how to change a portable hard drive format?

Q. i need to change my portable hard drive format from nfts to fat32 to connect it to my d-link di-6240s wireless storage router
http://www.dlink.com.au/Products.aspx?Sec=1&Sub1=18&Sub2=43&PID=64

is the router web page

Answer
'partition magic' is the only tool that i have actually used for dynamic re-partitioning & such

maybe other tools too, but i am not familiar
none that windows / microsoft offer

make sure that fat32 is indeed needed & ntfs won't work

in normal course > it would mean re-installation after formatting the entire hard drive of it's contents, files & programs included
re-start from scratch

a link to article would help !
__ __ __ __ __

thanks for link, mate
i do understand your worry

* Wirelessly Share Broadband Internet Connection
* Two USB 2.0 Ports to Connect to Storage Devices/Printers
* 802.11g, 802.11b Compatible
* Advanced Firewall & Parental Control
* Integrated Functions With 6 Built-in Servers for DHCP, Personal Web, FTP, File/Printer**/Multimedia Sharing
* Supported HD formats: FAT16, FAT32

i have read all the manuals & could find no mention of fat16 / fat32 in any of them
i can only guess that it means it also offers support to fat16 / fat32 > outside of ntfs
< fat 16 makes little sense & this was give-away >
backward compatibility issue !

they have stressed very much on security aspects & win xp with sp2 > ntfs is ideal platform for this

i personally would not read too much into it & bother myself
a phone call / mail might clear the air
in case you do face problems, mail me

How can I format my Seagate 500gb Portable Expansion hard drive to fat32?

sarahhh (:

I got the Seagate 500gb Portable Expansion hard drive recently and I seriously need to be able to transfer files from both PCs and Macs. After doing some research, I found out that the best way to do this would be to format the hard drive to fat32, but I have absolutely no idea how to do this.

Also, I'm a little concerned that this hard drive only has a USB connection, as opposed to Firewire. Does a Firewire connection transfer files considerably faster, or is USB fine? I still haven't opened the hard drive and I might be able to exchange it for another hard drive, so would you strongly recommend a different hard drive for about the same price ($100-125)?

Thanks!
Oh, and in case it's of any importance, my main computer is a PC. The Mac I currently have access to is at my school, so I only can use it when i'm there.

Answer
A USB 2.0 connection is about the same speed as Firewire. Formatting to FAT32 will allow the Mac to read and write to it, but it won't be able to handle large files (over 2 GB). If you have any files that size, then you could format to NTFS, but you will need special software for the Mac to write (OS X apparently can read NTFS natively, but cannot write to it.)

If your computers support it, I would look into getting a drive with eSATA. eSATA is significantly faster than USB 2.0.

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How can I partition my portable hard drive to save files both from my MAC and from an old PC?

portable hard drive to fat32 format image

mr blonde7

I just want to save a ton of files from my MAC to my portable hard drive and if possible, also save files from my PC. I was told the hard drive can be 'partitioned' but have no idea how. I'm fairly clueless regarding all things tech so please use keep it simple LOL.

Answer
You have two options.

1) You can format the drive to FAT32 (MS-DOS in OSX) to make it both PC and Mac compatible. This will allow it to be used on both types of system without partitioning. This is the best option, except that this format won't allow file transfers of single files larger than 4GB in size.

2) You can follow the link below to learn how to use Disk Utility to partition your drive, created two partitions on the one drive, format one for Windows(NTFS) and one for OSX(Max OS Journaled). This will give you storage space for both Operating Systems, but you wouldn't be able to copy items between the systems. By default, OSX cannot read and write a NTFS drive, and Windows cannot read and write to a Mac OS Journaled drive.

http://macs.about.com/od/applications/ss/diskutilitypart.htm

How to format a hard drive to work with Mac + PC?

Elliott

I have a Lacie Starck 500GB Portable Hard Drive. Unfortunately it is only compatible with Mac, but I do a lot of crossing over between Windows and OSX.
Can somebody please help me to format the device so it can be used on windows too?
This would be of great help!
Thanks.

Answer
FAT32

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How do I format my 500gb external hard drive to FAT32?

portable hard drive to fat32 format image

Kyle L

I have recently bought a portable wd elements 500GB hard drive for use with my ps3, only to realise that I need to format it from NTFS to FAT32, but when i right click format it, it only says i can re-format as exFAT. How can i get it to work with my ps3?
I am currently on windows vista

Answer
You didn't include what operating system you're on. That's a rather vital piece of information.

If you're running Windows XP, try:
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/formatting-external-hard-drive-to-fat-32/

Using a portable hard drive to back up ps3 question?

Jakey

if i buy a 80gb portable hard drive to backup my ps3 will it be fat32? or will i have to do something to make it fat32? please explain how!

Answer
depends on the drive . you can use a pc to reformat it if necessary or most can be formatted using the ps3 - just go to system settings , format utility and find it . be careful you don't accidentally format the ps3 instead
you can ask specifically for a fat32 format drive before purchase or just plug into the ps3 to see if it shows up - if you can , first plug into your pc and check it's specs , copy something to it ( like an mp3 file , put it in a folder called music ) and see if the drive shows on your xmb under the music section
most drives that directly plug into a usb port without an external power supply are now fat32 but ask before buying and make sure they will show you on the package or manual where it says it is , don't just trust the employee

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