.

Select the drive you want to format and click on the Partition tab. I take it you only want one large partition so select One partition and choose mac OSX extended (journaled.).

here's a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN5my4Lrd-4&feature=related
 
Thanks all done now


1 partition and time machine setup for photos and iTunes only
 
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