Partition question with NTFS and OS X

[Garrod]

I have a USB 3 external HDD that is 3TB. I want to partition it so that I can have a 500GB bootable OS X partition. The rest I want to use for my Windows 7 Boot Camp partition of my internal storage for backup / file storage.

I've tried for hours but cannot find a solution and I'm getting so frustrated. Can anyone help please?!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kissmyne]

Disk Utility-Erase the external drive, Format it with 2 partitions, one HFS+ and one FAT32.

Install OS X on the HFS+ partition using an OS X installer. Boot to a USB installer of Windows, use the Windows Installer to create the partition where Windows will be installed(You will be overwriting the FAT32 partition typically). If you don't need to install windows on this, then you could also format as ExFat instead of FAT32, or boot to an existing windows install, and reformat that part of the drive to NTFS if you prefer. ExFat and FAT32 are read and write supported by OS X and Windows natively.

Keep in mind that with USB 3.0, native Windows support for USB 3.0 ports in the installer is in Windows 8, you would need to have the appropriate driver to enable that function in earlier versions of Windows

 

[Garrod]

Disk Utility-Erase the external drive, Format it with 2 partitions, one HFS+ and one FAT32.

Install OS X on the HFS+ partition using an OS X installer. Boot to a USB installer of Windows, use the Windows Installer to create the partition where Windows will be installed(You will be overwriting the FAT32 partition typically). If you don't need to install windows on this, then you could also format as ExFat instead of FAT32, or boot to an existing windows install, and reformat that part of the drive to NTFS if you prefer. ExFat and FAT32 are read and write supported by OS X and Windows natively.

Keep in mind that with USB 3.0, native Windows support for USB 3.0 ports in the installer is in Windows 8, you would need to have the appropriate driver to enable that function in earlier versions of Windows

I don't think you quite understand - I have already done this.

I want 2.5TB formatted to NTFS. I want 500GB HFS+ and bootable with OS X. The 2.5TB NTFS partition is PURELY for backup and storage of my internal Boot Camp partition of Windows 7. I have already tried (several times) what you have suggested.

The problem seems to be that Windows 7 doesn't like the way I have partitioned my external HDD.

 

[Kissmyne]

Format the entire drive in Windows( Create 2 partitions using Disk Management), Then boot to OS X, and format the second partition, does this work for you?

 

[Garrod]

Format the entire drive in Windows( Create 2 partitions using Disk Management), Then boot to OS X, and format the second partition, does this work for you?

I gave up and just bought another external HDD!