How do I read/ write to Mac OS X 10.4 formatted USB drives in Windows

I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the USB
drive in Windows XP?

opl wrote:
> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the USB
> drive in Windows XP?
>
Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".

Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
share between OS X and Windows.

On 2006-12-12 12:45:10 -0500, opl <mac@user.spam> said:

> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the USB
> drive in Windows XP?

MacDrive <http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive6/>

In article <elmpr6011rq@news4.newsguy.com>, opl <mac@user.spam> wrote:

> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the USB
> drive in Windows XP?

Quick Google search turns up this:

http://www.macdisk.com/mden.php3

I suspect that there are probably others available.

In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:

> opl wrote:
> > I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
> > USB
> > drive in Windows XP?
> >
> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>
> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
> share between OS X and Windows.

The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?

Keith wrote:
> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>
>> opl wrote:
>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
>>> USB
>>> drive in Windows XP?
>>>
>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>>
>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
>> share between OS X and Windows.
>
> The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
> read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?

OS X can read NTFS, but not write. I guess you could partition, but if
you want to support Win2k or XP they should be 32GB or smaller.

Another option: make two partitions: one HFS+ or NTFS for your primary
work (depends what you want to do with the drive) and a 32GB FAT32 for
use by both systems.

In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:

> opl wrote:
> > I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
> > USB
> > drive in Windows XP?
> >
> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>
> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
> share between OS X and Windows.

And with FAT32, don't forget that the maximum file size is 4 GB (minus a
couple of bytes).

--
Paul Sture

I use a desktop with XP-Pro and a PowerBook G4... all of my USB drives
are Fat32. It is just so much easier to do that to make the files
accessible to each computer. I use MS Office apps (sans Access) and
Filemaker Pro. I have nothing approaching the 4GB limitation. My
primary shared drive is 180GB.
TK

Paul Sture wrote:
> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>
> > opl wrote:
> > > I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
> > > USB
> > > drive in Windows XP?
> > >
> > Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
> >
> > Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
> > share between OS X and Windows.
>
> And with FAT32, don't forget that the maximum file size is 4 GB (minus a
> couple of bytes).
>
> --
> Paul Sture

opl wrote:
> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the USB
> drive in Windows XP?
>
According to this document, you can go ahead and format the 100GB driver
as FAT32.

XP will happily read such a partition. Just not create one.

<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314463>

TKnTexas wrote:
> Paul Sture wrote:
>> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
>> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> opl wrote:
>>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
>>>> USB
>>>> drive in Windows XP?
>>>>
>>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>>>
>>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
>>> share between OS X and Windows.
>> And with FAT32, don't forget that the maximum file size is 4 GB (minus a
>> couple of bytes).
>>
> I use a desktop with XP-Pro and a PowerBook G4... all of my USB drives
> are Fat32. It is just so much easier to do that to make the files
> accessible to each computer. I use MS Office apps (sans Access) and
> Filemaker Pro. I have nothing approaching the 4GB limitation. My
> primary shared drive is 180GB.
> TK
[Top-post corrected]

I think Paul was talking about the size of individual files in bytes,
not the size of the drive or partition itself. You cannot create file
larger than (2^32)-1 bytes (not quite 4GB) on a FAT32 partition, at
least on Windows XP.

In article <7bigh.47264$43.1185@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.ca >,
Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:

> TKnTexas wrote:
> > Paul Sture wrote:
> >>
> >> And with FAT32, don't forget that the maximum file size is 4 GB (minus a
> >> couple of bytes).
> >>
> > I use a desktop with XP-Pro and a PowerBook G4... all of my USB drives
> > are Fat32. It is just so much easier to do that to make the files
> > accessible to each computer. I use MS Office apps (sans Access) and
> > Filemaker Pro. I have nothing approaching the 4GB limitation. My
> > primary shared drive is 180GB.
> > TK
> [Top-post corrected]
>
> I think Paul was talking about the size of individual files in bytes,
> not the size of the drive or partition itself. You cannot create file
> larger than (2^32)-1 bytes (not quite 4GB) on a FAT32 partition, at
> least on Windows XP.

Absolutely correct, I _was_ talking about individual files.

--
Paul Sture

Keith wrote
(in article <elmtqj0sei@news1.newsguy.com>):

> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>
>> opl wrote:
>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
>>> USB
>>> drive in Windows XP?
>>>
>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>>
>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
>> share between OS X and Windows.
>
> The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
> read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?

It's a /whole/ lot simpler to just share the drive from
whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
network, provided that works for your setup.



--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

In article <0001HW.C1A95D98004030F6F0305530@news.verizon.net>,
Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:

> Keith wrote
> (in article <elmtqj0sei@news1.newsguy.com>):
>
> > In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
> > Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> >
> >> opl wrote:
> >>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
> >>> USB
> >>> drive in Windows XP?
> >>>
> >> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
> >>
> >> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
> >> share between OS X and Windows.
> >
> > The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
> > read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?
>
> It's a /whole/ lot simpler to just share the drive from
> whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
> network, provided that works for your setup.

Unfortunately, you can only read NTFS drives on MacOS X. If you boot XP
through bootcamp, you'll be able to read it, but only then. FAT32 is
the only format that both OS' can read and write. And then not the full
100GB.

--
DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...

Michael Vilain wrote
(in article
<vilain-9AF5CE.10232317122006@comcast.dca.giganews.com>):

> In article <0001HW.C1A95D98004030F6F0305530@news.verizon.net>,
> Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:
>
>> Keith wrote
>> (in article <elmtqj0sei@news1.newsguy.com>):
>>
>>> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
>>> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>> opl wrote:
>>>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read the
>>>>> USB
>>>>> drive in Windows XP?
>>>>>
>>>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>>>>
>>>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
>>>> share between OS X and Windows.
>>>
>>> The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
>>> read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?
>>
>> It's a /whole/ lot simpler to just share the drive from
>> whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
>> network, provided that works for your setup.
>
> Unfortunately, you can only read NTFS drives on MacOS X. If you boot XP
> through bootcamp, you'll be able to read it, but only then. FAT32 is
> the only format that both OS' can read and write. And then not the full
> 100GB.

Wrong, for the situation I described. At that point, it's a
network share, and OS X doesn't see it as NTFS, it sees it as a
SMB (samba) share for example. It /will/ work, I do it all the
time.



--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

In article <0001HW.C1ABC82200D12B70F0488530@news.verizon.net>,
Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:

> Michael Vilain wrote
> (in article
> <vilain-9AF5CE.10232317122006@comcast.dca.giganews.com>):
>
> > In article <0001HW.C1A95D98004030F6F0305530@news.verizon.net>,
> > Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Keith wrote
> >> (in article <elmtqj0sei@news1.newsguy.com>):
> >>
> >>> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
> >>> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> opl wrote:
> >>>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read
> >>>>> the
> >>>>> USB
> >>>>> drive in Windows XP?
> >>>>>
> >>>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
> >>>>
> >>>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
> >>>> share between OS X and Windows.
> >>>
> >>> The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
> >>> read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?
> >>
> >> It's a /whole/ lot simpler to just share the drive from
> >> whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
> >> network, provided that works for your setup.
> >
> > Unfortunately, you can only read NTFS drives on MacOS X. If you boot XP
> > through bootcamp, you'll be able to read it, but only then. FAT32 is
> > the only format that both OS' can read and write. And then not the full
> > 100GB.
>
> Wrong, for the situation I described. At that point, it's a
> network share, and OS X doesn't see it as NTFS, it sees it as a
> SMB (samba) share for example. It /will/ work, I do it all the
> time.

Yep. As a SMB share, that will work. But if you connect it directly to
MacOS X, it will be read-only. The thread didn't mention you were
sharing it on a Windows box through SMB.

--
DeeDee, don't press that button! DeeDee! NO! Dee...

Michael Vilain wrote
(in article
<vilain-4FBC75.04575118122006@comcast.dca.giganews.com>):

> In article <0001HW.C1ABC82200D12B70F0488530@news.verizon.net>,
> Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:
>
>> Michael Vilain wrote
>> (in article
>> <vilain-9AF5CE.10232317122006@comcast.dca.giganews.com>):
>>
>>> In article <0001HW.C1A95D98004030F6F0305530@news.verizon.net>,
>>> Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Keith wrote
>>>> (in article <elmtqj0sei@news1.newsguy.com>):
>>>>
>>>>> In article <0gCfh.47153$43.14412@nnrp.ca.mci.com!nnrp1.uunet.c a>,
>>>>> Clever Monkey <clvrmnky.invalid@hotmail.com.invalid> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> opl wrote:
>>>>>>> I have a USB hard drive that is formatted by MAC OS X. How do I read
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> USB
>>>>>>> drive in Windows XP?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Google tells me, "MacDisk for Windows".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Experience tells me format the USB drive as FAT32 if you are going to
>>>>>> share between OS X and Windows.
>>>>>
>>>>> The problem is that this is a 100 GB HD. Is there anyway to format and
>>>>> read & write a disk in NTFS and use that in Mac OS X?
>>>>
>>>> It's a /whole/ lot simpler to just share the drive from
>>>> whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
>>>> network, provided that works for your setup.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, you can only read NTFS drives on MacOS X. If you boot XP
>>> through bootcamp, you'll be able to read it, but only then. FAT32 is
>>> the only format that both OS' can read and write. And then not the full
>>> 100GB.
>>
>> Wrong, for the situation I described. At that point, it's a
>> network share, and OS X doesn't see it as NTFS, it sees it as a
>> SMB (samba) share for example. It /will/ work, I do it all the
>> time.
>
> Yep. As a SMB share, that will work. But if you connect it directly to
> MacOS X, it will be read-only. The thread didn't mention you were
> sharing it on a Windows box through SMB.

Yes it did. Look a few lines up, where I wrote "share the drive
from whichever machine it's formatted for to the other over the
network". It wasn't the original question, but rather a
solution offered as a way around the lack of built-in file
system support.



--
Randy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR)
"The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those
who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw