MAC Gurus wanted (1 Viewer)

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Hi just lent my WD Usb powered drive which I use on my PC to my daughter to backup some stuff, but while she can read the drive she can't backup to it, it says the disk can't be modified.

Is this because the MAC is using a different file system? if so is there anyway apart from a reformat around this? Its mainly a stack of pictures she wants to backup.

Olley
 

scotjimland

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Hi just lent my WD Usb powered drive which I use on my PC to my daughter to backup some stuff, but while she can read the drive she can't backup to it, it says the disk can't be modified.

Is this because the MAC is using a different file system? if so is there anyway apart from a reformat around this? Its mainly a stack of pictures she wants to backup.

Olley

Correct Olley, and there is no way around it I'm afraid other than to have her own drive or use a usb stick
 

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Macs use a different OS to PCs. A reformat to Mac is the only solution as far as I know.

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olley
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Bugger, I think is the correct word :Doh: Thanks guys.

I gave her a USB powered drive early in the year, but their's insufficient power in her USB socket to run it, so I tried the WD today which is newer.

Guess I will have offload my stuff on to the older one, and then she can format the WD.

As she knows less than me about MAC's :Smile: what's the format procedure?

Olley
 

scotjimland

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what's the format procedure?

Olley

Hi Olley

Connect the WD drive to the Mac usb

In Finder, Go to applications, select the folder utilities, then look for Disc Utility

when it opens you will see the drives listed ..

select the WD drive

select Erase

then reformat to Mac OS Extended journaled
 

JeanLuc

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Macs use Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format for their disks. However, a Mac can open and save files on a Windows PC. To enable this, go to System Preferences and click "Sharing". Then tick the box next to "File Sharing". Click on the button at the right hand side labelled "Options". Tick the box next to the words "Share files & folders using SMB (Windows)".
If your daughter just wants to copy some files for security, she could copy these to any other PC, but it probably will not work with a directly attached external disk.
I share files routinely and back up to my desktop PC using a programme called "Crash Plan". This is done over a network through a router.

If however, she wants to do full backups with a restore option, this will not work to a directly attached NTFS (Windows) disk if she is trying to use Apple "Time Machine". That needs to "see" a disk as an extension to the PC, connected either by USB or FireWire800 if possible (FireWire is a lot faster).

It might be simpler to buy her a new external disk already formatted for the Mac. They are available from WD, LaCie and Iomega to name a few. N.B. big ones need an external power source. If you decide to let her reformat your WD disk, she needs to follow these steps (they are in the Apple Help sustem).

To format a disk you use "Disk Utility" from >Applications>Utilities

To erase a disk:

If you want to erase an external disk, connect the disk to your computer.

In Disk Utility, select the disk or partition in the list on the left.

Click Erase.

Choose a format from the Format pop-up menu. Usually you will choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Type a name for the disk or partition.

If you want to prevent the erased files from being recovered, click Security Options, select the option you want, and click OK.

Click Erase.



Philip

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Geo

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Macs use Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format for their disks. However, a Mac can open and save files on a Windows PC. To enable this, go to System Preferences and click "Sharing". Then tick the box next to "File Sharing". Click on the button at the right hand side labelled "Options". Tick the box next to the words "Share files & folders using SMB (Windows)".
If your daughter just wants to copy some files for security, she could copy these to any other PC, but it probably will not work with a directly attached external disk.
I share files routinely and back up to my desktop PC using a programme called "Crash Plan". This is done over a network through a router.

If however, she wants to do full backups with a restore option, this will not work to a directly attached NTFS (Windows) disk if she is trying to use Apple "Time Machine". That needs to "see" a disk as an extension to the PC, connected either by USB or FireWire800 if possible (FireWire is a lot faster).

It might be simpler to buy her a new external disk already formatted for the Mac. They are available from WD, LaCie and Iomega to name a few. N.B. big ones need an external power source. If you decide to let her reformat your WD disk, she needs to follow these steps (they are in the Apple Help sustem).

To format a disk you use "Disk Utility" from >Applications>Utilities

To erase a disk:

If you want to erase an external disk, connect the disk to your computer.

In Disk Utility, select the disk or partition in the list on the left.

Click Erase.

Choose a format from the Format pop-up menu. Usually you will choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Type a name for the disk or partition.

If you want to prevent the erased files from being recovered, click Security Options, select the option you want, and click OK.

Click Erase.



Philip
Olley I might be talking outa my arm hole here but im sure ive seen a y section two into one usb lead for such stubbourn drives, giving it the voltage fron two usbs kicks em into life:RollEyes:
Geo
 
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We have a Mac/PC hybrid office & home and have had to deal with this situation.

The most likely issue that you are facing is that Windows uses NTFS which Mac can read but not write (without using a NTFS driver). Although you can format an external drive to use FAT or FAT32 there are limitations, so generally people use NTFS.

We use this free driver:
http://www.tuxera.com/mac/ntfs-3g-2010.5.22-macosx.dmg

Install it on your Mac and you will be able to read and write to NTFS disks.

Rog
 

scotjimland

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We have a Mac/PC hybrid office & home and have had to deal with this situation.

The most likely issue that you are facing is that Windows uses NTFS which Mac can read but not write (without using a NTFS driver). Although you can format an external drive to use FAT or FAT32 there are limitations, so generally people use NTFS.

We use this free driver:
http://www.tuxera.com/mac/ntfs-3g-2010.5.22-macosx.dmg

Install it on your Mac and you will be able to read and write to NTFS disks.

Rog

Hi Rog

does this driver work with both Intel and PPC Macs ?

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Sep 29, 2007
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does this driver work with both Intel and PPC Macs ?

Jim, the web site says this:
System requirements:
* Mac OS X 10.4/10.5/10.6 (10.6 requires that you do not use the 64-bit kernel), running on an Intel or PowerPC computer.
(http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/)

We've used both this free software as well as paid software:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/requirements.html
System Requirements
RAM: 128MB
Mac: CPU: PowerPC G4, G5* and x86 Intel
* PowerPC G5 has not been tested for compatibility yet, but our driver is most likely to work flawlessly on it.
PC: CPU: Intel Pentium or compatible, 233 MHz or higher processor

Rog
 

JeanLuc

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I understand what the Tuxera software does, but I'm not sure I see the reason for using it in a mixed Mac/PC home office environment. As I understand it, the Tuxera software allows a Mac to mount an NTFS formatted disk - i.e. one that is connected directly to the Mac. This would enable an external hard drive to be used with either OS and switched between computers. I can see that this could be useful in some situations - particularly the OP's requirement.
However, if you are writing files from a Mac to a PC, as might pertain in a home office network, you don't need this. We have two Mac laptops (plus adult son's and daughter's when they are home) and two Dell Desktops running Win XP - both with NTFS disks. The Macs connect wirelessly to a home network and the PCs via ethernet to a Netgear ADSL wireless router. I can write a file from the Mac to the PC then open it on the PC, and vice-versa. So long as I have the application software on each computer, all is fine. So, I can create MS Office files, PDFs, Jpegs, Mpegs, PSDs etc., and work with them on Mac or PC, from Mac or PC.

Am I missing something?

Philip
 
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Am I missing something?Philip

Philip, you are quite correct IF all the machines are connected. However, for us there have been MANY occasions where it's been faster to transfer large amounts of data via external HDD or we have had guest machines that we don't want to give access to. In addition to this, there are occasions where people give us stuff via external HDD (or vice versa) and it's handy to be able to both read and write NTFS on our Macs.

Rog

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olley
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Now if all you MAC freaks saw the light and bought PC's I wouldn't have any of this trouble. :ROFLMAO:

OK position so far, 1 disk ready to be erased and formatted for the MAC, problem, I now have around 11gig of pictures sitting on my PC which will need to be transferred to her USB disk when its been formatted, what's the best way please?

Olley
 

JeanLuc

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We Mac freaks used to use PCs but we have seen the light!:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Not quite sure I'm following you here; do you mean you want the images on the External HDD so you can access them from the Win PC? If so, I think you will simply swap a problem from one end to the other so to speak. I'm don't think the PC will see the Mac formatted disk. (But I stand to be corrected by those more knowledgeable than me.)

I think your solution is one of the following:
A) Connect the Mac and PC via a network and file sharing.
B) Download the Tuxera software referred to above by Rog and install it on the Mac - then both PC and Mac will be able to "mount the drive" (tech speak, not dodgy practices in the hills).
C) Buy a second ext HDD (pre-formatted for the Mac to make it simple).

Philip
 
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Seen the light ... like it! :ROFLMAO:

Just to add a little to what Philip has written:
The easiest and fastest way for you to transfer the files, assuming the machines are linked, would be to access the PC from the Mac. We find that it's easier to access the PC from the Mac than vice-versa (Mr G doesn't make it easy).

Here is a really easy and fast way to access the PC from the Mac:
1. Share the folder on the PC
2. Find out the IP on the PC (Goto a command prompt and type in IPConfig)
3. On the Mac, goto your Finder and click Go, Connect to Server
4. Type in smb://n.n.n.n where n.n.n.n is the IP address you found in step 2
5. A list of shares should appear, select the correct one and type in whatever username and password you've set up on the PC

If it was me I would still get the NTFS software - just for that odd occasion.

Rog

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I thought it might be a good idea to mention dropbox:

www.dropbox.com

We have a number of people working remotely, and use it to sync documents. It works like a dream cross-platform. When you sign up you get a few GB free.

NOTE *** - all the data get's sync'd up to the DropBox server and then down to other machines. So even if two machines are on the same network the data will go up into the could and back down to the second PC. But it's great for transferring data between remote locations.

Rog
 
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olley
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What a parlvour! erased and formatted her drive, now all I want to do is copy her pictures back on to her newly formatted drive, I will I hope never need access to them, so no point in loading any drivers. I a found a powered hub, connected both her USB drive and mine to her G4 and am in the process of copying over 11gig of pictures.

I have also set her drive up as a TM backup, she's only got 70gig to back up :ROFLMAO: her disk is so full CS3 won't run, so after this she should be able to off load some of her pictures.

Olley
 
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olley
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Hi Guys' losing the will to live here :Doh: The MAC decided the disk was read only after loading all her pictures on, and now it doesn't appear in finder, and the PC doesn't recognise it either, so I now have a completely useless 250gig USB disk. HELP!

Olley

PS the MAC has now decided it can see the disk but tells me it buggered! so into the disk utility and verifiy, which confirms its buggered, try erase, and after a few tries where it tells me it can't, it does, it's now saying its partitioning it but the blue in the bar ain't moved for ten minutes. Give me a PC any day.

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Olley, it's possible that the disk has a problem anyway or that something has simply gone wrong. We don't rely on these cheap 2.5 external drives, the failure rate is too high and this with both PC and Mac.

Either way you will want to revive it either on the Mac using DiskUtility or on the PC using Diskpart. If it still gives trouble it's a dud. The idea is to either get it back into a usable state or to find out if it is dud.

WARNING: your data on the external disk will be deleted when you attempt the solutions below.

On the Mac follow Jim or Philips instructions.

On the PC goto a command prompt and run this command:
DiskPart
A slightly different prompt will appear. Type in this command:
List Disk
Your external disk will almost certainly be the last one, your main disk will be 0 (zero). Most likely the external disk is Disk 1 (depending on how many physical disks you have).
WARNING: you must get the number right because if you select and clean your normal data disks your operating system and data is gone. The List Disk shows the sizes so it's fairly simple to choose the right one.
Run these commands (where n is the disk number of your external disk):
Select Disk n
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=NTFS
assign
exit

Another possibility on the PC is to right-click "My Computer" and select "Manage". Near the bottom is an option to manage storage.

Hope this helps. I know it's complicated :Eeek:

Rog
 
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I just read some more of the detail in your last post.

Unbelievably, Macs are not better at everything :Sad:
In particular, PC handles disk recovery better than Mac. When we have a troublesome disk, we usually use a PC to kick it back to life.

Rog
 
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olley
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Thanks guys, I have just sorted it. In finder I had two icons for the disk, the first stayed resolutely at FAT32 only the second would change to MAC journalled, so maybe that's the problem? Is that first icon the MBR? and the MAC can't change that?

But her pictures are to important to take a chance on so I decided to reformat it as FAT32 and buy her a proper MAC one. Initially it wouldn't change back until I changed to the MAC format without "journalled" it then reformatted as FAT32 and I have now changed that to NTFS on my PC.

Now to buy a MAC disk, and I am not surprised at the price :Angry: 250gig PC version from Tesco £38, MAC version from the net £74, not Apples fault I presume, just another reason not to buy a MAC.

Olley

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