External Hard drive OS compatability? at DVinfo.net

Mark OBrien · March 31st, 2005, 08:44 PM

I recently purchased a Maxtor 300GB USB 2.0/Firewire hard drive for my PC.

I have a project I would like to edit on my universities maxed-out Mac's to edit on Final Cut Pro.

Will my hard drive be interchangeable between the PC and Mac, easily read by both?

Brian Alves · March 31st, 2005, 10:36 PM

The PC will always reformat the drive- wiping out all files saved from the Mac.

You will be able to do it with MacDrive 6:
http://www.mediafour.com/products/

Boyd Ostroff · March 31st, 2005, 11:08 PM

You can format the drive for the PC, and it will mount and work fine on the Mac. However you may find that performance is then too slow to reliably capture and edit video on the Mac. Give it a try and see if it works though. When I tried this a couple years ago, the PC formatted drive was problematic for video edition on the Mac, but OK for everything else.

Ignacio Rodriguez · March 31st, 2005, 11:12 PM

In the latest versions of the Mac OS windows file system support has been quite enhanced. I think even NTFS is partially supported. If I were you I would format it as FAT32, but I don't know if FAT32 support volumes of such a size. Run some tests first.

While you are at it, make sure your Windows apps can use QuickTime files and/or test ways to convert from AVI to QuickTime and back. If you use Premiere on PC's you will have to do this, so in this case make sure it works first and check to see whether it is faster on the PCs or Macs you have access to.

Christopher Lefchik · April 1st, 2005, 08:02 AM

Mac OS X has read-only access for drives formatted in NTFS. It can read/write drives formatted in FAT32, but then you're limited to video files no larger than 4GB (about 18 minutes).

I'd think a more pressing question, though, would be how you would pass the project back and fourth between Final Cut Pro and whatever software you use on your PC. I have a feeling you're not going to be able to transfer much more than basic cuts/dissolves between the two.

Christopher Lefchik · April 1st, 2005, 08:11 AM

Mark, please don't post the same message in more than one forum section. I just saw that others had already answered your post in another section.

Patrick Jenkins · April 1st, 2005, 10:59 AM

Format the drive as Fat32 on the Mac so you can read and write on both PC and Mac. XP intentionally limits partition sizes beyond 32gb so that you use NTFS.

I know you can format at least 160gb FAT32 partitions under OSX, so if you have trouble using the full size of the drive split it into 2 ~150ish GB partitions.

Mark Sloan · April 1st, 2005, 12:19 PM

FAT 32 also prevents file sizes larger than 4 GB, correct? So really, your best bet is to format it for Mac and use software on the PC it read it.

Mark OBrien · April 2nd, 2005, 05:27 AM

My apologies. I lost track of where I submitted it (and thought that I hadn't at all).

Thanks for the info, Chris.

The reason I ask is because I need to do more serious projects using Final Cut Pro, but also smaller projects on my home PC. So I need to be able to share the files between both operating systems, but not the edits.

Christopher Lefchik · April 2nd, 2005, 06:51 AM

Quote:

I lost track of where I submitted it (and thought that I hadn't at all).

I understand. You're forgiven. ;-)

I hope you find someway to get it to work. Not having to pass edits back and forth definitely simplifies things.

Tung Bui · April 5th, 2005, 03:02 AM

Just along the same vane my mate has an external drive that he uses for his mac. Now I want to import all those files into my PC via that external drive. The files are .mov not .avi but the only difference is that they are flagged differently.

However when I plug his drive into my PC it wont recognize the drive at all. I just want to import all the files not edit them so that I wont have to capture from tape again. Is there a way of doing it?

Rob Lohman · April 5th, 2005, 03:30 AM

Mark & Christopher: the two threads have been merged together
in this one thread in the Open DV Discussion forum.

Perhaps the easiest and best way to hook up the two systems
(if they are in the same room/building) is by a network. If you
install samba on the mac (I think that is needed) it will just
become a part of the Windows network.

Of course you will need the room on the mac system, so that
may mean a second (external) harddisk.

Whether this 4 GB file limit is a problem (when going with FAT32)
depends on the way you shoot. If you never have shots above
18 minutes in length (I don't think I've ever had that for any
serious work) and you capture with automatic scene detection
(ie a file for every scene / shot) it isn't too much of a problem.

Personally I would like the flexability (and far more important the
extra safety that comes from NTFS) and would thus hook the
machines up through a network. If you go with a 100 MBIT
network you could even access your PC's external harddrive on
the Mac over the network. This will work even better if you go
with a gigabit network.

Boyd Ostroff · April 5th, 2005, 06:28 AM

Rob, you don't need to install anything on the Mac to do that. Apple includes Windows File Sharing with SMB as part of OS X. Just go to the System Preferences and enable it in the sharing pane. If the two machines aren't already networked then just get an ethernet crossover cable and plug them directly together.

Greg Boston · April 5th, 2005, 06:48 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff : Rob, you don't need to install anything on the Mac to do that. Apple includes Windows File Sharing with SMB as part of OS X. Just go to the System Preferences and enable it in the sharing pane. If the two machines aren't already networked then just get an ethernet crossover cable and plug them directly together. -->>>

Thanks for that tip Boyd. As a new mac owner, I would like to access files on my pc and vice versa. I have both computers on the Airport Extreme. PC is directly connected and the mac is wi-fi.

-gb-

Boyd Ostroff · April 5th, 2005, 07:16 AM

That should work fine if the Mac is properly configured. However transfering big video files is gonna be a lot slower than doing it over hardwired gigabit ethernet :-)

March 31st, 2005, 08:44 PM	#1
Mark OBrien New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 6	External Hard Drive OS Compatabiity? I recently purchased a Maxtor 300GB USB 2.0/Firewire hard drive for my PC. I have a project I would like to edit on my universities maxed-out Mac's to edit on Final Cut Pro. Will my hard drive be interchangeable between the PC and Mac, easily read by both?

March 31st, 2005, 11:12 PM	#4
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	In the latest versions of the Mac OS windows file system support has been quite enhanced. I think even NTFS is partially supported. If I were you I would format it as FAT32, but I don't know if FAT32 support volumes of such a size. Run some tests first. While you are at it, make sure your Windows apps can use QuickTime files and/or test ways to convert from AVI to QuickTime and back. If you use Premiere on PC's you will have to do this, so in this case make sure it works first and check to see whether it is faster on the PCs or Macs you have access to. __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

April 5th, 2005, 03:30 AM	#12
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Mark & Christopher: the two threads have been merged together in this one thread in the Open DV Discussion forum. Perhaps the easiest and best way to hook up the two systems (if they are in the same room/building) is by a network. If you install samba on the mac (I think that is needed) it will just become a part of the Windows network. Of course you will need the room on the mac system, so that may mean a second (external) harddisk. Whether this 4 GB file limit is a problem (when going with FAT32) depends on the way you shoot. If you never have shots above 18 minutes in length (I don't think I've ever had that for any serious work) and you capture with automatic scene detection (ie a file for every scene / shot) it isn't too much of a problem. Personally I would like the flexability (and far more important the extra safety that comes from NTFS) and would thus hook the machines up through a network. If you go with a 100 MBIT network you could even access your PC's external harddrive on the Mac over the network. This will work even better if you go with a gigabit network. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

March 31st, 2005, 10:36 PM	#2
Brian Alves The DV Show Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 14	The PC will always reformat the drive- wiping out all files saved from the Mac. You will be able to do it with MacDrive 6: http://www.mediafour.com/products/

March 31st, 2005, 11:08 PM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	You can format the drive for the PC, and it will mount and work fine on the Mac. However you may find that performance is then too slow to reliably capture and edit video on the Mac. Give it a try and see if it works though. When I tried this a couple years ago, the PC formatted drive was problematic for video edition on the Mac, but OK for everything else.

April 1st, 2005, 08:02 AM	#5
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	Mac OS X has read-only access for drives formatted in NTFS. It can read/write drives formatted in FAT32, but then you're limited to video files no larger than 4GB (about 18 minutes). I'd think a more pressing question, though, would be how you would pass the project back and fourth between Final Cut Pro and whatever software you use on your PC. I have a feeling you're not going to be able to transfer much more than basic cuts/dissolves between the two.

April 1st, 2005, 08:11 AM	#6
Christopher Lefchik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: US Posts: 1,152	Mark, please don't post the same message in more than one forum section. I just saw that others had already answered your post in another section.

April 1st, 2005, 10:59 AM	#7
Patrick Jenkins Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 382	Format the drive as Fat32 on the Mac so you can read and write on both PC and Mac. XP intentionally limits partition sizes beyond 32gb so that you use NTFS. I know you can format at least 160gb FAT32 partitions under OSX, so if you have trouble using the full size of the drive split it into 2 ~150ish GB partitions.

April 1st, 2005, 12:19 PM	#8
Mark Sloan Major Player Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 346	FAT 32 also prevents file sizes larger than 4 GB, correct? So really, your best bet is to format it for Mac and use software on the PC it read it.

April 2nd, 2005, 05:27 AM	#9
Mark OBrien New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 6	My apologies. I lost track of where I submitted it (and thought that I hadn't at all). Thanks for the info, Chris. The reason I ask is because I need to do more serious projects using Final Cut Pro, but also smaller projects on my home PC. So I need to be able to share the files between both operating systems, but not the edits.

April 5th, 2005, 03:02 AM	#11
Tung Bui Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 101	Just along the same vane my mate has an external drive that he uses for his mac. Now I want to import all those files into my PC via that external drive. The files are .mov not .avi but the only difference is that they are flagged differently. However when I plug his drive into my PC it wont recognize the drive at all. I just want to import all the files not edit them so that I wont have to capture from tape again. Is there a way of doing it?

April 5th, 2005, 06:28 AM	#13
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Rob, you don't need to install anything on the Mac to do that. Apple includes Windows File Sharing with SMB as part of OS X. Just go to the System Preferences and enable it in the sharing pane. If the two machines aren't already networked then just get an ethernet crossover cable and plug them directly together.

April 5th, 2005, 06:48 AM	#14
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff : Rob, you don't need to install anything on the Mac to do that. Apple includes Windows File Sharing with SMB as part of OS X. Just go to the System Preferences and enable it in the sharing pane. If the two machines aren't already networked then just get an ethernet crossover cable and plug them directly together. -->>> Thanks for that tip Boyd. As a new mac owner, I would like to access files on my pc and vice versa. I have both computers on the Airport Extreme. PC is directly connected and the mac is wi-fi. -gb-

April 5th, 2005, 07:16 AM	#15
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	That should work fine if the Mac is properly configured. However transfering big video files is gonna be a lot slower than doing it over hardwired gigabit ethernet :-)