Using a Wester Digital Essential 320GB External Hardisk on both Tiger and..

Hi thanks for you answer,

But I think it looks a bit complicated for the mean time. On my old G4 with a full 60 gig hard disk the only things I want to back up are photos, music and files such as .docs, small photoshop and Illustrator files not whole user accounts or applications because I have all the new applications on the Macbook Pro ready to go on the new one and back ups on CDs.

So what I think I'll do is put backing the the G4 up on hold.

My main task I've just prioritized is how to transfer my Tiger Macbook Pro to a new Leapoard Macbook Pro, since it will be a replacement due to to errors with the screen, I won't have the two computers present at the same time. Hence why I've bought my first external hard disk.

Most importantly I need to store all the precious work I've been doing on my Macbook Pro for the last year and transfer it on to the new one.

At the same time I'd like to have both Windows and Leapoard on the new Macbook Pro instead of just the Mac OS like I have just now.

So I've just bought this new Western Digital MyBook Essential 320g and was wondering what would be the best way to format it so I can transfer not only the files that are on my present Macbook Pro but also all the applications (or some of the applications, the main priority would be the files though but applications would be a bonus)

I've heard that FAT32 is good for transferring between PCs and Macs but it can be unreliable if it accidently disconnects you can loose all the files and although it can work well for small files it doesn't work for applications (Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office etc). Should I just use Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and transfer over files and the applications in their compressed .dmg file format?

The other thing that worries me is that in order to have windows and mac, after I've got Windows OME or whatever it's called, when you go to install through boot camp it partitions your disc automatically, when it does this partition will one of them be OS Extended (Journaled) ?

So will it be just a case of click and drag afterwards and will all my files (simular to the ones on G4 in style, photos, music, small graphic files, .docs etc) be intact?

After I've successfully backed up all my old Tiger Macbook Pro files on the new macbook Pro with Leopard, I will then go and back up the small important files in the G4 (not whole hard disk or user account) to the external hard disk. I may reformat it again afterwards with the tips you give?

So is the best way to do it is write zeros over your external hard disk whilst formating it to OS Extended (Journaled) (for the meantime) through the Macbook Pro? (it would take years with the old G4)

Any other tips? Now that I think about it a partition may be not necessary at this stage after all right?

To be honest external hard disks like WD confuse me to no end and if they had a decent UK tech support line I'd just call it because the only set up instructions are four little initial set up pictures like an IKEA furniture manual.

Cheers and sorry if this has been answered elsewhere.