General discussion for aviators





Flash Drives back and forth PC to Macs Question

I notice that some of my flash drives are FAT16 and some are FAT32.
Their general use is on the IMac, but every now and then I need to carry
a file on over to the PC. I’m not having trouble doing this. My question
  concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using FAT16 over 32
or visa versa?
Also, I’m getting a lot of feedback from various sources that are
telling me not to use the formatting utility on the Mac but rather to
reformat the flash drives on the PC for a "better" format if needed.
Any validity to this at all? I think I noticed that the Mac disk utility
for the MS DOS format is a FAT16 and the PC choice is FAT32 for the
Flash drive format. Did I remember this right and is this perhaps the
reason for the confusion??
Many thanks


Dudley Henriques

posted by admin in Uncategorized and have Comments (12)






12 Responses to “Flash Drives back and forth PC to Macs Question”

  1. admin says:

    Dudley Henriques wrote:
    > I notice that some of my flash drives are FAT16 and some are FAT32.
    > Their general use is on the IMac, but every now and then I need to carry
    > a file on over to the PC. I’m not having trouble doing this. My question
    >  concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using FAT16 over 32
    > or visa versa?
    > Also, I’m getting a lot of feedback from various sources that are
    > telling me not to use the formatting utility on the Mac but rather to
    > reformat the flash drives on the PC for a "better" format if needed.
    > Any validity to this at all? I think I noticed that the Mac disk utility
    > for the MS DOS format is a FAT16 and the PC choice is FAT32 for the
    > Flash drive format. Did I remember this right and is this perhaps the
    > reason for the confusion??
    > Many thanks

    Disregard this post please. Old people making mistakes again :-) )
    This should have gone to the Mac forum!!! Ask YOU characters about a
    flash drive and I’ll get answers telling me not to flash anyone while
    driving :-) )))
    Dudley


    Dudley Henriques

  2. admin says:

    Dudley Henriques <dhenriq…@rcn.com> wrote in news:Y6-
    dnWh4PokZ04TanZ2dnUVZ_h7in…@rcn.net:

    > Disregard this post please. Old people making mistakes again :-) )
    > This should have gone to the Mac forum!!! Ask YOU characters about a
    > flash drive and I’ll get answers telling me not to flash anyone while
    > driving :-) )))

    Are you kidding? I bet half of the pilots on this newsgroup are IT people! I
    figured that’s why you asked it here!

    The bigger problem you’ll have is that the inevitable direction of the thread
    will be an argument between those who will tell you to get rid of the Mac,
    vs. those who tell you to get rid of the PC, with an independent party who
    tells you it doesn’t matter which you have as long as they are both running
    Linux.

    Of course, before long, the thread will evolve into Mac vs. PC insults, which
    will eventually transform into High-Wing/Low Wing mud-slinging (after all,
    anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    Fortunately, while that puts the thread back on topic, it won’t actually
    provide you with any useful answers to your question.

    So it’s probably best suited for the Mac forum after all. At least that way
    you won’t get the high-wing insults…

  3. admin says:

    Judah <ju…@nospam.net> wrote:
    > Of course, before long, the thread will evolve into Mac vs. PC insults, which
    > will eventually transform into High-Wing/Low Wing mud-slinging (after all,
    > anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    Shirl: Low-Wing/Mac (since 1984)

  4. admin says:

    In article <Xns99CEDC6E632C7Judahnospam…@69.28.186.158>,

     Judah <ju…@nospam.net> wrote:
    >  (after all,
    > anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    um, no.  I have a Cherokee.

    And to DH:  If you aren’t having any trouble using the stick to
    transfer files, I suggest you don’t try fixing it.  fwiw – I don’t
    remember ever having to format a flash drive and I’ve used
    a bunch of them to transfer files back and forth

    btw – the two stick I have now (a 256kb and a 1 gb) are both FAT-16
    according to disk utility.


    Bob Noel
    (goodness, please trim replies!!!)

  5. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    Bob Noel wrote:
    > In article <Xns99CEDC6E632C7Judahnospam…@69.28.186.158>,
    >  Judah <ju…@nospam.net> wrote:

    >>  (after all,
    >> anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    > um, no.  I have a Cherokee.

    > And to DH:  If you aren’t having any trouble using the stick to
    > transfer files, I suggest you don’t try fixing it.  fwiw – I don’t
    > remember ever having to format a flash drive and I’ve used
    > a bunch of them to transfer files back and forth

    > btw – the two stick I have now (a 256kb and a 1 gb) are both FAT-16
    > according to disk utility.

    Thank you. I appreciate the tip.


    Dudley Henriques

  6. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    Judah wrote:
    > Dudley Henriques <dhenriq…@rcn.com> wrote in news:Y6-
    > dnWh4PokZ04TanZ2dnUVZ_h7in…@rcn.net:

    >> Disregard this post please. Old people making mistakes again :-) )
    >> This should have gone to the Mac forum!!! Ask YOU characters about a
    >> flash drive and I’ll get answers telling me not to flash anyone while
    >> driving :-) )))

    > Are you kidding? I bet half of the pilots on this newsgroup are IT people! I
    > figured that’s why you asked it here!

    > The bigger problem you’ll have is that the inevitable direction of the thread
    > will be an argument between those who will tell you to get rid of the Mac,
    > vs. those who tell you to get rid of the PC, with an independent party who
    > tells you it doesn’t matter which you have as long as they are both running
    > Linux.

    > Of course, before long, the thread will evolve into Mac vs. PC insults, which
    > will eventually transform into High-Wing/Low Wing mud-slinging (after all,
    > anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    > Fortunately, while that puts the thread back on topic, it won’t actually
    > provide you with any useful answers to your question.

    > So it’s probably best suited for the Mac forum after all. At least that way
    > you won’t get the high-wing insults…

    Excellent synapses on Usenet using minimum bandwidth as well :-) )


    Dudley Henriques

  7. admin says:

    Dudley Henriques wrote:
    > My question
    >  concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using FAT16 over 32
    > or visa versa?

    FAT16:

    Max total volume size: 2GB
    Number of files: 65,517
    Larger allocation unit size (more "waste" for files that don’t take up
    full allocation units).

    FAT32:

    Max volume size: 8TB
    Number of files: 268,435,437
    Smaller allocation unit size

    That’s it, really. Unless these memory sticks are very large (or you
    have an outrageous number of files on them) either file system will work
    just fine (as both computers are equally capable of dealing with them).
    I’d pick FAT32 if given the choice, and I think the Mac paranoia is
    probably just because Apple hasn’t dealt with the FAT system for quite
    as long as PC OS’ have (and so might have options for FAT32 formatting
    that are unavailable to the Mac).

    TheSmokingGnu

  8. admin says:

    ("Dudley Henriques" wrote)

    >> I notice that some of my flash drives are FAT16 and some are FAT32. Their
    >> general use is on the IMac, but every now and then I need to carry a file
    >> on over to the PC. I’m not having trouble doing this. My question
    >> concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using FAT16 over 32 or
    >> visa versa?

    I had an odd screen pop up when I tried using a Western Digital (external)
    120 G Hard Drive, as a go between, for an XP to Vista "Easy Transfer" files
    & settings conversion.

    Vista did not like the FAT 32 format of the WD Hard Drive. The "Easy
    Transfer" software was installed on both pc’s. Anyway, I finally got
    frustrated and bought the kit, with (special) cable, instead.

    Montblack
    <http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/M-Ryerson/Expose-Yourself-to-Art-Pri…>
    Flash answer

  9. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    Montblack wrote:
    > ("Dudley Henriques" wrote)
    >>> I notice that some of my flash drives are FAT16 and some are FAT32. Their
    >>> general use is on the IMac, but every now and then I need to carry a file
    >>> on over to the PC. I’m not having trouble doing this. My question
    >>> concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using FAT16 over 32 or
    >>> visa versa?

    > I had an odd screen pop up when I tried using a Western Digital (external)
    > 120 G Hard Drive, as a go between, for an XP to Vista "Easy Transfer" files
    > & settings conversion.

    > Vista did not like the FAT 32 format of the WD Hard Drive. The "Easy
    > Transfer" software was installed on both pc’s. Anyway, I finally got
    > frustrated and bought the kit, with (special) cable, instead.

    > Montblack
    > <http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/M-Ryerson/Expose-Yourself-to-Art-Pri…>
    > Flash answer

    Thanks much. Appreciate it.


    Dudley Henriques

  10. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    TheSmokingGnu wrote:
    > Dudley Henriques wrote:
    >> My question  concerns whether or not there is any advantage in using
    >> FAT16 over 32 or visa versa?

    > FAT16:

    > Max total volume size: 2GB
    > Number of files: 65,517
    > Larger allocation unit size (more "waste" for files that don’t take up
    > full allocation units).

    > FAT32:

    > Max volume size: 8TB
    > Number of files: 268,435,437
    > Smaller allocation unit size

    > That’s it, really. Unless these memory sticks are very large (or you
    > have an outrageous number of files on them) either file system will work
    > just fine (as both computers are equally capable of dealing with them).
    > I’d pick FAT32 if given the choice, and I think the Mac paranoia is
    > probably just because Apple hasn’t dealt with the FAT system for quite
    > as long as PC OS’ have (and so might have options for FAT32 formatting
    > that are unavailable to the Mac).

    > TheSmokingGnu

    Great data. Thanks.


    Dudley Henriques

  11. admin says:

    On Oct 19, 8:58 pm, Bob Noel <ihatessppa…@netscape.com.invalid>
    wrote:

    > In article <Xns99CEDC6E632C7Judahnospam…@69.28.186.158>,

    >  Judah <ju…@nospam.net> wrote:
    > >  (after all,
    > > anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    > um, no.  I have a Cherokee.

    > Bob Noel
    > (goodness, please trim replies!!!)

    Low-wing Mac heathen!  Hi-wing Windows is the one true way to fly-
    compute.  All else is madness…

  12. admin says:

    Shirl wrote:
    > Judah <ju…@nospam.net> wrote:
    >> Of course, before long, the thread will evolve into Mac vs. PC insults, which
    >> will eventually transform into High-Wing/Low Wing mud-slinging (after all,
    >> anyone who uses a Mac must fly a High-Wing plane, right?).

    > Shirl: Low-Wing/Mac (since 1984)

    No, Mac = low-wing, PC = high-wing, just as MS has dominant share of the
       market for PCs, Cessna owns the light airplane market with high-wing
    aircraft.  :-)

    Matt







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