Reformat Drive

mordakmordak
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I have an external drive I'm reformatting. I understand that using the default drive format settings in windows will allow both windows and os x to read and write to that drive then. However, I also see that the default file system when formatting in windows is NTFS, which AFAIK, OS X treats as read-only.



What should I do if I need to format this drive so both windows and os x can read AND write to it?



edit: although ive been reading how ipods formated for macs wont work on windows, the ipods formated for windows may work on macs

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    FAT32 is what you need.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    mordakmordak Posts: 168member
    Windows won't allow me to reformat in anything other than NTFS format. Also, isn't it true that I can't have files larger than 4GB on FAT32 ? Or at least when a Mac is reading it?



    If I need FAT32, can I format it on a Mac? Or does my Windows XP installation have to be a FAT32 file system ?
  • Reply 3 of 8
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mordak


    Windows won't allow me to reformat in anything other than NTFS format.



    Mac OS X will, though. Windows has a limitation whereby you cannot format a FAT32 volume to be larger than 32 GiBs.



    Quote:

    Also, isn't it true that I can't have files larger than 4GB on FAT32 ?



    Minus one Byte, to be precise, but yes.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    mordakmordak Posts: 168member
    So... I'm confused. What's the point in having an external drive that either can't be written to by OS X (if say 250gb) or must be under 32GB to be used by both? wtf
  • Reply 5 of 8
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    As I said, you can format it in Mac OS X to be larger than 32 GB.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    mordakmordak Posts: 168member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chucker


    As I said, you can format it in Mac OS X to be larger than 32 GB.



    Will it be readable and writable by both Windows and OS X of I do that?
  • Reply 7 of 8
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Yes, yes it will. In Disk Utility, select the partition, select Erase and choose MS-DOS File System as the new file system.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    The limitation under Windows is only for the formatting, not the reading or writing. They crippled it to force adoption of NTFS way back when. Format it on the Mac to full capacity, and both systems will be able to use it.
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