paragon NTFS help for external HD

[SBDS]

hi. my 60G usb external HD had two partitions, 1st (10G) for MAC OS 9, then i used paragon NTFS for MAC erase the 2nd partition to NTFS. The disk utility showed it mounted but not available, and only the MAC OS 9 partition showed on desktop, no NTFS partition either. This NTFS was not recognized either by PC. Would you please help me figure out how to solve it.

MAC: G4; paragon NTFS 6.5
PC: winXP

Thanks

 

[Mr. Zarniwoop]

my 60G usb external HD had two partitions, 1st (10G) for MAC OS 9, then i used paragon NTFS for MAC erase the 2nd partition to NTFS.

I'm not sure you can get an NTFS partition recognized on a Apple Partition Map (APM)/PowerPC Mac partioned drive... it may require a Master Boot Record (MBR)/PC or GUID Partion Table (GPT)/Intel Mac partitioned drive.

If you don't need to boot from that APM volume, you might want to try repartitioning the drive as a GPT drive or even an MBR drive if it'll be booting a PC.

 

[SBDS]

Thank you, Zarn

So, either way, it is impossible to keep OS 9 partition with NTFS partition together, right? If I want to use this external HD for both PC and MAC, the better way is to format the whole to NTFS. Right?

Thanks

 

[Mr. Zarniwoop]

So, either way, it is impossible to keep OS 9 partition with NTFS partition together, right?

Two thoughts:

1. I was speculating about NTFS not being ok on an APM drive. I'm not absolutely sure this is the case, but it would make sense to me that at least the PC wouldn't recognize it, and therefore likely the Mac.

2. There's no reason you can't mix an HFS+ (even with OS 9 drivers) volume and NTFS volume on the same drive that's an MBR or GPT drive. You just won't be able to boot OS 9 off it, but you could still run Classic under OS X off it.

If I want to use this external HD for both PC and MAC, the better way is to format the whole to NTFS.

That's what I do. Also, with an external drive, never just "pull the plug" on the drive when it's mounted by a computer. Be really sure to shutdown cleanly or eject NTFS volumes on the Mac or "remove hardware" on Windows as NTFS is a bit unforgiving about just pulling the plug and it gets even more persnickety about it when moving between worlds.

I also use MacDrive under Windows so Windows can use my HFS+ volumes.

 

[SBDS]

Thank you, Zarn

I decide to use MACdrive, then I would keep the OS 9 partition, and format the 2nd one to HFS+, thus my external HD can be read and write by both PC and MAC.