Access same files on XP and OSX?

[nlf1187]

Will i be able to access the same files while running XP that I can while running OSX? or are documents, music files, and everything else kept seperate between the two operating systems?

[dollarsai]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=216441

[jambi]

I might be wrong, but your mac will read a FAT32 partition, while your windows won't read the mac partition. What you can do is save all the stuff you want to go between OSes on a FAT32 drive, be it your windows partition or an external HD.

The problem, though, is if you formatted your Windows partition as NTFS, then you're screwed if you don't have an external HD. I think.

Though NTFS is more stable, supposedly, anything I might ever connect to both Mac and PC I make FAT32, just in case.

[Electro Funk]

I might be wrong, but your mac will read a FAT32 partition, while your windows won't read the mac partition. What you can do is save all the stuff you want to go between OSes on a FAT32 drive, be it your windows partition or an external HD.

The problem, though, is if you formatted your Windows partition as NTFS, then you're screwed if you don't have an external HD. I think.

Though NTFS is more stable, supposedly, anything I might ever connect to both Mac and PC I make FAT32, just in case.

you are not wrong ;)

[Nermal]

You can convert a FAT32 volume to NTFS by typing "convert c: /fs:ntfs" in a command prompt. Perhaps "convert c: /fs:fat32" will bring it back to FAT32.

[ChrisBrightwell]

Alternatively, you could try an app like MacDrive (http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/) to read your Mac partition while booted into Windows.

Just to clarify ...
- Windows XP can not read HFS+ partitions
- OS X can read/write FAT32 partitions
- OS X can read (but not write) NTFS partitions

The "cleanest" solution, IMO, is to use MacDrive on the XP install (to access your iTunes stash and ~/Documents and whatnot) and live life as you normally would within OS X.