[Mac 101] Ask your questions here!

[iseelamepple]

Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility or Cmd-Space for Spotlight and type Disk Utility.

 

[w0aiNi]

i'm having this problem at home with my mbp and my nas. i have a planex nas-01g at home which was formated to ntfs.

i have no issue connecting to the nas from my mbp. however, everytime when i try to copy a file to my mbp, i encounter the following error. anyone know how to solve this issue? thanks!

anyone can help?

 

[Fattyboiboi]

got a qn,

do u guys buy microsoft office for mac or you guys bought the iwork when buying ur mbp/imac?

 

[jaronliu]

SSD / Optibay Partitioning Advice

Hi all,

I will be getting a 17" mbp i7 soon and its my first transition from windows platform to mac and so I need some advice for partitioning of my sdd/hdd.

1. I will be using a x26m 160GB for the main drive and will partition 100GB for HFS+ and 60GB for NTFS for windows 7 bootcamp. How can I do that? The last time I helped a friend for bootcamp, the max size is 32GB using bootcamp assistant and it appears that the format is FAT32. After we boot into windows 7 set up, I had to reformat the "bootcamp" partition before windows could install. The question is how to make bootcamp assistant format directly NTFS and have a partition size greater than 32GB?

2. I will be installing the Hitachi Travelstar 500GB 7200rpm in the optibay slot. Since I would like to use time machine, I have to partition HFS+. However, this disk would also be my data disk and I am wondering if I should leave the whole disk as HFS+, copy in NTFS data from usb hdd. In this case, I would need macdrive to read/write my data drive. But the disadvantage is that when I plug this drive into windows machine (which most of my other computers are), reading/writing it would be impossible without macdrive! Alternatively, I am thinking partition 150GB for time machine HFS+, rest 350GB into NTFS for data drive and use paragon NTFS to read and write. Then in this case this external drive would be more universal since its NTFS.

3. What is the best ratio for time machine? If I partition 100GB for OSX, is 150GB enough? I will also be superdupering my OSX into the 500GB drive and wincloning the bootcamp into the 500GB drive.


Any advices on these?

 

[xllms]

thank u iseelamepple...i have managed to format the hdd

 

[iseelamepple]

thank u iseelamepple...i have managed to format the hdd

Welcome.

 

[iseelamepple]

Hi all,

I will be getting a 17" mbp i7 soon and its my first transition from windows platform to mac and so I need some advice for partitioning of my sdd/hdd.

1. I will be using a x26m 160GB for the main drive and will partition 100GB for HFS+ and 60GB for NTFS for windows 7 bootcamp. How can I do that? The last time I helped a friend for bootcamp, the max size is 32GB using bootcamp assistant and it appears that the format is FAT32. After we boot into windows 7 set up, I had to reformat the "bootcamp" partition before windows could install. The question is how to make bootcamp assistant format directly NTFS and have a partition size greater than 32GB?

2. I will be installing the Hitachi Travelstar 500GB 7200rpm in the optibay slot. Since I would like to use time machine, I have to partition HFS+. However, this disk would also be my data disk and I am wondering if I should leave the whole disk as HFS+, copy in NTFS data from usb hdd. In this case, I would need macdrive to read/write my data drive. But the disadvantage is that when I plug this drive into windows machine (which most of my other computers are), reading/writing it would be impossible without macdrive! Alternatively, I am thinking partition 150GB for time machine HFS+, rest 350GB into NTFS for data drive and use paragon NTFS to read and write. Then in this case this external drive would be more universal since its NTFS.

3. What is the best ratio for time machine? If I partition 100GB for OSX, is 150GB enough? I will also be superdupering my OSX into the 500GB drive and wincloning the bootcamp into the 500GB drive.


Any advices on these?

1. You can drag the slider on Boot Camp Utility to change the space. No harm formatting to NTFS later during Windows install right? It doesn't take long.

2. I'm quite confused. Why would you need to share your internal 500GB drive with other Windows computers? Unless you want to pull it out every now and then.

Also, it's not advisable to use Time Machine on the internal HDD. It defeats the purpose of a backup because if the drive fails, everything fails.


3. Ratio based on what size? 500GB?

Do clarify so we can help you further.

 

[jaronliu]

Replies below, please help. Thank you guys so much!

1. You can drag the slider on Boot Camp Utility to change the space. No harm formatting to NTFS later during Windows install right? It doesn't take long.

I tried on my friends comp, max is 32GB on the slider. Anyone else knows why? The problem is not formating to NTFS later but if the initial bootcamp format is FAT32, it means max 32GB. I would like to change that.

2. I'm quite confused. Why would you need to share your internal 500GB drive with other Windows computers? Unless you want to pull it out every now and then.

Well, the internal 500GB is the data drive, which the comp fails (OS Drive in this case), I can at least pull out the internal drive and still work on another system, in this case windows probably. And if that windows computer doesnt have macdrive, then its a problem...

Also, it's not advisable to use Time Machine on the internal HDD. It defeats the purpose of a backup because if the drive fails, everything fails.

Again you didnt quite understood my setup. The SSD is my OS drive and the 500GB is the data and backup drive BUT instead of having it external, I have it internal with optibay setup.

3. Ratio based on what size? 500GB?

Ratio based on OS drive partition is 100GB for OS X on SSD and so how much should I allocated for TM on the 500GB? Is 1.5 good enough? Or 2? Or should I do away with TM and just go with super duper? If in that case, I could just format the whole 500GB with NTFS, do superduper, do winclone for bootcamp partition, and keep my data files. On OSX, I would use paragon NTFS, on windows machine, this drive would be "native". In this case, what am I losing out by not using TM? Specifically, what are the ad and disad of using only TM and TM+Superduper and only Superduper?

Do clarify so we can help you further.

 

[iseelamepple]

1. I don't think FAT32 = 32GB limit. I've been Boot Camp-ing for a long while now and I've easily had partitions bigger than 32GB in FAT32 and formatted to NTFS later.

2. Time Machine backs up your data periodically, ie every few hours/day depending on how you adjust it (3rd party - TimeMachineEditor.app). Which means heavy disk usage. And to share TM backup with data partition on the same disk just sounds like a recipe for losing everything when the disk eventually fails.

If you want to simply recover your files, the free HFS Explorer will do the trick. I've made a portable copy of it myself that includes the Java so I can even carry it on a thumbdrive (small FAT32 partition loaded with HFS Explorer > run app > able to read bigger HFS+ partition)

3. This is what I recommend:

SSD - 100GB OSX, 60GB Windows
HDD - 500GB Data (HFS+)
Ext HDD - 100GB SuperDuper, 60GB Acronis/other Windows backup utility
Time Capsule - Optional

Don't rely on NTFS drivers for your data drive. If you ever need to access the disk on a Windows box, MacDrive or HFS Explorer.

TM works best wirelessly and on an external drive in terms of convenience. Speed is another thing, but you'd be surprised on how fast it really is.

BTW, IIRC WinClone doesn't work on SL, or at least this is true last I checked.

 

[PetPet]

FAT32 has a 4gig file limit.
Which means, it is unable to handle any file that is above 4gig.

 

[jaronliu]

Hi, thanks for the fast reponse....

But its really strange coz on my friend i7 mbp, I used the bootcamp assistant and the slider max size is 32GB. How did you actually get greater than 32GB on bootcamp assitant? Or do you think its better for me to partition in disk utlity and then reformat again when I am at windows 7 setup screen?

Regarding the setup, the reason i dont want to use an external hdd is coz of convenience. What do you think of this setup instead?

SSD - 100GB OSX and 60GB W7
HDD - 500GB HFS+ and then Superduper for OSX and acronis for W7 (should be able to read/write this drive since I will install macdrive) and also data drive

If the 500GB drive is gone, then at most I lose the OS drives infomation which contains no data and just have to reinstall the hard way. Data lost is not a problem since I will be backing up all data to the HP MSS via windows live sync on a real time basis

Any suggestions/comments?

Forget totally about the TM

1. I don't think FAT32 = 32GB limit. I've been Boot Camp-ing for a long while now and I've easily had partitions bigger than 32GB in FAT32 and formatted to NTFS later.

2. Time Machine backs up your data periodically, ie every few hours/day depending on how you adjust it (3rd party - TimeMachineEditor.app). Which means heavy disk usage. And to share TM backup with data partition on the same disk just sounds like a recipe for losing everything when the disk eventually fails.

If you want to simply recover your files, the free HFS Explorer will do the trick. I've made a portable copy of it myself that includes the Java so I can even carry it on a thumbdrive (small FAT32 partition loaded with HFS Explorer > run app > able to read bigger HFS+ partition)

3. This is what I recommend:

SSD - 100GB OSX, 60GB Windows
HDD - 500GB Data (HFS+)
Ext HDD - 100GB SuperDuper, 60GB Acronis/other Windows backup utility
Time Capsule - Optional

Don't rely on NTFS drivers for your data drive. If you ever need to access the disk on a Windows box, MacDrive or HFS Explorer.

TM works best wirelessly and on an external drive in terms of convenience. Speed is another thing, but you'd be surprised on how fast it really is.

BTW, IIRC WinClone doesn't work on SL, or at least this is true last I checked.

 

[iseelamepple]

First, use the BC Utility. I tried partitioning before and it didn't work out. BC Utility gave an error. Unless you want to go through the extra hassle + use rEFIt instead of the native bootloader, just stick to no-brainer BC Utility.

So I suppose your HP MSS is a Time Machine of sorts.

Personally I don't see any advantages of having Superduper on top of your MSS aside from having a full backup before every software update ie before upgrading from 10.6.3 to 10.6.4.

I would rather do full disk cloning to an image using something like CloneZilla. Having the entire OSX+Win in a restorable disk image serves for better and faster restoring. Downsides, however, include not being in a working environment while it's backing up (it's a linux bootdisc) and the lack of incremental update.

Not sure if Acronis addresses those shortfalls of CloneZilla.

 

[jaronliu]

Hi... the HP MSS is backing only data...

I dont plan to bakcup the superduper to my hp mss coz 1) takes too long if it updates daily, 2) not sure if win live sync support such huge file.

So the superduper/acronis is for OS and the HP MSS is for Data

So in any case, the best thing to do is HFS+ for the 500GB right?

First, use the BC Utility. I tried partitioning before and it didn't work out. BC Utility gave an error. Unless you want to go through the extra hassle + use rEFIt instead of the native bootloader, just stick to no-brainer BC Utility.

So I suppose your HP MSS is a Time Machine of sorts.

Personally I don't see any advantages of having Superduper on top of your MSS aside from having a full backup before every software update ie before upgrading from 10.6.3 to 10.6.4.

I would rather do full disk cloning to an image using something like CloneZilla. Having the entire OSX+Win in a restorable disk image serves for better and faster restoring. Downsides, however, include not being in a working environment while it's backing up (it's a linux bootdisc) and the lack of incremental update.

Not sure if Acronis addresses those shortfalls of CloneZilla.

 

[iseelamepple]

Yup. You can also do 3 partitions - data, HFS+, NTFS. Your choice.

 

[xgwei]

hi all, very newbie question. how do i clear the desktop icons after i downloaded a program? i dragged it to the applications folder but the icon is still at the desktop. thanks alot

 

[Zahnie]

Hi, just got my imac, it comes with 2x2gb ddr 3 1333. I haf 2x 1gb ddr3 1066 from my previous macbook, can I put the ram into my imac? Izzit recommended to put?

 

[PsYkOoOoO]

It's definitely not recommended to mix different RAMS in the same machine.

 

[meggidodimus]

hi guys, got a qn to ask. my sister bought a macbook, while i have a macbook pro and the apple remote. however the macbook does not have an IR receiver, so is there any way i can make it work for her macbook?

 

[wunderoy]

hi, when i on my iMac there is a very weird sound and i noticed it is the sound of air coming out from the back of the iMac. Anyone knows why and how to off the air coming out ?? thks

 

[PetPet]

hi guys, got a qn to ask. my sister bought a macbook, while i have a macbook pro and the apple remote. however the macbook does not have an IR receiver, so is there any way i can make it work for her macbook?

No.
if you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch you can use them as a 'remote' by using the remote app.