Boot Camp basics - drive formatting and organization

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Level 1

4 points

Boot Camp basics - drive formatting and organization

Hello. I have always used PCs and just bought a new Macbook Pro.

I would like to use Boot Camp to run Windows 8.1 for some things. Ive been trying to read up on it. I have a few questions regarding hard drive formatting and sharing/using files between the two. I saw some statements on drive formatting type and being able to read or write on files depending on the formatting.

1. I have external hard drives formatted NTFS that I want to use for Windows on Boot Camp. Can I use these drives via USB with the Boot Camp Windows partition without having to reformat them? Also, while I plan on transferring my Office files to the Mac side of things (using Office for Mac), can I also still use them on the Boot Camp side and if I can use them for both, where should they live? On the Windows side of things or the Mac side of things?

2. When I am using the Boot Camp partition w Windows or the Mac side, can I see the files from the other partition regardless of what one Im booted on?

3. How much space should I partition for Windows 8.1? Do ALL files I will use in Windows need to be on that partition (or an external drive) or just Windows itself)I have a 512GB SSD on the MBPro and plan to keep all music and most photos and other large media files off of the laptop entirely. But may still have some files to work on within the Boot Camp - but am still unclear if they NEED to live on the Boot Camp partition part of the drive or if its just WINDOWS that needs to be on that partition.

Lets just try those questions to start.

Thanks!!

Posted on Jul 30, 2014 12:09 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jul 30, 2014 12:36 PM in response to Sequoia225

1. Windows does not install on nor boot from external drives. As for Office you need separate editions - one for Windows and one for OS X. Although you can exchange files you cannot use the same edition on both platforms.

2. The Mac side can read (but not write to) from an NTFS disk, so you can see files on the Windows partition. However, this is not the case with Windows. You would need third-party software to read a Mac disk from Windows.

3. Allow a minimum of 100 GBs for Windows. Although Windows installation will only use around 30 GBs or less, you need extra space to accommodate any support files needed by applications or other software you may need to install.

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Answer 2

Sequoia225 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 30, 2014 12:42 PM in response to Kappy

Sorry if my question was confusing.

I DO plan to install Windows on the Boot Camp partition, not an external - but I have a lot of files for Windows use on an external. Want to make sure I dont have to reformat those for this purpose.

I plan to switch all my office use to the Mac side - I bought office for mac - but wondered if I happen to install Office on the Windows side - if I could just access the files from ONE location for both Offices - and if it mattered which side.

Is there an app for the Mac to write to an NTFS disk?

Thank you for your help - very much!

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Jul 30, 2014 1:09 PM in response to Sequoia225

External drives you will use exclusively with Windows can be formatted NTFS. If you want to write to an NTFS drive from OS X, then you need third-party software such as NTFS 11.2.443 or you can try Mounty 1.1 that is new. I've never used it.

As long as you save documents in an exchange compatible format there should be no problem. I typically use the Office 2004 formats which seem to be universally compatible. But if both Office versions are current, then you can use the .docx format interchangeably.

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Answer 4

Sequoia225 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 4, 2014 5:41 PM in response to Kappy

So further question. My music library (as photos and videos as well) is a HUGE chunk of space on an NTFS drive I have used with my PC previously. Music is about 800GB on an external drive used with itunes.

Of course I plan on switching my itunes use to mostly be in the Mac side - if not completely. So for the Mac OS, would it be better to just get the NTFS third party software you suggested to read and write from the Mac OS X or would it be better to format a drive for Mac and put the music onto there.

Just in your opinion for avoiding future issues?

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Answer 5

Sequoia225 Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 5, 2014 11:14 AM in response to Rudegar

Well I DO have it on a huge external HD - my question was about the fact that that drive is LKFS formatted because I used it with my PC primarily.

Mac cant write to LKFS, so my question was would it be better to keep it there and get software for the mac that lets it write to LKFS or is it better to format it for some Mac OS friendly format instead - but then I cant see it on the PC side?

I dont know how a NAS would work for both - how does it need to be so both machines can read and write to the drive?

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Answer 6

Rudegar

Level 10

180,720 points

Aug 5, 2014 5:46 AM in response to Sequoia225

easy option is to move the media to a huge external hd or in my case a NAS which both windows and osx then access over the network

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