Macintosh OSX ._ files on Windows 2003 Server

The "._" files are created by Mac OS X when connecting to a server via SMB (essentially Windows file sharing). It's the "resource fork" of the Mac file, but SMB doesn't know how to handle resource forks. Therefore, Mac OS X compensates by splitting the Mac file in two and placing it this way on the server. If you were to copy the file back to the Mac, Mac OS X would knit the two files back together.

Unfortunately, this method of handling files can cause the problems you're seeing.

An alternative includes installing File Services for Macintosh on your Windows server and connecting via AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) and not SMB. This method does not support AFP 3.x and therefore does not support file names longer than 31 characters.

Another alternative is to install AFP 3.x server software such as Group Logic's ExtremeZ-IP. ( http://www.grouplogic.com) This can be cost prohibitive if you have just a few Macs but works well.

Or you can install a better SMB client such as Thursby's Dave. ( http://www.thursby.com) This is installed on the Mac and handles server connections better. You can download a free 30-day trial.

Hope this helps! bill

1 GHz Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

I am also experiencing this phantom file creation when viewing files that I've dropped onto our corporate server. I've actually deleted these ._ files. Will that give my Mac a stroke when pull the files back down from our server; there will be no resource fork to knit back together?

Thanks,

-Zoar

Mac Dual G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Not at all. The files are still usable.

But you have deleted some information that you or your Mac may need. The resource fork (aka "._" file) stores the file's custom icon if it has one and also stores information about the type of application that should open it when you double-click the file.

If your file icons turn into generic white pages, then you can drag and drop the file onto the appropriate application's icon to opening it.

You can eliminate this problem by always using the file's appropriate three character file extension, such as ".doc" for Word documents, ".jpg" for JPEG files, etc.

Hope this helps! bill

1 GHz Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)