i have an ext USB HD which I think I have used on both PC and Mac before.

I have now plugged this into the Mac as its has alot of backups from both platforms, but I can't seem to drag anything to the drive from the Mac?

How do I get this enabled so I can use both platforms? this has alot of files on but its only a 1/4 full.

Just looking at it now via the Mac, I see that its Windows NT File System (NTFS), but am sure this has been plugged into both?

The Sharing permissions in Get Info, say that "You can only Read" - Can i change this if I plug it back into my PC so that both can read write etc?

I don't want to back up everything and reformat!

Hope that makes sense..

Macs cannot write to NTFS format drives, they can read them though.

To be able to read and write to the drive from both Mac and Windows, you will need to re-format the drive as FAT format. You would need to copy everything off the drive first before re-formatting.

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www.Lozjackson.com

Quote Bossman:

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Macs cannot write to NTFS format drives, they can read them though.

To be able to read and write to the drive from both Mac and Windows, you will need to re-format the drive as FAT format. You would need to copy everything off the drive first before re-formatting.

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Oh bugger

Thought as much but definetly FAT or FAT32? from the PC or the Mac? as long as its FAT or FAT32 everything should read it?

'There's an app for that' ;-)

I successfully write to NTFS all the time. I use an app called Paragon NTFS.
It's a paid app but with it if you need to write to NTFS. I just got it in the first place for when I switched from PC and all my disks were NTFS. Now all but one of my disks are OSX Journaled but I have clients coming up all the time with NTFS disks...

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Control room to be finished summer '12

Quote Bossman:

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Macs cannot write to NTFS format drives, they can read them though.

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As well as transfer apps, ISTR reading there's a kernel hack to make OSX NTFS read+write.

(can't remember the details, sorry)

Tuxera

http://www.tuxera.com/products/tuxera-ntfs-for-mac/

Works a treat.

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Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,


Edited by DAGGILARR (04/05/12 06:59 AM)

Thanks for the responses, so ideally in a Mac & PC environment, I should always format all drives to FAT32 to make sure that both PC AND Mac can read and write to anything and everything?

I'll know in the future that FAT32 is the way forward with both platforms in a setup

Quote Pitchfork:

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Thanks for the responses, so ideally in a Mac & PC environment, I should always format all drives to FAT32 to make sure that both PC AND Mac can read and write to anything and everything?

I'll know in the future that FAT32 is the way forward with both platforms in a setup

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FAT32 has limitations on file sizes etc. I have a Buffalo NAS that uses some Linux disk format so that both OS X and Win can read/write to it. I suggest having a look at that. Sorry can't remember the name and am at work, so no access to the drive.

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"Playing the right notes, but not neccesarily in the right order"

Format PC drives NTFS and MAC drives MAC journaled and use Tuxera on the mac and Macdrive on the PC that way you get the best of all worlds

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Strictly an amateur with some nice toys,

Quote:

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I'll know in the future that FAT32 is the way forward with both platforms in a setup

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Or you might consider formatting future drives as ex-FAT, to avoid the aforementioned file size limitation of FAT32.

John

Thanks for this, so either FAT32 on the drive (for both easy PC and Mac read & Write)
Or
EX-FAT for the same but without the 4GB limitation? Can I format to either on a Mac? I can't find EX-FAT on a PC.

I don't really want to use a 3rd party software to access this and prefer to do it properly at base.

My Drive has just turned up so about to press the format button!!

Formatting on the Mac should be fine.

Go for exfat if you think you'll have single files >4GB (seems unlikely)

I'm not sure I'd sleep hugely well using a fat/exfat disk for actual work. Transfers between systems, yes, but for real work I'd be much happier working with a modern filesystem.

Quote chris...:

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Formatting on the Mac should be fine.

Go for exfat if you think you'll have single files >4GB (seems unlikely)

I'm not sure I'd sleep hugely well using a fat/exfat disk for actual work. Transfers between systems, yes, but for real work I'd be much happier working with a modern filesystem.

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Oh really? why is that? whats the catch this time....

Fat dates from the 1980s, and has performance + features commensurate with it's vintage.