# MacBook Pro help neded



## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Well I now have in my grubby little paws a MacBook Pro and its single handily sending me under!

I have a drive that is read only on of and Mac however I want to make my 500gb drive read and write on both systems and after hours googling and trying I'm still none the wiser?

Please help before it gets launched!


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## ScottyNS (May 3, 2014)

Is it an external drive? 

If so, my thought would be to format it using the mac - although I am sure more technical folks on here will have a better answer.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

ScottyNS said:


> Is it an external drive?
> 
> If so, my thought would be to format it using the mac - although I am sure more technical folks on here will have a better answer.


Yeah it's a 500gb external USB drive and I have tried to format it exfat on Mac and it won't have it for some reason


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## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

There's an app you can buy makes it able to read and write any drive,Can't remember if this was the one I used but it's a simple install and forget procedure 
https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

ivor said:


> There's an app you can buy makes it able to read and write any drive,Can't remember if this was the one I used but it's a simple install and forget procedure
> https://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/


Thanks will have a look


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## [email protected] (Jan 9, 2006)

http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutor...xternal-drive-problems-on-your-mac--mac-52507

Might help


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Some useful info for you...

(when using a macbook pro, MSDOS equates to being the same as FAT32)

*Format A Hard Drive Using Disk Utility* (which is in your /Applications/Utilities folder)

Choose the appropriate format:

*HFS+* (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Don't use case-sensitive)

Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
*Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! backups of Mac OS X system files.*
*[*]To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive*
*[*]To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer*
Maximum file size: 8EiB
Maximum volume size: 8EiB
Mac OS X: Mac OS Extended format (HFS Plus) volume and file limits
You can use this format if you only use the drive with Mac OS X, or use it for backups of your Mac OS X internal drive, or if you only share it with one Windows PC (with MacDrive installed on the PC)

*NTFS* (Windows NT File System)

Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
*[*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X,* here are some alternatives:
*For Mac OS X 10.4 or later (32 or 64-bit), install Paragon* (approx $20) (Best Choice for Lion)
For 32-bit Mac OS X, install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free) (does not work in 64-bit mode)
For 64-bit Snow Leopard, read this: MacFUSE for 64-bit Snow Leopard
Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx $36).
Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and Lion, but is not advisable, due to instability.

AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
Maximum file size: 16 TB
Maximum volume size: 256TB
You can use this format if you routinely share a drive with multiple Windows systems.

*exFAT* (FAT64)

Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
Maximum file size: 16 EiB 
Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB
You can use this format if it is supported by all computers with which you intend to share the drive. See "disadvantages" for details.

*FAT32* (File Allocation Table)

Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
*[*]Maximum file size: 4GB.*
Maximum volume size: 2TB
You can use this format if you share the drive between Mac OS X and Windows computers and have no files larger than 4GB.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Thanks, I've deleted a few large files and formatted my spare hdd to fat32 and transfering it all across!

Next job is to then format my larger hdd and then put it all back on it, not ideal but I don't want to lose my docs and need to be able to use windows at work and Mac at home


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

See if your employer has any staff promotions for 'Windows for Mac'. I got it free from my employer.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

LeadFarmer said:


> See if your employer has any staff promotions for 'Windows for Mac'. I got it free from my employer.


I bought office 365 for 59.99 but I think that means it only lasts a year D'Oh


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## tommyboy40 (Feb 28, 2012)

You can use Boot camp on the mac and install windows on a partition


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## Ric (Feb 4, 2007)

Fat32 wont let you save any files larger than 4gb

You'd be much better formatting the drive to NTFS (windows)

Your mac will then read from the drive, but not write to it.

You'd need to install a NTFS for mac program like the one by Paragon, then you can read and write on a windows formatted drive which means you can use the drive on both your macs and windows systems.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

yeah i had to delete some files larger than 4gb. i need to be able to read and write files on both windows and mac so settles on fat 32


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Why not just go for NTFS for Mac?

Solves your 4GB problem. Said it before in several threads, I've been using it for at least 8 years and I've never had a read/write problem and have shared flash drives and external HD's between Mac and Windows machines.


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

m1pui said:


> Why not just go for NTFS for Mac?
> 
> Solves your 4GB problem. Said it before in several threads, I've been using it for at least 8 years and I've never had a read/write problem and have shared flash drives and external HD's between Mac and Windows machines.


i couldn't format it for ntfs for some reason


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

What make/model of drive is it?


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Samsung m3


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Strange. Have you tried formatting it on both a Windows and OS X machine without luck?


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

m1pui said:


> Strange. Have you tried formatting it on both a Windows and OS X machine without luck?


Yeah I tried without success mate


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

No sure if this helps but i run OS and windows so wanted my external drive to read/write for both.

http://balloflightning.com/2009/02/dual-partition-a-usb-drive-for-time-machine-and-windows/


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