Geek needed for advice on Techo shit

**Motoracer** · 28th August 2006, 18:28

Hey all, specially you lot good with computers.

I bought an external HD (250GB) and I need to format it in FAT file system, not NTFS. When I go to make a new partition, it's not giving me the FAT option and it's only giving me NTFS.

I use a Mac at Uni and a PC at home and apparantly to transfer data between the 2, I need to format the drive in FAT file system.

Any help and advise would be much appreciated.

Cheerio

**Whynot** · 28th August 2006, 18:33

unless i am terribly mistaken the maximum partition size for a FAT32 drive under windose is 32GB ....

im not sure if you can create the partition under another os and still be able to use it however.

**Whynot** · 28th August 2006, 18:34

"Windows 2000 and Windows XP can read and write to FAT32 filesystems of any size, but the format program on these platforms can only create FAT32 filesystems up to 32 GB"

from here ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table

**MOTOXXX** · 28th August 2006, 18:42

yea and you cant copy a single file bigger than 3.9 gb? i think.

is this fat or fat32

**Jeremy** · 28th August 2006, 18:54

Format on 2K and XP will only create Fat32 partitions up to 32GB. Though to memory under Win98 you can create them up to ~128GB. However 2K/XP can read partitions up to the max size of 2TB.

This seems to be the best avenue of attack for you: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...30613121738812

**Motoracer** · 28th August 2006, 18:55

Originally Posted by Battle Toad of Doom

unless i am terribly mistaken the maximum partition size for a FAT32 drive under windose is 32GB ....

im not sure if you can create the partition under another os and still be able to use it however.

YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!

Thanks man! That worked!

**WarlockNZ** · 28th August 2006, 18:56

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Format on 2K and XP will only create Fat32 partitions up to 32GB. Though to memory under Win98 you can create them up to ~128GB. However 2K/XP can read partitions up to the max size of 2TB.

This seems to be the best avenue of attack for you: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...30613121738812

They are right ...32Gb is your max under FAT32 .. you will need to create multiple partitions on your drive.. beats me why you don't use NTFS .. please correct me if i'm wrong ... but can't Mac's read from ntfs ???

**Motoracer** · 28th August 2006, 19:02

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Format on 2K and XP will only create Fat32 partitions up to 32GB. Though to memory under Win98 you can create them up to ~128GB. However 2K/XP can read partitions up to the max size of 2TB.

This seems to be the best avenue of attack for you: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...30613121738812

Awesome!

One question though, what's HFS+? Do I need to worry about it?

**Motoracer** · 28th August 2006, 19:04

Originally Posted by WarlockNZ

They are right ...32Gb is your max under FAT32 .. you will need to create multiple partitions on your drive.. beats me why you don't use NTFS .. please correct me if i'm wrong ... but can't Mac's read from ntfs ???

The Macs were reading just fine. They just couldn't write. After trying everything else, the tutor sujested that I try FAT32.

Cheers!

**WarlockNZ** · 28th August 2006, 19:06

Originally Posted by Motoracer

The Macs were reading just fine. They just couldn't write. After trying everything else, the tutor sujested that I try FAT32.

Cheers!

Sounds like a security/permissions issue ... if you can read .. you can write ... check the NFTS permissions on your drive and set it to everyone .. full control

**WarlockNZ** · 28th August 2006, 19:07

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Format on 2K and XP will only create Fat32 partitions up to 32GB. Though to memory under Win98 you can create them up to ~128GB. However 2K/XP can read partitions up to the max size of 2TB.

Thats more of a SCSI limit then an OS one .. i ran into this problem a few months ago ... but thats off topic

**awesker** · 28th August 2006, 19:09

hey, I got an idea..
1: open window
2: pick up mac
3: throw mac out window

as far as I can see your problems solved right there..

**Motoracer** · 28th August 2006, 19:12

Originally Posted by WarlockNZ

Sounds like a security/permissions issue ... if you can read .. you can write ... check the NFTS permissions on your drive and set it to everyone .. full control

I tried everything else dude. Even the IT help desk at AUT gave up. It's not a faulty drive either cause I swaped for another one from the shop.

How do you get to the permission option then?

**limbimtimwim** · 28th August 2006, 19:14

Use the mac at school to format the whole disk in FAT.

Seems arse about face I know, the PC will read it fine, the Mac will read it fine.

It is a stupid restriction done by MS for no fuckin' good reason.

Blah blah cluster size blah blah - Macs suck, Windows sucks more blah blah. Shut up, he just wants it to work

**WarlockNZ** · 28th August 2006, 19:17

Originally Posted by Motoracer

I tried everything else dude. Even the IT help desk at AUT gave up. It's not a faulty drive either cause I swaped for another one from the shop.

How do you get to the permission option then?

Plug it back into your winblows machine (no thats not a typo*) .. and right click the drive letter and click properties ... click security .. thats where it is

* being a windows 2k3 AD domain admin ... i am qualified to call it winblows .. :P .. lol