[WD500Gb] Disk Utility: 3 Partitions-> TimeMachine/Mac/Windows how?

[Jinsou]

Ok so i got a WD passport 500Gb, and I'm planning on using it for Time machine, Misc free space for other mac stuff and i'm planning on using 50gb to use with my windows netbook. I understand time machine needs to format the disk in order to use it. so should i make the 3 partitions first and then only format the one for time machine? or will this erase my whole disk again? what format should i use for windows? ms-dos(Fat)? I am also going to be using this disk with my AP extreme, which i still dont know if i can just (drag n drop) a file wirelessly from my mac, and also windows. ( i have mac drive for windows) any help will be appreciated.

Jin

 

[quactaur]

If you have mac drive, there's no need to format the windows partition as FAT, or even have a separate windows partition as your windows machine will happily read the HFS file format.


To be perfectly honest, it doesn't really sound like you need to create multiple partitions at all. I have a 500gb hard drive with a single HFS plus partition, which I use for time machine and misc files that both my windows and mac machines use.

Time machine puts all its files in a Backups.backupdb folder. So long as you don't go messing about with that (including within windows) then whatever else you put into that partition has no bearing on them. The only concern I can think of is the possibility of windows malware ***** up the hard drive. So long as you have antivirus software installed that shouldn't be a problem however.

 

[Jinsou]

Your probably right, I'm going to give it a shot with a single partition. Thanks~

 

[carolalola]

Hi there,
I tried a single partition, however, whenever I try to use my external disc on any windows machine, it just won't recognize it. I have some important stuff in that disc that I can only use with windows programs, so I dont know what can I do to open it in windows... any ideas?

 

[gnasher729]

Hi there,
I tried a single partition, however, whenever I try to use my external disc on any windows machine, it just won't recognize it. I have some important stuff in that disc that I can only use with windows programs, so I dont know what can I do to open it in windows... any ideas?

You may not have been given the best possible advice. If you wanted to access the same data from a Macintosh _and_ a Windows computer, you would have to format as NTFS (Macintosh can only read it, not write, so no good for Time Machine), or FAT 32 (which limits the size of files and the size of the partition and is no good for Time Machine either).

Create one partition for Time Machine, as large as you want it, which is the space on your Mac's drive plus 50 or 100 percent; then create partitions for your Mac to use and for Windows to use.

 

[jdechko]

If you have mac drive, there's no need to format the windows partition as FAT, or even have a separate windows partition as your windows machine will happily read the HFS file format.


To be perfectly honest, it doesn't really sound like you need to create multiple partitions at all. I have a 500gb hard drive with a single HFS plus partition, which I use for time machine and misc files that both my windows and mac machines use.

Time machine puts all its files in a Backups.backupdb folder. So long as you don't go messing about with that (including within windows) then whatever else you put into that partition has no bearing on them. The only concern I can think of is the possibility of windows malware ***** up the hard drive. So long as you have antivirus software installed that shouldn't be a problem however.

Hi there,
I tried a single partition, however, whenever I try to use my external disc on any windows machine, it just won't recognize it. I have some important stuff in that disc that I can only use with windows programs, so I dont know what can I do to open it in windows... any ideas?

If you want to use an HFS formatted drive with Windows, you need something like MacDrive. Windows will not read HFS natively.

 

[midlad]

How can I make the disk readable by Windows?

You may not have been given the best possible advice. If you wanted to access the same data from a Macintosh _and_ a Windows computer, you would have to format as NTFS (Macintosh can only read it, not write, so no good for Time Machine), or FAT 32 (which limits the size of files and the size of the partition and is no good for Time Machine either).

Create one partition for Time Machine, as large as you want it, which is the space on your Mac's drive plus 50 or 100 percent; then create partitions for your Mac to use and for Windows to use.

I'm not sure what to do. What you said seem to be something to do BEFORE using a hd as TimeMachineBackupDisk. But what if I have already used the disk as a TimeMachineBackup and now I want it to be just a normal Disk (wich Windows Xp can read)?