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Need help changing format of external hard drive!

L

LucaGreene

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 11, 2011
3
0
So I've done some research and I've realised that to allow files larger than 4G into my external hard drive I need to change the format from FAT32 to another, but this is the point I've come to.

After going onto disk utility I'm finding it hard to know what format to change to or even if I'm doing the process correctly.

Has anyone got any pointers?

Cheers!

Luca
 
LucaGreene said:
So I've done some research and I've realised that to allow files larger than 4G into my external hard drive I need to change the format from FAT32 to another, but this is the point I've come to.

After going onto disk utility I'm finding it hard to know what format to change to or even if I'm doing the process correctly.

Has anyone got any pointers?
Click to expand...
FAT32 (File Allocation Table)
  • Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
    [*]Maximum file size: 4GB.
  • Maximum volume size: 2TB
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
HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)
  • Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
  • Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! backups of Mac internal hard drive.
    [*]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
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
 
GGJstudios said:
FAT32 (File Allocation Table)
  • Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
    [*]Maximum file size: 4GB.
  • Maximum volume size: 2TB
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
HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)
  • Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
  • Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! backups of Mac internal hard drive.
    [*]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
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
Click to expand...


Thanks for the information, but under the 'Format' tab in disk utility I'm only getting the following options:

Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Mac OS Extended (Case-sensetive, Journaled)
MS-DOS (FAT)
ExFAT
Free Space

any suggestions?
 
LucaGreene said:
Thanks for the information, but under the 'Format' tab in disk utility I'm only getting the following options:

Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Mac OS Extended (Case-sensetive, Journaled)
MS-DOS (FAT)
ExFAT
Free Space

any suggestions?
Click to expand...
If you routinely share the drive with several Windows computers, NTFS or exFAT are your best choices. You don't see NTFS because you haven't enabled it using one of the methods in my post. If you're using it only with Mac OS X or for backups or with just your Mac and one Windows computer, use Mac OS Extended, also as indicated in my post. Don't use case-sensitive.
 
GGJstudios said:
If you routinely share the drive with several Windows computers, NTFS or exFAT are your best choices. You don't see NTFS because you haven't enabled it using one of the methods in my post. If you're using it only with Mac OS X or for backups or with just your Mac and one Windows computer, use Mac OS Extended, also as indicated in my post. Don't use case-sensitive.
Click to expand...

Got it working, everything seems to be running fine.

Thanks a lot for the help!

----------
old-wiz said:
BTW...changing the format will erase the drive...
Click to expand...

I had already backed up everything on the hard drive, thanks for the heads up though.
 
If you want to have the drive set up as NTFS and still have read-write capabilities you will need a third party driver installed on the mac such as Tuxera NTFS (paid) or NTFS-3G (it's free, less advanced counterpart).
 
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