external hd problem?

[ricecook]

so i just got me HD for making back up for my macbook/pc it works for mac/pc plug and play works fine..but now that i reformat it using my macbook for time machine when i plug the hd back to my PC it dont read it?
how can i fix it back to normal? so that it work for both? it didnt come with a set up cd it was inside the HD whice i did made a copy of..

so formating to use time machine means that my external HD is only for my mac now? cant plug it to any pc then?

will i have to buy a new hd?

 

[ClassicMac247]

As far as I know Time Machine totally takes your HD for your mac, You cannot use it for your PC so you are better off buying a cheap Seagate HD (I have one). They work fine between mac and pc. You just need one devoted to time machine and one for sharing.

 

[coolant113]

you have to format the external hard drive probally on the mac then it will be reconized for pc/mac

 

[ricecook]

so that means that my external HD is now for macs only then right?
is there a way to reformat it back to normal?

thnaks

 

[ClassicMac247]

Your Time machine HD is devoted to time machine and wipes everything else, and because windows does not have time machine it is unrecognized. You need two HD's. But its worth giving coolant113's idea a shot.

you have to format the external hard drive probally on the mac then it will be reconized for pc/mac

 

[ricecook]

you have to format the external hard drive probally on the mac then it will be reconized for pc/mac

how? im so new bee to macs..

thanks

 

[webgoat]

fat32 is the only format you can read/write from/to with both operating systems... time machine has to be formatted hfs so if you want to use this drive for time machine as well as extra storage space for windows you are going to have to make 2 partitions... you can make the 2 partitions using disk utility in mac os, format the one in mac os extended (journaled) you want to use for time machine... then you can format the other in fat32 or if you wish to format it ntfs you must do it from within windows

 

[coolant113]

plug it into the mac and go to Aplications then utilities then disk utility.. then click on the time machine disk and hit erase i am pretty sure thats how

 

[ClassicMac247]

yep

plug it into the mac and go to Aplications then utilities then disk utility.. then click on the time machine disk and hit erase i am pretty sure thats how

 

[ricecook]

GOT IT...AHHH..OHH YEAH ..thanks lots guys BIG help..
this site is great going to be on here forever..lol..

THANKS VERY MUCH..