# format a new hard disk into a FAT32



## offbeat (Mar 25, 2006)

hi there!

i've installed a new Hard disk on My G5 that was before installed in a pc (NTFS), now i'm trying to format it in FAT32 in the Mac!! no way!! i don't know how!!

please help

thanks guys


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## joe_burban (Mar 25, 2006)

I understood that mac uses HFS files system.  See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=8647


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## offbeat (Mar 25, 2006)

i know that the mac is HFS, and also to format an NTFS disk i can move it into a pc and format it to Fat32 easily ! but without doing so, how can we format an NTFS disk to FAT32 in the Mac????( it's an internal Hard drive, so to open the mac, unplug the disk, and install it on a pc is not very practical 

please help


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## nixgeek (Mar 25, 2006)

To use the hard drive as a system drive, you have to format it in HFS or HFS+, s that's the filesystem used by OS X and especially for use with Classic mode if you have a PowerPC-based Mac.  NTFS, FAT, and all derivatives of FAT are only for MS-based operating systems.

While OS X can read and write to FAT-based filesystems, NTFS is read only on OS X.  The same goes for operating systems like Linux and other open source operating systems.  However, if you have a Windows computer that uses NTFS for the filesystem but is sharing out it's hard drive to other computers over a network, Mac OS X can read and write to it since it's using the SMB protocol to share over the network.

Hope this helps.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Mar 25, 2006)

If you wish to format the drive as FAT32 on the Macintosh, simply open "Disk Utility" from /Applications/Utilties, highlight the disk in the left-hand sidebar, select the "Erase" tab, and select "MS-DOS File System" from the volume format pull-down menu.


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## JeffFun (Mar 29, 2008)

Thanks!
   I was looking for a simple (and safe) answer to a simple question and you provided it!


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## lex19 (Aug 21, 2008)

You're my hero! It was indeed a simple ad very useful answer for a non-geek like myself with computer problems.


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## csavard (Oct 30, 2009)

Relating to FAT 32

I'm upgrading to Snow Leopard and installing XP on a MAC Pro Book.
I booted from the OS X CD an erased the entire hard drive, then installed the new OS
I then ran boot camp and partitioned 50MB for WINDOWS.
I then erased the WIN partition making sure the format was FAT32.

My relatively new XP CD offers 4 options on formatting:   
1) NTFS (Quick)
2) NTFS regular
3) Convert existing format to NTFS
4) Leave the existing format

I want to access files from both OS so I select 4, then load the OS.

After copying WIN files, I get an error when trying to re-boot
DISK ERROR, PRESS ANY KEY TO START

I can hold ATL and boot back into OS X but not WINDOWS.

Someone wrote that you MUST format FAT32 during the install.  For some reason, my WIN install disk does not offer that option (they usually do as I've done many WIN installs).
In this case, MAC erase (FAT32) is not sufficient.Maybe I have a different issue?  
Any ideas?


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## djackmac (Oct 31, 2009)

csavard said:


> I want to access files from both OS so I select 4, then load the OS.



Snow Leopard can read and write to NTFS.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 31, 2009)

djackmac said:


> Snow Leopard can read and write to NTFS.



No, it cannot.

Not without help of the NTFS-3G FUSE drivers or some other help.  Out-of-the-box, Snow Leopard can only read NTFS drives, not write to them.


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## djackmac (Oct 31, 2009)

ElDiabloConCaca said:


> No, it cannot.
> 
> Not without help of the NTFS-3G FUSE drivers or some other help.  Out-of-the-box, Snow Leopard can only read NTFS drives, not write to them.



Its there, its just disabled by default. There are tons of quick fixes said to be simpler and more effective than NTFS-3G FUSE (each to be taken with a grain of salt). If I were to recommend someone go this route I'd just make sure they have a good backup they can revert to.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 31, 2009)

How would one go about enabling NTFS write capabilities in Snow Leopard without the use of the FUSE project?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Oct 31, 2009)

Nevermind! I found documentation on Snow Leopard's NTFS read/write capabilities. I stand corrected.

One could hardly call it "easier" than ntfs-3g, though. Install MacFUSE, install NTFS-3G, and you're there. Enabling the native NTFS capabilities requires a fair amount of terminal work (not in the least bit daunting, but for someone that has no terminal experience, probably a little difficult).


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