File System Formats - LaCie 2big User Manual

LaCie 2big
User Manual

5.2. File System Formats

5.2.1. Mac Users
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The LaCie 2big Dual comes preformatted in NTFS
(Windows file system). You will need to reformat your
drive to HFS+ for use with Mac OS.
The LaCie 2big Triple comes preformatted in HFS+,
optimized for use with Mac OS. For use with both Mac
and PC, you will need to reformat to FAT 32.
Mac OS 10.x Users:
You may customize the drive by reformatting and/or
partitioning the drive with separate file system formats.
For optimal performance in Mac OS environments, for-
mat and partition the drive as one large Mac OS Ex-
tended volume.
Mac OS Extended (HFS+)
Mac OS Extended refers to the file system used by
Mac OS 8.1 and later. HFS+ represents an optimization
of the older HFS file system by using hard disk space
more efficiently. With HFS+, you are no longer limited
by block size.
MS-DOS File System (FAT 32)
This is the Microsoft file system, more typically
known as FAT 32. This is the file system to use if you
are going to be using your LaCie Hard Drive between
Macs and Windows operating systems.
Capacity and File Formats
If you will be sharing
ImpOrTANT INfO:
the hard drive between Mac and Windows oper-
ating environments, you will want to follow these
guidelines:
Mac OS X prefers that all partitions be the same
format, therefore only the first FAT 32 partition is
guaranteed to mount.
Mac OS 10.2.x
• Works reliably with FAT 32 partitions less
than 128GB
• Does not mount FAT 32 partitions greater
than 128GB
Mac OS 10.3.x
• Mounts any FAT 32 drive of any size
• Mounts NTFS volumes as READ-only
TeChNICAl NOTe: Mac OS 10.3.x Users
- Mac OS Extended ( Journaled) Under Panther,
Apple introduced journaling to the Mac OS Ex-
tended file system, which helps protect the file
systems on Mac OS volumes. When journaling
is enabled, file system transactions are maintained
and recorded continuously in a separate file, called
a journal. In the event of an unplanned shutdown,
the OS uses the journal to restore the file system.
Journaling is also backward compatible, and all vol-
umes with journaling enabled can be fully used by
computers not running Mac OS 10.3.x. For more
information, please visit Apple's Web site.
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