How to copy data from a Mac to a portable hard....???

[Duster]

Hi....

I just got a 500GB external hard disk... i cant seem to drag and drop any thing from my hard in my Mac to the portable hard...

I'v dont it on other portable hards with out any issues.......

Any help on the matter is most appreciated....!!!!

 

[spinnerlys]

Maybe it is still formatted with NTFS (a Windows file system).
You can format it to HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) with the help of Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).

NTFS can only be read by Mac OS X.

 

[Duster]

I'm using Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

If I format it using HFS+ will I be able to use it in a Windows environment.....????

 

[spinnerlys]

I'm using Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

If I format it using HFS+ will I be able to use it in a Windows environment.....????

No. But there is a software for Windows called MacDrive, that enables read/write support for HFS+ formatted drives in Windows.

There is also FAT32 (MS-DOS) as a file system, which can be read/written to by Windows and Mac OS X. But the maximum file size is 4GB per file, so you might run into problems with that.

You could also partition the drive into two partitions, one formatted with HFS+ and one with FAT32 or even NTFS (which can be written to in Mac OS X with the help of MacFuse and NTFS-3G).

 

[chili]

you could also get "NTFS for mac" and format it for windows....

 

[Duster]

Sorry if I sound like a nag... but i have another external hard which works on both Mac and Windows in one partition...... I can exchange files and folders with the two operating systems with no problem....

 

[Duster]

you could also get "NTFS for mac" and format it for windows....

If this is done can i use it on both OS's...

If so how can i do it......????

 

[RandomKamikaze]

Sorry if I sound like a nag... but i have another external hard which works on both Mac and Windows in one partition...... I can exchange files and folders with the two operating systems with no problem....

The drive is probably formatted as FAT32 which has got native read/write on both OS' but has got a restriction where it can't handle any single file over 4GB meaning you won't be able to use it to transport a single file over 4GB

If this is done can i use it on both OS's...

If so how can i do it......????

Format it in Windows to NTFS

On your Mac install NTFS-3G and MacFuse (although I think the latest version of NTFS-3G installs MacFuse)

Plug the NTFS formatted drive into your Mac and try and copy a file on to the drive or create a folder. It should work. If it doesn't restart your Mac and then try again.

I have never had a problem with NTFS-3G

 

[Duster]

Oki Doki guys..... Thanks loads..... I'll try it out...!!!



Appreciate the help.....!!!!