Pitchfork
new member
Joined: 25/06/03
Posts: 965
Loc: London
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One HD to Mac and PC together?
#1025901 - 26/12/12 04:23 PM
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Can I use a single HD (usb drive) that is plugged in to both a Mac and PC and they both
use it as a shared drive to swap files between each other? I have been using a
Mac and an old Laptop PC and used the PC's internal drive 4200rpm to share files, but
thought an seperate dedicated USB2 faster drive could be plugged in via USB hanging off
both Computers to swap files?? I know that I can't for any reason use the same
file at the same time on each computer (boo...) but would love to edit in the PC and save
to the drive, and then access the same file in the Mac.. Would a 200-500Gb
7200rpm drive be quicker and via USB2, be a better bet than using a 40Gb slow 4200rpm
internal old PC drive? I'm thinking yes? 
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BJG145
Joined: 06/08/05
Posts: 2187
Loc: Norwich UK
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Pitchfork]
#1025902 - 26/12/12 04:31 PM
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No can do. Connect to a single machine and then share via a network, or get a NAS.
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Pitchfork
new member
Joined: 25/06/03
Posts: 965
Loc: London
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: BJG145]
#1025950 - 27/12/12 10:10 AM
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Quote BJG145:
No can do. Connect
to a single machine and then share via a network, or get a NAS.
Thanks
I've never heard of this
before, but as its Networked, am I right in thinking it connects to my router instead of a
computer so it can be seen by any computers for file swapping?
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BJG145
Joined: 06/08/05
Posts: 2187
Loc: Norwich UK
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Pitchfork]
#1025951 - 27/12/12 10:46 AM
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Yep...NAS = Networked Attached Storage, basically a box with a disk drive, a network
socket and its own mini OS (probably Linux-based) for management. You'd better read up on
them a bit before purchasing in case there are any pitfalls...eg see:
http://gizmodo.com/5067201/how-to-choose-the-best-network-storage-for-a-ma
cpc-home
...although that's from 2008...or...
http://www.pcworld.com/article/252727/network_attached_storage_today_s_bes
t_boxes.html
(Never tried using one with a Mac, let along Mac/PC sharing.
You might find them slower than physically attached devices, depending on your network.
Not sure how to compare, eg, USB2 against a 100 or 1000 network switch, though someone
else might. Here's a SOS NAS thread from earlier this year.)
http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=PCMus&Nu
mber=1018264&Searchpage=1&Main=982220&Words=NAS&topic=&Search=true#Pos
t1018264
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Exalted Wombat
Joined: 06/02/10
Posts: 4315
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Pitchfork]
#1025953 - 27/12/12 10:55 AM
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Quote Pitchfork:
Can I use a
single HD (usb drive) that is plugged in to both a Mac and PC and they both use it as a
shared drive to swap files between each other?
USB is a lousy way of setting up a network (which is essentially
what you're asking for).
As you're posting here, you have Internet. Are both
computers connected? If so, you've basically got a network already. Drives can be
shared.
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DAGGILARR
Joined: 22/09/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Exeter, Devon.
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Pitchfork]
#1025977 - 27/12/12 01:55 PM
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Very simple I do this no problems. I have the drive formatted as mac journaled and I have
THIS installed on the PC and the I use one of THESE to switch between machines. very low cost solution.
-------------------- Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,
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The Elf
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 8214
Loc: Sheffield, UK
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: DAGGILARR]
#1025998 - 27/12/12 03:21 PM
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As Wombat said, there's absolutely no need for a switcher of any kind. Just share the
drives over the network - that's what networks are for!
--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.
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DAGGILARR
Joined: 22/09/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Exeter, Devon.
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: The Elf]
#1026057 - 28/12/12 07:53 AM
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What is the preferred format for an HDD that is shared over the network and will be
'cross-platform'?
--------------------
Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,
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ConcertinaChap
Joined: 20/07/05
Posts: 1877
Loc: Bradford on Avon
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: DAGGILARR]
#1026065 - 28/12/12 09:33 AM
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Sometimes routers have a USB port that you can connect a USB drive to and which will then
be visible across the network. There may be others, but as far as I am aware the format
that works best for both read and write between Mac and PC is FAT32. Bizarrely, Mac OS can
format bigger FAT32 drives than can Windows. If the files you want to swap are
not large then no-one has mentioned Dropbox yet. This uses the Internet and cloud services to make file
sharing trivially simple. Once the software is installed on both computers all you need do
is drop a file in the Dropbox folder on one computer and it automagically appears in the
Dropbox folder on the other computer. We use it for sharing files between Macs and PCs all
the time. It is also extremely useful for sharing files with customers. CC
-------------------- Putting the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio
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DAGGILARR
Joined: 22/09/10
Posts: 565
Loc: Exeter, Devon.
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: ConcertinaChap]
#1026099 - 28/12/12 03:15 PM
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I use drop box and this was my initial intention for it but it can take an age to upload
stuff so I end up whacking it on a dongle. I am about to get a new router so this USB port
idea is good news, any recommends for a decent router. needs to be dual band. As far as I
am aware FAT 32 has a File size limit of 4GB so I would probably go for Mac Journaled or
NTFS and have the appropriate bit of software on one of the machines. the system I use at
the moment is fine for me but the network solution would work much better for the whole
house to share stuff
--------------------
Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,
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Pete Kaine
Scan Computers
Joined: 10/07/03
Posts: 3211
Loc: Manchester
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: DAGGILARR]
#1026703 - 02/01/13 12:05 PM
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The's loads for a decent price these days. Normally I go for Netgear or D-link but I'm not
too up on the current models as I've not had need for a new one for a while. The Dlink
DIR-636L appears to tick all the boxes however for around £40 I think.
-------------------- ScanProAudio & 3XS Audio Systems
ScanProAudio Blog
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chris...
active member
Joined: 12/03/03
Posts: 4166
Loc: Glasgow
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: DAGGILARR]
#1027061 - 05/01/13 10:54 AM
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Quote DAGGILARR:
What is the
preferred format for an HDD that is shared over the network and will be 'cross-platform'?
You mean filesystem format:
FAT32, NTFS, HFS+ etc etc ?
The answer is: it makes no difference. The
format is hidden to systems accessing a file share over the network.
Quote ConcertinaChap:
Sometimes
routers have a USB port that you can connect a USB drive to and which will then be visible
across the network. There may be others, but as far as I am aware the format that works
best for both read and write between Mac and PC is FAT32.
That's where you're trying to physically plug a
drive into a Mac and PC (not at the same time), as opposed to using a network.
If using a network, it doesn't matter. So choose a robust modern filesystem (ie.
preferably *not* FAT-whatever). If the disk to be shared will be physically attached to a
Mac, then format it HFS+, and NTFS if it'll be attached to a PC. The other computers
using it over the network won't know or care.
If instead you buy a NAS, the
NAS will want to use whatever format it wants to use. (but that'll be hidden from your
computers).
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Madman_Greg
Joined: 07/12/06
Posts: 709
Loc: The back of beyond
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: chris...]
#1027144 - 06/01/13 12:45 AM
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why not
get one of these 64GB, £21...
-------------------- Madman_Greg
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chris...
active member
Joined: 12/03/03
Posts: 4166
Loc: Glasgow
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Madman_Greg]
#1027197 - 06/01/13 12:49 PM
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Great for transferring stuff - but of course you have to dismount/eject the thing before
moving it, so only one computer can use it at a time. Depends on what's wanted to be
accomplished, really.
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Martin Walker
Watcher Of The Skies
Joined: 28/02/01
Posts: 16477
Loc: Cornwall, UK
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Madman_Greg]
#1027402 - 07/01/13 12:04 PM
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Hi Madman_Greg! That's a very sensible alternative at a very reasonable price
 Martin
-------------------- YewTreeMagic
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Pitchfork
new member
Joined: 25/06/03
Posts: 965
Loc: London
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Madman_Greg]
#1027406 - 07/01/13 12:14 PM
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Quote Madman_Greg:
why not get one of
these
64GB, £21...
Great idea but long winded for me using lots of files open and editing, i'll have
to close all open files, eject, transfer to Mac, find, open, if they are not edited
correctly?, close, eject, swap over, fire up, launch samples again to edit 
You see my point, I think this is why a network drive or cable mayb easier?
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Fen_Tigger
Joined: 23/03/12
Posts: 22
Loc: Below Sea Level
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Pitchfork]
#1027421 - 07/01/13 01:17 PM
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I have a Bufalo 1TB NAS that has some Linux-based HDD format that both Windows and OSX can
read/write, and it works well. The only arse about is that it doesn't mount on OSX (10.6)
automatically, but if you use Automount Maker (free I think, but it is pesterware), you
can mount the NAS at startup. I haven't used it much on OSX 10.7 as I stopped sharing an
iTunes library with the PC, but I've got a feeling it'll automount. Hope that helps.
--------------------
"Playing the right notes, but not neccesarily in the right order"
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Madman_Greg
Joined: 07/12/06
Posts: 709
Loc: The back of beyond
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Martin Walker]
#1027422 - 07/01/13 01:21 PM
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Quote Martin Walker:
Hi
Madman_Greg!
That's a very sensible alternative at a very reasonable price
Martin
The data is
then in 3 places at various currency levels
The PC, the MAC, the memory
stick.
So you are probably never going to loose every thing completely due to
disk failure.
--------------------
Madman_Greg
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Madman_Greg
Joined: 07/12/06
Posts: 709
Loc: The back of beyond
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Re: One HD to Mac and PC together?
[Re: Madman_Greg]
#1027423 - 07/01/13 01:23 PM
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If you have an old PC / laptop lying around, you might like to consider
this. http://www.freenas.org/
-------------------- Madman_Greg
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