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External HD issue with Macbook Pro

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  • 09-04-2011 9:58pm
    #1
    richierichballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭


    Basically the EX-HD I have been using for about two years on my old PC laptop won't let me save files from my new macbook pro onto it.

    When I download an mp3 file on macbook I try save it into my External HD and it won't work. I can't save it to that location when I download it nor can I click and drag the files into a folder on the HD.

    The Macbook Pro is indeed picking up the EX-HD and it is also playing the mp3s currently on it but won't let me save anything from my Macbook.

    Any ideas? Help would be greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    The external drive is probably formatted as NTFS, which OS X can read but not write to. Ideally the drive should be formatted as FAT32 if you want to use it with both OS X and Windows. In the meantime you can use NTFS-3G and MacFUSE to write to the drive. Mac drives are formatted as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended).


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    #3
    richierichballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭richierichballs


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    The external drive is probably formatted as NTFS, which OS X can read but not write to. Ideally the drive should be formatted as FAT32 if you want to use it with both OS X and Windows. In the meantime you can use NTFS-3G and MacFUSE to write to the drive. Mac drives are formatted as HFS+ (Mac OS Extended).

    Thanks for the swift reply mate. Is it tough to do?


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    #4
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    To do what? Reformat the hard drive? No, it's easy, but it will erase all the data on the disk. You can do it using Disk Utility.

    If you mean installing the apps I recommended above (which will allow you to write to NTFS without formatting), I'm not sure as I've never used them. I'd imagine they are straightforward enough.


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    #5
    richierichballs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 833 ✭✭✭richierichballs


    Sad Professor wrote: »
    To do what? Reformat the hard drive? No, it's easy, but it will erase all the data on the disk. You can do it using Disk Utility.

    If you mean installing the apps I recommended above (which will allow you to write to NTFS without formatting), I'm not sure as I've never used them. I'd imagine they are straightforward enough.

    Damn I'll lose everything? I gotta find a way to move it elsewhere, thanks again for the help mate. Much appreciated


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    #6
    Sad Professor
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,671 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Use the apps I suggested above, they'll allow you to write to the drive with out reformatting.

    But, yeah, in the long run you should consider reformatting the drive so it will work natively. In fact, if you are using it with both Mac and Windows, ExFAT rather than FAT32 would probably be a better option as it doesn't contain FAT32's file size limitation.


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