Apple Partition, Master Boot, GUID??????

[whitelabellt]

So I need to format my external hard drive to work for both at home and at school. At home I have an intel based Macbook Pro and a PC with XP and at school we use PowerPC Mac.

I know that the school Macs don't work with GUID Partition, but do with Apple Partition, sooo how should I format this drive to work on all three computers?

[Craig F]

HFS+ and install the HFS Firewire access option from your PT install disk

[The Dougfather]

I think the partition map is only an issue if you want to boot from the drive not read and write to it.

[JoyMODE101]

Originally Posted by Craig F

HFS+ and install the HFS Firewire access option from your PT install disk

i think he's referring to the PARTITION MAP SCHEME

his hard drive is already formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

i'm having the same reservations as well


hey admin,
if we were to use the Apple Partition Map scheme, would it also work on a PC using Vista??

thanx!

[zodo]

On PPC machines, Pro Tools is unable to write to any drive formatted with the GUID partition map scheme. It doesn't just apply to booting, unfortunately.

Format the drive as APM, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You'll need to have HFS+ support (optional in the PT installer) on the PC, but you shouldn't have any problems if that is the case.

[JoyMODE101]

Originally Posted by zodo

Format the drive as APM, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You'll need to have HFS+ support (optional in the PT installer) on the PC, but you shouldn't have any problems if that is the case.

sounds good

but hey
so... what would be the reason for someone formatting the drive using Master Boot Record?

when i formatted my new external hd, i just reformatted it using mac extended journaled, not really paying attention to the partition map scheme

it turns out it got formatted using Master Boot Record

the external hd works on a ppc mac, intel mac, and my pc with vista (the hfs+ drivers were installed, of course)

should i reformat my drive using Apple Partition Map and installing the hfs+ drivers?

i understand that "hey, it already works on the 3 different computers ure using, so just leave it as it is", but... i don't know... maybe it also works if
i reformat my drive using Apple Partition Map instead (while using the hfs+ drivers).

or... would it still work on a vista pc if all i did was format it as Master Boot Record and NOT install the HFS+ drivers?

am i already using the nominal method of getting my hard drive to work on ppc, intel mac, and vista?

if not... what IS the recommended way to do this?

[whitelabellt]

Originally Posted by zodo

Format the drive as APM, and Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You'll need to have HFS+ support (optional in the PT installer) on the PC, but you shouldn't have any problems if that is the case.

Hey man thanks a lot!!! I formatted the drive with APM and Mac OS Extended (Journaled), tested it both at home and at school, and its working good.

Thanks again.

[JoyMODE101]

is there a drawback to using the Master Boot Record scheme instead of the APM scheme?

what's the difference?

[JazzyJ]

You can format it as NFTS for Win XP and then install 'PARAGON' on the MAC:

http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

to make it work in OSX

or

Format it on the MAC and use 'Media 4 Mac Drive':

http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive/

so that you can read it on the PC.


However as someone suggested, PT7 has the equivalent Media 4 drivers included so that a PC will read the drive.


Good luck