exfat (mac and windows)

[nunes013]

My family has a windows xp machine that has a western digital 2 tb attached. it housed our music library. it used to be formatted as windows file system.

over the past few months ive been ripping our dvd collection to my computer. i went to transfer them today but in order for me to write i needed to make it exfat as mac and pc can read and write on that. now when i plug it into the windows machine it cant read it and says it needs to be formatted. what happened as my mbp can read it but the windows machine cant. the machine has service pack 3 installed and sp2 was the requirement for exfat i thought.

the reason i made it exfat is our windows machine is about 13 years old and has 1 gb ram and a single core cpu. i cant have more than two programs open. i do all the work on my mac then transfer it so i needed a file system that both OS could read. the windows machine is partially the itunes server for our apple tv.

 

[GGJstudios]

now when i plug it into the windows machine it cant read it and says it needs to be formatted. what happened as my mbp can read it but the windows machine cant. the machine has service pack 3 installed and sp2 was the requirement for exfat i thought.

exFAT isn't fully compatible with all Windows versions. I don't recall the details for each version, but you can check here:

exFAT (FAT64)

• Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
  [*]Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
  
• exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
• Maximum file size: 16 EiB
• Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB

Another alternative is to use NTFS:

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
  [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
  
• Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
• Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB

Or if you're only using the drive with one Windows computer, you could also use HFS+:

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)

• Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
• Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner backups of Mac internal hard drive.
  [*]To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
  [*]To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
• Maximum file size: 8EiB
• Maximum volume size: 8EiB

 

[nunes013]

exFAT isn't fully compatible with all Windows versions. I don't recall the details for each version, but you can check here:

exFAT (FAT64)

• Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
• Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
• exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
• Maximum file size: 16 EiB
• Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB
  
  Another alternative is to use NTFS:
  
  
  NTFS (Windows NT File System)
  • Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
  • Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
    [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
    
  • Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
  • Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, but is not advisable, due to instability.
  • AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
  • Maximum file size: 16 TB
  • Maximum volume size: 256TB
    
    Or if you're only using the drive with one Windows computer, you could also use HFS+:
    
    HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)
    • Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
    • Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner backups of Mac internal hard drive.
      [*]To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
      [*]To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
      
    • Maximum file size: 8EiB
    • Maximum volume size: 8EiB

• 
  
  i looked it up online and it said windows xp service pack 2 was the minimum requirement. im on 10.6.7 so thats fine. is there something else i can format it as so both can read or write or am i out of luck bc its 2 tb.
  
  like i said i wouldnt be able to rip movies on windows as the thing can barely have outlook and itunes open without struggling lol. there is no way it could run handbrake plus our combo drive isnt working. ive been trying to get my dad to buy a mac but he wont until the computer actually dies.
  
  EDIT: i just saw the install ntfs 3g for mac. i think i might have to do that until my dad gets the mac.

 

[altecXP]

You need an update to SP2 you can get here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955704

That should enable you to use exFAT on the XP machines properly.

 

[GGJstudios]

You need an update to SP2 you can get here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955704

That should enable you to use exFAT on the XP machines properly.

the machine has service pack 3 installed and sp2 was the requirement for exfat i thought.

 

[Nermal]

altecXP's link isn't SP2, it's an update that you install on top of SP2. It should work.

 

[SideStepSociety]

Which partition table format are you using? MBR or GUID?

Windows doesn't like GUID.

 

[nunes013]

You need an update to SP2 you can get here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955704

That should enable you to use exFAT on the XP machines properly.

i just downloaded it but for some reason after installation and it restarts it still says it cannot be read. do you want to format now.

EDIT: the partition table is MBR. also the driver says it works for sp3 which the computer is running. this is why i switched to mac lol.


EDIT 2: when i click format it gives the option to format as exfat now. but for some reason it wont read an already formatted drive.

 

[RainCityMacFan]

I get the same problem even with FAT sometimes.

I don't know why it's occurring but my solution is to format the drive in Windows and then use it.

 

[nunes013]

I get the same problem even with FAT sometimes.

I don't know why it's occurring but my solution is to format the drive in Windows and then use it.

thats what i figured i would have to do. i have like 297 gb between movies, tv shows, and expanded music so i was trying to avoid transferring but if thats what i will have to do its ok.

ill just copy everything over to another drive, format the other in windows, plug it back into my mac then transfer it back then hope it works

 

[nunes013]

just an update. transferred everything to a temporary drive. then formatted as exfat in windows. put everything back on it works. both OS see it and itunes is running it nicely. thanks for everyones help. i really appreciate it!!!!