How do I get my Windows 7 partition to see my OS X partition?

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Level 1

5 points

How do I get my Windows 7 partition to see my OS X partition?

So far my Windows 7 partition refuses to see the OS X side on my iMac 27", though after I set up sharing using SMB, my separate Windows XP computer in my local network can now see the iMac and its drives just fine (and vice versa).

Briefly, after setting up the SMB in Sharing (on the OS X side), the OS X part did appear in Win 7's Networks folder, but when I tried to access it, it refused, saying it still couldn't find it. Baffling. The error code in Win 7 was: 0x80070035 . After numerous attempts, I ended up following some online help instructions to try to fix the problem, but that only messed the system up further. The Win 7 side ended up not even seeing my WinXP computer in the network anymore, just itself. So I did a System Restore to the previous day (luckily I had one, since I recently updated my C-Cleaner, heh), and now I'm back to the main problem, that Win7 refuses to see the OS X partition at all. What am I missing, folks?

(By the way, I found some ancient instructions in my Bootcamp Help Files that mentions Win 7 should be able to see OS X, and how to transfer files back and forth, though it referred to the ancient FAT file system in this case [which was last used in Win98 *?!], not the NTFS file system that is used in WinXP and later versions of Windows nowadays. Bizarre. Apple seriously needs to update all their help files and system documentation. There are serious gaps and outright omissions right now. Nuts.)

The problem might be on the Win 7 side, though I've read that HomeGroups is a totally useless feature (strictly for other Win 7 computers, nothing else), so I'm at a loss how to proceed. Any ideas?

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), 3 TB Fusion Drive + Promise Peg R4

Posted on Apr 1, 2013 4:17 PM

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Answer 1

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Apr 1, 2013 4:30 PM in response to Mazzerac

Windows can't read Mac formatted drives. The reason the XP PC can see it is the iMac is booted into OS X and OS X handles the reading and writing to the drive form any computer on your LAN. When you are booted into Windows OS X is shut down and even the XP PC can't access it at those times.

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Answer 2

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 6:28 PM in response to Shootist007

Thanks for your comment, 007. Interesting and good to know, if true, but kind of crazy, too.

There should be a way to get Win 7 to see the drives and files on the OS X side, since apparently it was possible before (see my original post re Bootcamp reference).

The way things are now, I've been using my older WinXP machine as a kind of intermediary between the two partitions, since it's recognized by both. I can read files on the Windows 7 (Bootcamp) side from OS X, but I can't send/save anything there, which is totally crazy and ridiculous since they're all on the same computer and there are programs on the Win7 side I need to use and transfer files from for other software to use on the OS X side. Being forced to use my old PC as an intermediary is really nuts, in my opinion.

I've got VMWare Fusion 5, but it doesn't really address the problem-issue here. I need to be able to send files to the Windows 7 side, and send files back from Win7 to the OS X side, preferably without the necessity of a 3rd party like my WinXP machine (which is getting old and increasingly untrustworthy). (It seems to me like a necessary requirement that Apple should have considered when the company first invented Bootcamp and brought the expanded capability of running Windows on Mac computers.) I wonder if we're both still missing something and there's some kind of network setting I still have to fix somewhere. I mean, for a short while, Win 7 did see the OS X partition when I was tinkering, even if I couldn't get in. Bizarre.

If someone else knows something about how to make Win 7 see OS X, please put your two cents in. I'd appreciate it!

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Answer 3

Apr 1, 2013 6:33 PM in response to Mazzerac

There is third party software available so that the PC can read and write Mac files or you can get third party software so that the Mac can read and write PC files.

Allan

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Answer 4

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 7:18 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Really? What's the software called? (I suppose I can google the subject, otherwise.)

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Answer 5

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 7:25 PM in response to Mazzerac

Ah! Googled it.

MacDrive (commercial) or HFS Explorer (free). Okay, useful. I'll look into it, Al. Thanks!

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Answer 6

Apr 1, 2013 7:26 PM in response to Mazzerac

For the Mac to R & W to NTFS get Parragon

For Windos to R & W to HFS+ get MacDrive

Allan

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Answer 7

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 7:28 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Oh, a third one! Cool! Parragon. Okay, I'll google that too. Thanks, dude! Awesome!

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Answer 8

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 7:57 PM in response to Mazzerac

UPDATE:

Just googled it. Turns out it's Paragon, not Parragon. It's the company that makes HFS+ for Windows v10. Okay. Priced $20. Good to know.

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Answer 9

Mazzerac Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 1, 2013 8:28 PM in response to Mazzerac

Okay, this is interesting. Kept googling and found this on a forum:

Quote #1:

MacDrive is what you're after. it's $50 for a CD OR download ($70 for the RAID-enabled version) if it's within your budget, I can guarantee it's quality software. (paraphrase)

For a free alternative as already mentioned, HFSExplorer works well, but it will not integrate like any other disk as you prefer.

If you are running Windows 7 under Boot Camp, however, OS X 10.6 will include HFS drivers with Boot Camp to read OS X partitions from Windows.

Another quote:

The version of Boot Camp that comes with Snow Leopard will contain HFS+ drivers for Windows. Rather than buy additional utilities, you might prefer to wait for that upgrade.

"Boot Camp now includes HFS+ read support that enables you to access the files on your mac OS X partition from Windows. It's read-only to prevernt PC viruses from affecting Mac OS X, but you can easily save your work to your Windows partition and access it later from Mac OS X." (From the Apple website)

======================

Interesting, right? I wonder if this feature was removed in later versions of OS X, which would explain my problems in OS X 10.8. (If not, then we're all clearly missing something, I guess.)

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