Multiple File Systems on one hard drive?

[peanutismint]

I have a 300GB external drive which I've just recently converted to HFS from NTFS so I can use it with my Macbook. However, I only partitioned 250GB to HFS and left the other 50GB unpartitioned to format as FAT32 in case of Windows emergencies. However, when I put the drive into my Windows box to format it, the Apple partition wasn't found, and the whole drive just came up as 'unallocated' or whatever. Windows was asking me to initialize the disk, which I of course know means 'format', so I don't want to do that. I've tried it in Windows disk management and even in PartitionMagic, but neither will see the two separate partitions. When I look at the disk in Disk Utility (back in OS X), it sees the disk as having 50GB of unallocated space, but I don't know of a way to then make that part accessible to Windows... any suggestions?

 

[xUKHCx]

select that partition and Erase it with the volume format set as MS-DOS or in Leopard MS-DOS (FAT)

 

[peanutismint]

select that partition and Erase it with the volume format set as MS-DOS or in Leopard MS-DOS (FAT)

Is this in Disk Utility yeah? When I originally formatted the drive, it let me choose Mac (HFS) or Windows (FAT), so I tried selecting one partition and hitting 'Mac' and the other and hitting 'Windows' but it seemed to be a blanket choice... There was a little 'lock' symbol on both partitions - could this mean they were kinda 'locked' together, to prevent beginners from formatting one partition one way and another another way? And if so, how can I go about unlocking?

p.s. your sig gives me very strange mental images...

 

[xUKHCx]

I personally haven't seen this lock before, perhaps you could attach a screenshot (cmd+shift+4).

So how did you do the format originally, what did you designate to the second partition.

p.s. your sig gives me very strange mental images...

Its from the armando iannucci show, link

 

[peanutismint]

Oh yeah, I remember that show! I used to sneak up after my bedtime and watch it, along with other greats like 'Lee & Herring's Fist Of Fun' and 'Red Dwarf' reruns... :-D


Anyway, back to business. You can hopefully see in the screengrab that I have a 30GB partition which is currently set as 'free space'. But in the 'Format' options, I don't have any MS-DOS option.... Weird huh?

Also, if I do find a way to get the MS-DOS option, can it then format that 30GB partition without touching the data on the large 270GB HFS partition?

 

[Jeremy1026]

Oh yeah, I remember that show! I used to sneak up after my bedtime and watch it, along with other greats like 'Lee & Herring's Fist Of Fun' and 'Red Dwarf' reruns... :-D


Anyway, back to business. You can hopefully see in the screengrab that I have a 30GB partition which is currently set as 'free space'. But in the 'Format' options, I don't have any MS-DOS option.... Weird huh?

Also, if I do find a way to get the MS-DOS option, can it then format that 30GB partition without touching the data on the large 270GB HFS partition?

OT I know, but good song in your VLC Controller.

 

[peanutismint]

OT I know, but good song in your VLC Controller.

Hahaha thanks, I went to see the band last Monday and I've been downloading a lot of live bootlegs since, trying to recreate the amazing gig atmosphere!

In other news - I clicked 'options' and reset the partition scheme to 'GUID', and it opened up the MS-DOS format to me. Hoorah! Except now I don't know if clicking 'partition' will just change the small, empty partition, or if it will also erase the large partition, which is already full of files..... I'll backup to be safe and give it a go. Thanks for your help!