PC user-New to Mac ....Help

[cornelious1212]

porthole2 wrote above:

[[ In post 84 above, you mentioned reformatting a Seagate drive (which I assume is going to be used for Mac file storage).



A bit of advice (take it for what you paid for it):

If you're going to keep files that are important to you archived on an external drive, DO NOT use a "cross-platform" formatting scheme (i.e., FAT32, etc.) on it.



Instead, use "Mac-format" ONLY (HFS+, journaled, GUID partition map).



I've seen too many hard-luck and horror stories here from Mac users who kept stuff on a cross-formatted drive, only to have some or all of the files just go "POOF!" on them at some point.



For Mac work, use a Mac-formatted drive.



If you need something to move files "cross-platform", use a SEPARATE DRIVE created for this purpose. It could be a hard drive, USB flash drive, SDHC card, etc.



The above is my opinion only and others' opinions will differ.

I'm about to make the PC to Mac switch as soon as my Mac mini arrives in the mail. I have over 2TB of movies, home videos, pictures and music. How will I be able to format the drive for Mac only and then get the files back on to the ext HDD off of my PC?

 

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PC user-New to Mac ....HELP

I'm about to make the PC to Mac switch as soon as my Mac mini arrives in the mail. I have over 2TB of movies, home videos, pictures and music. How will I be able to format the drive for Mac only and then get the files back on to the ext HDD off of my PC?

What are you asking exactly? Format what drive? Surely not the drive with all your stuff on it? Are you talking about a second drive you want to transfer your files to? The easiest way to go about this would be to wait until your Mac Mini arrives and then format your external drive on the Mac Mini using Disk Utility to HFS+ (Journaled) with a GUID partition scheme. Then I would install a trial of MacDrive on your PC: http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive which will allow your PC to read the Mac formatted drive since Windows cannot read it natively. The trial is fully functional for a set period of time, which will allow you to transfer all of your data to the external Mac-formatted drive where you can then easily access all your files from your new Mac Mini. I would, as a precaution... leave your files on the PC as a backup. Always have a backup in the event something goes wrong. If you have any questions when it comes time to transfer your data, feel free to ask.

 

[cornelious1212]

What are you asking exactly? Format what drive? Surely not the drive with all your stuff on it? Are you talking about a second drive you want to transfer your files to? The easiest way to go about this would be to wait until your Mac Mini arrives and then format your external drive on the Mac Mini using Disk Utility to HFS+ (Journaled) with a GUID partition scheme. Then I would install a trial of MacDrive on your PC: http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive which will allow your PC to read the Mac formatted drive since Windows cannot read it natively. The trial is fully functional for a set period of time, which will allow you to transfer all of your data to the external Mac-formatted drive where you can then easily access all your files from your new Mac Mini. I would, as a precaution... leave your files on the PC as a backup. Always have a backup in the event something goes wrong. If you have any questions when it comes time to transfer your data, feel free to ask.

I didn't know there was a PC utility to allow me to read a mac formatted drive. Since I didn't know that I wasn't sure how to move the files. I was going to stash them on my PC HDD, format as Mac on the external, but then I didn't know how to get them back on the external FROM the PC since the external was now mac only. Thanks for the info.

 

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I didn't know there was a PC utility to allow me to read a mac formatted drive. Since I didn't know that I wasn't sure how to move the files. I was going to stash them on my PC HDD, format as Mac on the external, but then I didn't know how to get them back on the external FROM the PC since the external was now mac only. Thanks for the info.

Yeah, the other way is a pain in the butt. And you're welcome.

 

[matrix07]

What are you asking exactly? Format what drive? Surely not the drive with all your stuff on it? Are you talking about a second drive you want to transfer your files to? The easiest way to go about this would be to wait until your Mac Mini arrives and then format your external drive on the Mac Mini using Disk Utility to HFS+ (Journaled) with a GUID partition scheme. Then I would install a trial of MacDrive on your PC: http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive which will allow your PC to read the Mac formatted drive since Windows cannot read it natively. The trial is fully functional for a set period of time, which will allow you to transfer all of your data to the external Mac-formatted drive where you can then easily access all your files from your new Mac Mini.

Damn. didn't know this before. I waited for days and days for my Mac mini to arrive, didn't know that I can use my PC to transfer file to ext. hdd. formatted by my MacBook Air NOW.
Thank god I read this thread.
(I can use MacBook Air to transfer files through network but that would be too slow.)

Edit: oh, I read it wrong. It can just read, not write.

 

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Damn. didn't know this before. I waited for days and days for my Mac mini to arrive, didn't know that I can use my PC to transfer file to ext. hdd. formatted by my MacBook Air NOW.
Thank god I read this thread.
(I can use MacBook Air to transfer files through network but that would be too slow.)

Edit: oh, I read it wrong. It can just read, not write.

Don't know how you got that idea. MacDrive will let your PC read and write to your Mac-formatted hard drive... which is why I used the word "transfer." Sorry if it was unclear.

 

[matrix07]

Don't know how you got that idea. MacDrive will let your PC read and write to your Mac-formatted hard drive... which is why I used the word "transfer." Sorry if it was unclear.

This sentence. "which will allow your PC to read the Mac formatted drive" got me a bit confused. Good to know that it's exactly what I want. Thank you for recommending it.

 

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Sorry again. Glad the recommendation will help you out.