Unable to Format Exernal HD on OS x 10.3.9

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Jwhy

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Wannabe Geek

#59001 24-Mar-2010 19:23

Does any one have any tips for formatting an external hd on os x 10.3.9? I've read that you go through the disk utility but when I select the HD and go to the erase tab, everything is greyed out therefore un selectable?...

wazzageek

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#311060 24-Mar-2010 23:16

Is the disk currently mounted?

Jwhy

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Wannabe Geek

#311132 25-Mar-2010 08:40

Sorry I'm a bit new to all this, what do you mean by mounted?.... There the button that says mount but when I click it nothing happens....

wazzageek

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#311252 25-Mar-2010 13:03

Mounted would mean that you can access the files that are on the external drive.

When you plug in the external drive, do you have any messages that appear on the screen.

Greyed out indicates that for some reason that option is not available - is the external drive the only drive on your system? (I.e. if you are booting off that external drive, then Disk Utility will not allow you to format the drive).

gehenna

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#311259 25-Mar-2010 13:20

Another option would be to choose drive from the list on the left, then on the right panel go to the Partition tab, under Volume Scheme select highlight the partition in question from the big drive space panel (it should have the current drive name in the middle of it. Where it says Current, drop that down and choose the number of partitions you want on the drive. Then click Apply. It will repartition and format the drive according to the things you just chose.

Jwhy

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Wannabe Geek

#311260 25-Mar-2010 13:24

I've managed to get the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then I can add files onto the drive on my mac, but then the drive isn't recognised on Windows 7.... I think I need to format the drive to MS_DOS (FAT32) but that isn't an option when in the disk utility on the mac? My options are Mac OS Extended (Journaled), Linux, and Mac OS Extended.

No, the external is not the only HD and I'm not booting off the exernal.

Thanks

gehenna

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#311261 25-Mar-2010 13:28

Jwhy: I've managed to get the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then I can add files onto the drive on my mac, but then the drive isn't recognised on Windows 7.... I think I need to format the drive to MS_DOS (FAT32) but that isn't an option when in the disk utility on the mac? My options are Mac OS Extended (Journaled), Linux, and Mac OS Extended.

No, the external is not the only HD and I'm not booting off the exernal.

Thanks

MS DOS should be available, you may need to completely remove the partition and reset it up as I detailed in my previous post. the format option should then show up.

alternatively you can format the drive as ntfs in windows and use an apps like MacFuse and NTFS3G to read/write to the ntfs drive within OSX

Jwhy

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#311265 25-Mar-2010 13:29

Maybe some context will help the cause... In essence, I've got the MAc and a PC, the Mac has a heap of files on it (music, photos etc) that we want to put on the exernal so we can use them with the PC. So, I think I need to format the hd to a type that is both readable and writable on the Mac and PC (FAT32 I believe) but as above, FAT32 is not an option...

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Jwhy

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Wannabe Geek

#311266 25-Mar-2010 13:31

Sorry, our posts crossed over there. I'll give it a crack tonight and see how it goes. Thanks

wazzageek

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#311298 25-Mar-2010 14:50

Jwhy: Maybe some context will help the cause... In essence, I've got the MAc and a PC, the Mac has a heap of files on it (music, photos etc) that we want to put on the exernal so we can use them with the PC. So, I think I need to format the hd to a type that is both readable and writable on the Mac and PC (FAT32 I believe) but as above, FAT32 is not an option...

MSDOS (FAT) is the option I get. TBH, if you are sharing the drive between Mac and PC, format the drive under Windows first to FAT32. (Recall that the Mac GUI is going to make things easy for you ... it may not present all the options to you that it can still read...)

On other tack, are the machines networked? Would it be feasible to simply share the folders across the network and be done with it?

Jwhy

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#311410 25-Mar-2010 19:22

Thanks for your help peps. All sorted now and able to transfer stuff between the two.

Cheers