Can OSX view Windows system files?

Tom84

Tom84

Tom84

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Per the title, plugged an external HDD into my Macbook today in an attempt to copy data from it (HDD comes from a laptop which wont boot into the XP anymore)

Plugged it in via a HDD dock and while it displays the folder structure fine everything beneath that shows no files/empty folders! :confused:

I'm going to plug the HDD into a Windows machine just to check it isn't a fault with the drive but cant do that until tomorrow so in the mean time is there a reason why OSX wouldn't show the files within the folders?

Cheers :)
 
Should work fine. The only time I've had issues is with drivers formatted with old versions of NTFS - I.e. early XP or 2k machines.
 
MacRS4 said:
Should work fine. The only time I've had issues is with drivers formatted with old versions of NTFS - I.e. early XP or 2k machines.
Click to expand...

And what problems did you have? Similar to what I'm having? It's a very old Laptop so probably not FAT32
 
I'm not able to see XP hidden / system files on Mac. Annoying because need to get data from a Application Data folder. I'm sure there are apps which help.
 
Tom84 said:
Per the title, plugged an external HDD into my Macbook today in an attempt to copy data from it (HDD comes from a laptop which wont boot into the XP anymore)

Plugged it in via a HDD dock and while it displays the folder structure fine everything beneath that shows no files/empty folders! :confused:

I'm going to plug the HDD into a Windows machine just to check it isn't a fault with the drive but cant do that until tomorrow so in the mean time is there a reason why OSX wouldn't show the files within the folders?

Cheers :)
Click to expand...

If the hard-drive is formatted in NTFS then you'll be able to view the files, but you wont be able to copy/delete/move the files.
 
Fragil1ty said:
If the hard-drive is formatted in NTFS then you'll be able to view the files, but you wont be able to copy/delete/move the files.
Click to expand...

Incorrect.

OS X *can* read and copy from a NTFS volume. It cannot however delete, and therefore move, files on a NTFS volume.

If it's FAT formatted, you can do whatever you like.
 
Just so everyone knows I tried the drive on a windows 7 laptop and got the same thing, never seen a drive display the file structure but not the child objects before so I guess it's had some kind of virus that's buggered it :)
 
Hi sorry to hijack this thread but I have a quick question.

I'm setting up a Mac Mini as a pure music server. I'm attaching a FW hard drive to hold all my music.

I will be ripping and organising/backing up my tunes on a windows XP laptop which is using NTFS+ file system.

If I format the FW hard drive as NTFS+ and put files from my XP laptop onto the FW hard drive when I connect it too the mac will it be able to read those files?

Or would it be better just to set up the FW HD with mac and then get a shared folder on the network to transfer tunes from the PC to the Mac?

Cheers.
 
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