Can I transfer files from my internal Mac hard drive to the Boot Camp partition

Question

Can I transfer files from my internal Mac hard drive to the Boot Camp partition

I just used the Boot Camp Assistant to create a 180GB partition to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. Everything works fine. I would like to know if when I am booted in Windows 7, can I transfer large files over 5GB from the Boot Camp (Windows 7) partition over to my internal Macintosh HD? Or vice versa when I am booted in OS X?

I just bought a LaCie 2TB D2 Quadra V2B 7200rpm external hard drive. Is there a way for me to format this drive so that I can also transfer large files over 5GB to it or from it between the internal Macintosh HD or the Boot Camp (Windows 7) partition?

I'm just looking for the best and safest option to move large GB files between the internal Macintosh HD and the Boot Camp (Windows 7) partition.

I have a 27" iMac 2010 model i7 Quad Core running OS X 10.6.8

Thank you,

Sam

iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jan 19, 2013 12:32 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 19, 2013 12:38 PM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

Probably not without installing some kind of third party software.

Windows can't work with HFS+, Mac file system, nor can Mac write to NTFS, Windows file system.

Allan

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Answer 2

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 19, 2013 1:00 PM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

Using the LaCie it is possible to move the files, but once moved they will not be fully accessible. What are you trying to achieve?

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Answer 3

Jan 19, 2013 1:31 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Thanks Allan. I will have to look into 3rd party software I guess.

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Answer 4

Jan 19, 2013 1:44 PM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

While third party software does allow for some connectivity, it is in no way a complete solution. Many of the system services fail to function even when they are installed. Thereby limiting what Apple applications are able to do on an NTFS disk even with the third party software installed. Hence the rreason I always push for HFS+ as the best solution in the long run.

Another thing is that quite frequently once you start using the third party software you must be careful about upgrading because quite frequently upgrades to OS X break them and you need to wait for them to be upgraded before you can upgrade OS X.

Allan

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Answer 5

Jan 19, 2013 1:41 PM in response to Csound1

Thanks Csound1 but is there a certain way I format the LaCie drive when setting it up for the first time? If so is that disk formatting done on the OS X side or when booted in Windows 7. My goal is to move large video files from my Boot Camp Windows 7 partition since I will be editing there in a Windows program then I need to move them over to the Mac hard drive so I can do some future things in Final Cut Pro which is running via OS X. So I will start off with the large file on the Boot Camp Windows 7 partition and then end up processing the large file complete on the Mac hard drive. Does that make sense?

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Answer 6

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 19, 2013 1:44 PM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

Format the drive as ExFat, but remember that nothing has changed regarding each OS's ability to interact with the other OS's files, but ExFat will allow you to move them (copy to LacCie>copy to final destination)

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Answer 7

Jan 19, 2013 2:26 PM in response to Csound1

Thanks Csound1. I will try the ExFAT format option on the LaCie drive. This sounds like a good option for my needs if I can move the 5GB files and up, to and from the LaCie drive to each OS. My video files are in a format that work on both in Windows and OS X. Transferring them was my only issue not if they will work on both OS's.

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Answer 8

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 19, 2013 2:27 PM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

Then the ExFat format will be fine. 🙂

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Answer 9

Jan 20, 2013 9:11 PM in response to Csound1

ExFAT is a bad choice for HDD and SSD. It's designed for USB sticks, and camera media like CF and SDXC cards. There is only a single FAT, meaning it's difficult to impossible to repair once damaged, and it's also not journaled so large volumes will take longer to repair if needed. The better choice is to obtain 3rd party HFS+ support for Windows, or 3rd party NTFS support for OS X. I'd pick the 3rd party option you will end up using the *least*. That is if you mostly use OS X for read/writing files to this external disk, the disk should be HFS+ formatted, and you'd get 3rd party HFS+ support for Windows.

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Answer 10

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 21, 2013 7:04 AM in response to Christopher Murphy

Thanks for that, but it's the OP's issue, not mine.

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Answer 11

Jan 21, 2013 10:11 AM in response to Csound1

I replied to your post because you recommended exFAT.

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Answer 12

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 21, 2013 10:13 AM in response to Christopher Murphy

Christopher Murphy wrote:

I replied to your post because you recommended exFAT.

Explicitly for the purpose of transferring the files from one partition to another (the OP's question) otherwise no.

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Answer 13

ReMacs

Level 2

295 points

Jan 21, 2013 10:15 AM in response to SamGreenPhotography.com

When I am booted in Windows 7, can I transfer large files over 5GB from the Boot Camp (Windows 7) partition over to my internal Macintosh HD?

You can freely copy (write) files from Windows to OSX space when you are in OSX and vice-versa. In OSX for instance, you see Windows C:\Users\You??\Videos Etc. in the Windows NTFS space which can be righclick copied to Mac.

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Answer 14

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Jan 21, 2013 10:19 AM in response to ReMacs

ReMacs wrote:

You can freely copy (write) files from Windows to OSX space when you are in OSX and vice-versa.

Not true, Macs can read from NTFS partitions so you can copy from Windows to Mac, but not vice-versa.

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Answer 15

ReMacs

Level 2

295 points

Jan 21, 2013 12:22 PM in response to Csound1

In Windows 8, I just "Onlined" my Mac Pro Mountain Lion disk drive and copy/pasted a movie from
MacProMLion G:\Users\MyId\Movies to my Windows desktop.

Does it work for me because it is a Mac Pro or because I have two different disk drives? Seems to me that it worked when I only had both OSs on 1 drive.

Try it.

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