Can you drag files from the Mac partition to the Windows partition?

[johnbro23]

And visa versa?

Or do you have to burn a CD every time you want to transfer data?

[c-Row]

If you set up the Windows partition as FAT, you should be able to access it from within OSX. On the other hand, Windows can't read the OSX partition without some additional tools (which were mentioned in this forum but I totally forgot the whereabouts of :o ).

[HenryB]

Hi mate,

I just got an iMac (first Mac) and also installed windows - too much legacy software - even tough I seem to have not used it since I instaled it as I do really prefer OSX... But, I did format my Windows partition as NFTS and I can access it through OSX but not vice versa.

[maverick808]

Hi mate,

I just got an iMac (first Mac) and also installed windows - too much legacy software - even tough I seem to have not used it since I instaled it as I do really prefer OSX... But, I did format my Windows partition as NFTS and I can access it through OSX but not vice versa.

If you format NTFS then you can read from the drive in OS X but you won't be able to write to it.

[zenvision]

so basically, its best to format as FAT 32?

I thought it was called FAT 32 because it couldn't handle file sizes over 32 gig, not partition sizes over 32 gig....I guess I thought wrong!

[sreedy]

I thought it was called FAT 32 because it couldn't handle file sizes over 32 gig

I think it's called that as it's 32bit. I think Max file size is 4GB and max volume size is 8TB!

[maverick808]

I think it's called that as it's 32bit. I think Max file size is 4GB and max volume size is 8TB!

You are right about the sizes. However, MS gimped the installer to not permit FAT to be selected for drives bigger than 32GB. Why? It's because they wanted to push everyone away from the old FAT format and onto the NTFS format.

You CAN install a FAT partition of any size you want (up to 8TB) if you format the partition BEFORE you run the Windows installer. If Windows installer starts up and sees an existing formatted FAT partition it will let you install straight onto it regardless of its size.

You'd have to use some utility boot CD to do the format and then it should work with any size.

[Benjamin]

...On the other hand, Windows can't read the OSX partition without some additional tools (which were mentioned in this forum but I totally forgot the whereabouts of :o ).

I believe that would be MacDrive (http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/) you are thinking about.

[Whiteapple]

i redirect you to one of my earlier posts (bottom of page)

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=192270

this method works really well, no problem in both ways (osx xp and xp osx)

good luck

and for the 32GB limit, all I can say is...too bad. Nevertheless, you could do a 10GB xp partition like me, and then install your programs on the OSX partition that will be recognized after installing macdrive. It works, and i cant say it's slower than on the "local drive" in xp.

[crazycat]

I just formated my exteral HD (120 GB) within OS X so that i can transfer files between my OSX and XP hard drives. You should format it via MS-DOS file system in disk utility.

[c-Row]

I believe that would be MacDrive (http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/) you are thinking about.

Oh yes. That's what I was thinking about. Infact, I think about it every spare second. Oh yes. ;)