Posted: 8/29/2008 6:33:46 PM EDT
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Hello all and thanks for the help in advance. I picked up a Simple Tech 500GB external Hard Drive to be used as additional storage space and back up. I am using Windows XP SP3 and my wife is a MAC user. It specifies that if you are using it for both Windows and Mac applications you need to reformat the drive into FAT32 or something or another. Its in NTSF right now or so it says. 1st is how hard is this to do and how do you do it? 2nd can the drive be partitioned so that half is usuable by the Mac and Half the PC? I am not totally computer illiterate but I do need help. Thanks. |
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On the windows PC open "My Computer" on the desktop. Right click on the external drive icon and select format. There is a drop down menu that should let you select fat or ntfs. Click the quick format option if available and hit start. If this doesnt help then I can write an alternative method up. The main downside to FAT is each file can have a maximum size of 4GB. Not usually a problem except if you are doing things like storing DVD iso files which can exceed 4gb. -Foxxz |
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Move anything you want to save to another drive. In windows: Start/Settings/Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Disk Management. Find the external drive, right click and delete partition(s). Right click again and make a new partition 32 GB in size. Format as FAT32. Either system can now use this partition. If you want to split the remaining unused space, make a new partition (half the unused space) in Windows and format it as NTFS. Plug the drive into the Mac and use Disk Utility to partition the remaining free space and format it as Mac OS Extended. |
Good info but FAT32 supports up to 8TB. He should be able to make a partition using the entire drive if he wants to just make it one contiguous space. -Foxxz |