Can't format partition on FireWire external as FAT32

backslashtech · #1 October 24th, 2008, 05:45 PM

I'm using an external drive through FireWire 400 on my MacBook Pro with 10.5.5. It's a 320GB with 22GB in "free space" and the rest formatted with HFS+ (used as a Time Machine backup drive). I want to setup that 22GB as a FAT32 partition to be writable in both Windows and Mac.

Normally, it sounds like I'm supposed to use Disk Utility on Mac and just choose MS-DOS(FAT). Unfortunately, that choice is not presented. I can choose four different Mac-based file systems, but not FAT. Why doesn't that show up as a choice?

I've tried leaving it as free space and using a PC to format it. I've tried formatting it as a Mac-based drive and using the PC to format. I've even tried installing MacDrive on the PC and using that to format it as FAT32. Nothing has worked!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Satcomer · #2 October 25th, 2008, 01:17 AM

Why Fat32 with it file limit? Just format it HFS+ and use MacDrive on the PC and have it read/write to HFS+formatted drives?

Plus did you read the forum How to make your Mac OS X recognize, read, and write to NTFS volumes?

nixgeek · #3 October 25th, 2008, 08:35 AM

Satcomer, from what I've been told here it seems that the FAT32 limitations are only when the drive is formatted FAT32 from a Windows computer. You can actually go beyond the 32 GB limit when you format FAT32 from either Mac OS X or GNU/Linux (possible even the free BSDs).

backslashtech · #4 October 25th, 2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satcomer

Why Fat32 with it file limit? Just format it HFS+ and use MacDrive on the PC and have it read/write to HFS+formatted drives?

Plus did you read the forum How to make your Mac OS X recognize, read, and write to NTFS volumes?

My problem is that I need access to the drive from two Macs and three or four PCs. I'm not willing to buy that many copies of MacDrive, plus one to carry around to install when I need it.