How can I network an external hard drive between macbook pro and mac mini

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How can I network an external hard drive between macbook pro and mac mini

Hi guys, I purchased a mac mini 4 months ago & connected an ext hard drive to it which is working fine. Purchased a new mbpro last week & have been able to network folders between both (still cant work out how / if you can just netwrok all files & folders betwenn mini & mbpro but thats another question??).

What I want to be able to do is network the ext hd so I can see it when using mbpro.

If someone can help with a simple answer I'd really apreaciate it.

Posted on Dec 18, 2012 2:28 AM

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Answer 1

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dwb

Level 7

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Dec 18, 2012 4:17 AM in response to Andy Cameron

cllintonfrombirmingham and tzbikowski are correct and you should be able to get this to work. Another solution is Apple's Airport Extreme Base Station which is a decent WiFi router which also lets you plug a USB drive (or even more than one with a hub). This has two advantages over attaching the drive to your computer. 1) the computer doesn't have to be on and awake. If you set the computer to wake on ethernet it should wake up when you want to fileshare with it but sometimes that doesnt work out right. 2) your drive can also be shared when you aren't in the house. (The drive is password protected)

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Answer 2

Dec 18, 2012 2:35 AM in response to Andy Cameron

You can turn on File Sharing through System Preferences>Sharing and add the device to the Shared list, I think.

Clinton

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Answer 3

tzbikowski

Level 4

1,952 points

Dec 18, 2012 2:35 AM in response to Andy Cameron

So it is a USB hard drive connected to MacMini which you want to share with MBP?

On Mac mini go to System Preferences

tick File Sharing and in the right pane add the whole USB volume and set the permissions you need.

On your MBP you should see it in Finder Window under Shared (left pane)

Post if you need more details.

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Answer 4

Andy Cameron Author

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Dec 18, 2012 2:41 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Clinton I've done this but can't see it on mbpro but will check again

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Answer 5

Andy Cameron Author

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Dec 18, 2012 2:43 AM in response to tzbikowski

Yes thats correct, usb cenneted to mini.

I'll try what youve said but poretty sure that what i did but not sure. (Still very new to macs but love 'em!)

Should it be easy to do what I'm wanting to do?

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Answer 6

tzbikowski

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Dec 18, 2012 2:44 AM in response to Andy Cameron

yes - this should be quick and easy.

make sure that Mac Mini and MBP are on the same network - obviously :-)

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Answer 7

Dec 18, 2012 6:12 AM in response to Andy Cameron

Get a wifi router, any brand will work, that has a usb port. Plug your external drive into the usb port of the router and your computers will both then have access to the external drives files without any configuration, file sharing, or having to have the other computer on.

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Answer 8

Andy Cameron Author

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Dec 18, 2012 2:22 PM in response to tzbikowski

Been & checked all settings & it still can't see the ext hd on mbpro.

When I go to sys pref on mac mini the only thing I can pick up thats different is this;

If I click on a folder (Documents) that Ive added & then set permissions I can see this on mbpro.............but when I add the ext hd I can't change permissions at its "greyed out". it does list my name in permissions pane & says read & write, Im guessing that this relates back to me allowing the ext hd to be shared originally??

I tried deleting the ext hd form the shared folders list & then adding again but it the same again.....I'm confused now. Any other suggestions?

Guys the other ideas airport extreme & new wifi router arent options for me at this stage.

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Answer 9

tzbikowski

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Dec 18, 2012 2:43 PM in response to Andy Cameron

Can you check if the external drive is not NTFS by any chance?

It has to be Mac OS Extended Journaled to share it.

Applications > Disk Utility
reformat if needed and try sharing again

If this is already formatted to Mac OS Ext. J. can you create a folder on the external drive and try to share it instead of the whole volume?

Please post the results.

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Answer 10

Andy Cameron Author

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Dec 18, 2012 3:38 PM in response to tzbikowski

its FAt 32

Created a new folder on ext hd, clicked to share but it doesn't work.

To reformat I would have to save files from ext hd to mac mac mini but I dont have enough space to do this (I 600gb on ext hd) & I only have 500gb on mac mini & have used 100gb.

Oh well maybe I just cant do it

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Answer 11

tzbikowski

Level 4

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Dec 18, 2012 3:43 PM in response to Andy Cameron

Fat32 would be the cause of the sharing problem you have.

Obviously offloading the files first is a must and you will need space.

Another thing you can try is in Sharing (System Preferences)

go to Options button (to the right) and tick Share Files and Folders using SMB (Windows)

Post if that helps.

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Answer 12

Andy Cameron Author

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Dec 18, 2012 3:48 PM in response to tzbikowski

Did that but it didn't help.

Out if interest what should the format be?

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Answer 13

tzbikowski

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Dec 18, 2012 3:53 PM in response to Andy Cameron

The format you need is Apple native - Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

NTFS is Microsoft format - non-writable on Mac OS.

Fat32 is better as Apple and Microsoft OSs can read and write to it - but it has 4GB file size limit.

If you ever manage to reformat it it should be Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

This should allow you to share it properly.

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Answer 14

Apr 3, 2013 1:44 PM in response to Andy Cameron

Hi Andy,

I don't know if you solved this yet but I was struggling with this myself and found this thread. The thing is, you have options how you share, and I just found out, if you only use SMB and not the other options it works! I just tried EVERYTHING cause I really didn't want to reformat either.

Hope this helps you too!

Channa

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