External HDD: read/write problems

[Obscuraeon]

I have a Toshiba 1TB Canvio 3.0 Portable Hard Drive. I wonder if there is anyone else out there that has one of these or something similar and is having difficulties making it work with their MacbookPro.

Mine came with some wonky driver called "Tuxera" that allows one to edit documents, etc. directly from the external HDD instead of having to edit on the computer and drag back onto it when finished. By default it is read-only, but the Tuxera driver thing is supposed to remedy that problem. It works... temporarily. I restart the computer and the following happens after each install and attempt:

I edit a document and save once. It's fine. I save one more time and it freaks out, telling me that the document is not in its original location (so it prompts me to locate it.) I then attempt to find the file back on the HDD, but when I click on the HDD on the left side of the prompt, the icon for it turns into a folder with a red cancel-sign on the top left of it. This is made worse when I double-click on the HDD on the desktop after the mess ensues, turning that icon as well into the "canceled folder," afterward displaying a message that reads something like "You do not have the proper permissions to access this folder."

 

[GGJstudios]

It sounds like your drive is formatted NTFS, which OS X can read, but not write natively, unless you make it do so. If you intend to only use the drive with your Mac, you may want to reformat it as HFS+.

Format A Hard Drive Using Disk Utility (which is in your /Applications/Utilities folder) Choose the appropriate format: HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Don't use case-sensitive)

• Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
• Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! backups of Mac OS X system files. [*]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
• Mac OS X: Mac OS Extended format (HFS Plus) volume and file limits
• You can use this format if you only use the drive with Mac OS X, or use it for backups of your Mac OS X internal drive, or if you only share it with one Windows PC (with MacDrive installed on the PC)

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, here are some alternatives:
  • For Mac OS X 10.4 or later (32 or 64-bit), install Paragon (approx $20) (Best Choice for Lion)
  • For 32-bit Mac OS X, install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free) (does not work in 64-bit mode)
  • For 64-bit Snow Leopard, read this: MacFUSE for 64-bit Snow Leopard
  • Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx $36).
  • Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and Lion, 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
• You can use this format if you routinely share a drive with multiple Windows systems.

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
• You can use this format if it is supported by all computers with which you intend to share the drive. See "disadvantages" for details.

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)

• Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X. [*]Maximum file size: 4GB.
• Maximum volume size: 2TB
• You can use this format if you share the drive between Mac OS X and Windows computers and have no files larger than 4GB.

 

[Obscuraeon]

I plan on using HFS, then. Do I have to install MacDrive on a PC directly to be able to read/write the HDD or can I install it on the HDD so I don't have to install it on every darn PC I come in contact with? Sounds like a dang hassle. Not to mention, I can't install anything on a public PC at a college campus without them throwing a fit.

This is odd. My last E-HDD, although bulky and not as expansive on memory, never had this problem and it wasn't even meant for Mac.

Thanks for your help so far, though!

 

[GGJstudios]

I plan on using HFS, then. Do I have to install MacDrive on a PC directly to be able to read/write the HDD or can I install it on the HDD so I don't have to install it on every darn PC I come in contact with? Sounds like a dang hassle. Not to mention, I can't install anything on a public PC at a college campus without them throwing a fit.

If you use the HFS+ format, yes, you will need to install something like MacDrive on every Windows PC you want to use to access the drive. If that's your plan, you're better off using exFAT or NTFS and install Paragon on your Mac.

This is odd. My last E-HDD, although bulky and not as expansive on memory, never had this problem and it wasn't even meant for Mac.

If it was formatted NTFS, you would have had the same limitation. There's no such thing as a Windows drive or a Mac drive. Any hard drive can be formatted to work with either or both platforms.