What formatting option for drive to be used with PC ?

H

hotchkiss

Well-known member
I provided a portable FW drive to a client with files on it today. The drive was formatted in "Mac OS extended" as I'm a Mac guy- it didn't show up on the desktop of the clients PC. Is this a formatting issue ?

Is there a better formatting option ( than Mac OS extended) for drives that will be used between Macs and PC's ? Interchangeability is the key...

I could definitely use some input.

Thanks.
 
PCs don't support the Mac file systems out-of-the-box.

You have a couple of options:

1. Use FAT32, the same file system used by P2 cards and the FS-100. Both Macs and PCs will be able to read and write this without third-party software.

2. Use MacDrive on the PC. This is a driver that allows Windows boxes to read and write the Mac file system.

3. Use NTFS. That is the native Windows file system. The Mac will only be able to read it, so it is only useful for moving files from a Windows box to a Mac, not the other way around.
 
And you don't want to go telling your client that he has to install more software just to use your drive. So stick with option 1 -- use FAT32.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

I'll go ahead and format all of my portable drives that get handed to clients and editors with FAT 32.

Barry, you're certainly right. I don't want to give anyone any more reasons to find fault with P2. As of late, I'm dealing with a lot of apprehension from folks over a P2 workflow, it's starting to bug the heck out of me...

Often times it's someone editing on an antique version ( in NLE years) of a program, and then complaining that the P2 doesn't work with their system. In the scenario of the original post, the client is a municipalities TV station, and they are on a two year old version of AVID software running on an Adrenaline machine. It didn't recognize the MXF files, of course. Or it's someone running an ancient version of FCP and then complaining about P2 and this new fangled technology... I also work for a producer who is somewhat neurotic about doing a project in P2, citing all of the internet myths.

The one commonality is a recalcitrant mentality, wanting to stick with the same old way they have always done things. There "just not sure if this tape free technology is going to take off". Apparently they don't have access to any trade mags or larger contact with the outside production world. Um, err, BBC, SKY TV news, etc.

I love P2 , but the head in the sand attitude of many is driving me nuts. I have to spend a lot of energy selling and defending the technology to those who are all to inclined to listen to chicken little than move forward. As a still photographer as well, solid state media has been in the mainsteam now for five years, the fear and loathing about solid state/ tape free shooting that I run into in the video world is laughable at this point.

Sorry for the double barreled rant, I just needed to vent about the head in the sand mentality that I've encountered as of late. Grrrr...

Thanks for listening. ;-)
 
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Follow-up question: WHich formatting option under Disk Utility is FAT 32 ? THere is a MS/DOS format option, is that it?

THanks.
 
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