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Level 1

4 points

Any EASY, simple to use external hard drives that are PC and Mac interchangeable?

I have a new Mac Book Pro, running Mountain Lion. I am new to Mac; my old laptop is a Dell running Windows 7.

I would like to move over ALL my pictures and files from the Dell to an external hard drive (EHD) that is also Mac-compatible. I want all the pictures and documents SAVED and easily retrievable on the EHD, but probably don't really need *ALL* of them on the Mac.

Does anyone know of an EHD that will do this? One that is really super easy to use and won't need "reformatted". (I don't want to have to try to deal with that!)

I just want to put ALL my stuff from my Dell on an EHD, then move over SPECIFIC items from that EHD to my Mac.

Any advice? Recommendations? THANK YOU!

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)

Posted on Oct 28, 2012 6:03 PM

Best reply

BobTheFisherman

Level 9

79,333 points

Posted on Oct 28, 2012 6:17 PM

All external hard drives will do what you want. Connect your external hard drive to your dell computer and format the drive as exfat. Once formatted you can copy and write your files, pictures, etc. to or from either computer.

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29 replies

Tiskers Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 29, 2012 2:04 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

The box didn't say. I just returned it at Staples and bought a Seagate Back Up Plus, "for PC and Mac":

http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/standard/backup -plus/

The website (link above) says:

Works with PC or Mac.

Use it interchangeably on your PC or your Mac computer without reformatting.

Also:

WHAT DO YOU GET?

Seagate Dashboard pre-loaded on drive
NTFS driver for Mac pre-loaded on drive
USB 3.0 interface adapter
18-inch USB 3.0 cable
Quick start guide
2-year limited warranty

I don't really understand the NTFS stuff. I haven't opened it yet. I hope it's easy to use.

Oct 29, 2012 3:25 PM in response to Tiskers

After using FAT32 between a Dell PC and Macbook Pro, i know just how awful this experience can be. NTFS is the way to go (no file size limit transfers, way more reliable imo). I reccomend you use Tuxera:

http://www.tuxera.com/

With my 500 GB Lacie Drive, I partitioned it into 3 parts (you can do this on your mac through disk utility):

1.) Tuxera NTFS (You need to have this installed on your mac to work).

2.) Mac OS Journaled

3.) NTFS (regular PC only version)

With these 3 partitions, I now have every tool necessary to transfer files, no matter if it's mac to mac, pc to pc, or pc to mac and vise versa. I made the 1st partition, Tuxera NTFS, the largest of the three partitions because I know that I will use this the most since I deal with my pc and mac most frequently. The other 2 partitions are for when a friend needs to borrow my HDD or if I run into a situation where I'm using another Mac without Tuxera, or another PC.

You can use this Tuxera software on any harddrive, as far as I know.

Hope that helps...

Tiskers Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 2, 2012 6:18 PM in response to giltzer14

Giltzer,

THANK YOU so much for the reply, I'm afraid to admit, though, that I do not understand what you are trying to tell me! I am confused by the "partitions" thing and would like to avoid it if at all possible!

I have no one to help me with this once I start to try to do it, (everyone around me is PC) and I'm not a techno savvy girl, by ANY means! I am so afraid of boogering something up.

Apparently I need idiot-easy, for dummies! 😢

Nov 3, 2012 12:02 AM in response to Tiskers

No need to partition. Personally, I would just format the drive as NTFS and spend $20 on Paragon's NTFS for Mac and be done with it. You'll be able to read and write from both PC and Mac and the drive will just look like any other external drive on both systems.

Just my 2¢...

Clinton

matt1100

Level 1

70 points

Nov 3, 2012 12:33 AM in response to Tiskers

buy a time capsule all wireless and you can have a multy user setup on it in other words mum, dad, brother, sister, friend ect with their own username and password of their choice and it works on any computer that has internet. Give it a shot. With the multy user login they get their own " profile " in other words they have their own part of the hard drive that no one else can see what is on it exept the main administrator

Gice it a try

Matt

Nov 3, 2012 12:37 AM in response to matt1100

I don't think that's what the OP is after at all...

Clinton

matt1100

Level 1

70 points

Nov 3, 2012 12:39 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

well it is easy to use and setup and it works with out any fiddling around

Tiskers Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 4, 2012 5:36 AM in response to matt1100

Clinton,

THANKS for the Paragon tip. Does that work right along with my external hard drive?

Guys, I really appreciate all your help and input on this. Please don't get tired of me yet! I haven't done anything yet because I am still trying to figure out the best and easist way to move over my files/pics from my PC to my new Mac, without necessarily keeping them ALL on the Mac, but readily accessible on my EHD if I need or want them.

Last night I got to thinking that I never did Migration Assistant when I got my new Mac. Would that be my best bet? Move over all the stuff from PC that way, and move OFF stuff from the Mac to the EHD that I don't want on the Mac right now? If I did it that way, I wouldn't have to mess with the EHD being able to read both MAC and PC, right?

Thank you ALL for your patience and assistance. I REALLY appreciate it!

Nov 4, 2012 5:45 AM in response to Tiskers

The best and easiest way to move your files from your PC to your Mac is to use Migration Assistant: I would use the Windows version with both computers physically connected to the same router with Ethernet cables.

Then, using Paragon NTFS for Mac, you can use your external hard drive on both your Mac and PC. Easily.

Good luck,

Clinton

Vic-zx

Level 1

5 points

Nov 4, 2012 5:53 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Paragon NTFS all the way.

Tiskers Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 4, 2012 9:53 AM in response to Vic-zx

Thanks guys.

Is the migration something they can do for me at the Genius Bar? I'm just afraid I won't know what to do on my own. (I have ZERO support locally, no one I know has a Mac, AND the nearest Apple store is 2 hours away!)

Also, FYI, once the files are safely saved on an EHD, they won't ever be going back to the PC. Only to the Mac. (I plan to sell the old Dell.} Does this simplify things?

Thank you!

Tiskers Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 5, 2012 7:33 PM in response to Tiskers

UPDATE: It has been accomplished!!!

The Seagate Back-up Plus (http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/standard/backup -plus/ ) was SOOOO easy to use!

Registration was quick, and set-up was so easy! Clearly asked me if I wanted to use it for Mac only OR Mac and PC. I chose Mac and PC, did a little experimenting with small files first... and voila! Files move quickly from PC to EHD, and EHD to Mac, and back again, if needed. A perfect, very easy to use solution.

No formatting, no partitioning, nothing difficult about it at all. *whew!* I totally recommend it.

THANK YOU all for the help and assistance!

flymissy

Level 1

9 points

Apr 21, 2013 2:19 PM in response to Tiskers

oh blow it! I wish I'd read this a few days ago - I'm in the middle of partitioning/reformatting and have as much knowledge as you by the sound of it Tiskers, lol!

Nice to see so much help for us non-techies out there though 🙂

dk5875a

Level 1

9 points

Jun 11, 2016 1:22 PM in response to Tiskers

I am in the process of switching from PC to Mac. This was an actual HD that you bought? I have two externals I've been using to fully back up my PC. I'm finding out that I can't use my external and have my Mac read my Lightroom catalog. This made it possible to transfer things from your Dell to the EHD and then from the EHD to your Mac? Then did you transfer that to another EHD? Just trying to understand. Thanks!!

Any EASY, simple to use external hard drives that are PC and Mac interchangeable?