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    External Hard drive question

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by sathyaterry, Sep 15, 2006.

  1. sathyaterry

    sathyaterry Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey Guys!
    i just wanted to know whether i will be able to use an external drive with my pc and mac and also with my mac and the windows installed in it?
    Thanks,
    sathya
     
    sathyaterry, Sep 15, 2006
    #1
  2. Luar

    Luar Notebook Evangelist

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    I believe that Mac does not recogonize NTFS so it will have to be a DOS partition.
     
    Luar, Sep 15, 2006
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  3. GeorgineVJ

    GeorgineVJ Notebook Consultant

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    The only input I will put here is to make sure you eject the drive before you unplug the USB cable.

    Don't ask me how I know this is important. :p
     
    GeorgineVJ, Sep 15, 2006
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  4. gridtalker

    gridtalker Notebook Virtuoso

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    windows will not load up
     
    gridtalker, Sep 15, 2006
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  5. xbandaidx

    xbandaidx Notebook Deity

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    Kind of confusing question.

    But I'll say this. The only partition format that both OS can read and write to is Fat32, so if you wanna have both OS'es to access it with read and write, than thats your only option.

    However, it is possible to setup 'MacDrive' on your windows so it can use some Mac OS format, but thats something I don't know anything about and your best bet would be one of the other guys here such as Cash, zadillo or wooky. I think at least one of those three have mentioned it.
     
    xbandaidx, Sep 15, 2006
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  6. Starlight

    Starlight Notebook Evangelist

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    Mac OS X does read NTFS, it just can't write to it. The only file system both can read and write to (well, except stuff like iso9660 ;P) is FAT32, as xbandaidx said.

    You cannot boot Windows from an external drive as far as I understood the Boot Camp talk - check the Apple discussions forum for confirmation, the Boot Camp section there should have others asking the same question. You can boot OS X from an external drive however, even a usb2 one nowadays I think (used to be only firewire).
     
    Starlight, Sep 15, 2006
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  7. sathyaterry

    sathyaterry Notebook Evangelist

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    wait i think u misunderstood my question..
    I wanted to know whether the external drive of mine which contain music and movies will be compatible with the macbook.. also will i be able to access these music and also write on the windows partition of macbook using bootcamp?
    Im not gonna boot xp from the external hard drive..
     
    sathyaterry, Sep 16, 2006
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  8. cashmonee

    cashmonee Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    OS X can read, but not write to NTFS, which is probably the file system that drive is right now. So, what I have done is format my external into HFS+(mac) and the purchased MacDrive6 for the XP machine to be able to read and write to that drive.
     
    cashmonee, Sep 16, 2006
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  9. Starlight

    Starlight Notebook Evangelist

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    The answer to that has also been posted. Of course you can read and write if you have booted up into Windows, that's a given. If you are booted into OS X, the external drive would have to be FAT32 to write to it, but OS X can read NTFS (the standard Windows format these days) also.

    Hope that cleared up any confusion? :)
     
    Starlight, Sep 17, 2006
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