Using Portable Hard Disk for Mac OS and Windows

[Ed4132]

Hi

How I can make an Portable Hard Disk to work with Mac OS and Windows, I just buy a Seagate Portable Disk and comes with software for windows and I need it to work with Mac

Appreciate help on this matter

Thanks

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Format it using exFAT, FAT32 or NTFS if you want on your Windows computer, and you will able to work with it in Mac OS X too.
See below FAQ about the advantages and disadvantages of the file systems.

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: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
  
• Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
• Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, 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 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

 

[karohan]

Don't format the hard drive without first backing up any software you need from the external (it sounds like the software is coming pre-installed on the drive?) because formatting it will wipe all your data. If you have re-install discs for the software, however, feel free to.