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I need to transfer DVD image files between a Windows XP computer and a Mac running Leopard.

The machines are not connected via a fast network, and I have a few USB drives floating around that I want to use, e.g. 8GB flash, 60GB and 250GB USB hard drives.

Sometimes the files creep above 4GB (the maximum size of a single file on FAT32), and I've had no luck with NTFS on Leopard. I'm not aware of any drivers for XP/Vista that support Mac file systems like HFS.

Anyone got any suggestions as to what file system would best suit here?

Thanks Tom

Jon Seigel
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tomfanning
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4 Answers4

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What did you try for NTFS on Leopard?

It's pretty simple:

  1. install MacFUSE and NTFS-3G driver.
  2. ???
  3. Profit.
Loïc Wolff
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  • I updated the (broken?) NTFS-3G app (and MacFUSE) on my MacBook to the latest version and it all started working again. Looks like this is the route to take. – tomfanning Jan 01 '09 at 18:34
  • I actually also found that the removable drive with NTFS needed "removing safely" from a Windows box before OS X / NTFS-3G would touch it. – tomfanning Jan 01 '09 at 18:36
  • It was a headache to try to install _MacFUSE_ in my Lion 10.7.5 I gave up. Also tried _fuse4x_ neither worked. – fguillen Dec 01 '12 at 17:53
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You could use split on the Mac to divide the files up into 2GB fragments and then recombine the fragments on Windows using copy.

split -b 2048m file

copy xxa + xxb file
ewalshe
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  • The files are actually ISOs containing home video DVDs, so I was looking to be able to play them back directly from the removable media, with the ISO mounted on the connected machine as a drive. Nice trick though, thanks. – tomfanning Jan 01 '09 at 18:33
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You could try a linux filesystem, e.g. with e2fs on mac (I've only ever tried reading these however). There are drivers for windows.

Alternatively you could use the split utility on the mac to cut the file up into smaller chunks, and recombine them on windows.

frankodwyer
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  • Thanks for this, this could be a good solution, but does require the Windows machine to have additional software installed. Looks like to avoid FAT32 one or the other machine is going to have to have additional drivers anyway... – tomfanning Jan 01 '09 at 18:35
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Formatting to exFAT worked for me, it suppose to have some limitations with old-windows but is not my case.

fguillen
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