External hard drive partitions and formats

[elmarko83]

I've just ordered a Seagate 500gb portable hard drive. I want it for backing up my 250gb Macbook, storing films and also for exchanging files between computers (Mac and Windows).

After reading various posts on the forums I'm planning on making 3 partitions:

1) 300gb for time machine backup. Mac OS X Extended (Is this the same format as HFS+ just a different name?)

2) 15gb for exchanging files. FAT32

3) The remainder for storing films. Mac OS X Extended.

Have i got these formats correct and are they suitable?

Also, i read that FAT32 is fragile and data can get wiped off it. If this did happen to the FAT32 partition, would it jsut affect that partition or could it damage data in all the partitions?

I'm new to this so thanks for any help.

 

[Dimwhit]

I wouldn't bother with separate partitions for Time Machine and the film backup. Time Machine plays well with other files. All of TM's backups are within its own folder, so additional files can be stored on the same partition.

If you want the FAT32 for swapping files, just make a 15GB for that and leave the rest for Time Machine and your other files together.

 

[tray3]

Journaled or not

I have another question here, the Mac OS-X partition, should i do it Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) or simply Mac OS X Extended. I just need to have it as an external drive for my iTunes and Aperture libraries which i can't fit in my Macbook anymore.

 

[Dimwhit]

I would go ahead and use extended Journaled. I don't know how much benefit it would give, but it won't hurt to use it.

 

[tray3]

thanks @Dimwhit

 

[elmarko83]

Ok I'lll jsut go for the two paritions then. If the FAT32 partition plays up and wipes any data, will that be confined to the FAT32 partition or could that affect the other partition too?

 

[Dimwhit]

Ok I'lll jsut go for the two paritions then. If the FAT32 partition plays up and wipes any data, will that be confined to the FAT32 partition or could that affect the other partition too?

As far as I know, it should be limited to the FAT32 partition. Unless something happens to physically damage the drive, which would affect all partitions.