GoFlex, GoFlex Desk, GoFlex Pro, GoFlex Slim, & GoFlex Turbo

[manelgm]

Hi,

I bought a 500gb portble freeagent goflex and have used it with my PC with no problem.  However, at school, I have to work on a Mac and I noticed I couldn't write on the disk.  I tried to install the paragon thing, but realized that it had to go on the Mac, not on my drive.  Obviously, I cannot install on this public computer and the technician says I have to format my drive.

Is this really how it is supposed to work?  Say I did manage to convince the guy to install the driver on this one Mac, if everytime I use a new public Mac (very plausable) I can't use my hard drive, that's not a very practical "compatible with PC and Mac" if you ask me...

Is there a solution to my problem or do I need format it for Mac?

I would appreciate a speedy response, I would need to have this whole thing done by Friday.

Thank you.

[AlanM]

Here you go - http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/216951en

[camaro93]

That isn't going to help him. He will still need to install the driver on EVERY Mac he uses, which isn't very practical. I am running into the exact same problem which is why I'm trying to reformat my harddrive to only work with Macs and I will buy a separate USB flash drive for when I need to use a PC.

[elmacke]

I'm having a very similar problem, and you moderators keep posting the same link on every thread and it's NOT helpful!  This product should not be advertised as Mac & PC compatible--it can be one or the other, but it's very terrible to use for both, and the support for that sucks.

[AlanM]

Well, camaro93 had a decent workaround.

Look, the problem here is not Seagate but the chasm between Mac and Windows.  Any and every hard drive will have the same problem; Seagate is just trying to do something to help. If the help doesn't quite get it done perfectly in every single situation, it's not very fair to say that it should not be advertised as Mac and PC compatible.  After all, it mostly is, but there are limitations.  If Ford advertises a particular car as 28 mpg mileage and you buy one but you determine after your 2nd tank of gas that it actually got 27 mpg for you, would you make the same criticism? I would suggest this is not fair.

Another idea is to partition it creatively, like this:

http://forums.seagate.com/t5/GoFlex-GoFlex-Desk-GoFlex-Pro/Partioning-Question-for-use-with-Mac-Time...

[bunnybun]

just a quick reply to the last post. (even though I know it is years old)

I don't think it is unfair at all to say that there isn't a problem with the seagate product.  I have been up and down the community forums and the exact same problem has been happening (for years apperantly) and nothing seems to be done about it.  Why is it that nothing has been done about this.  

This product is advertised as easy, and it is everything but!  

We should be able to connect it to any computer (like every other storage drive and millions of others have ever had) and be able to share files easily.

This is ridiculous and every time we ask for help we get taken to the same solution that seems to not be helping at all!

And the only other solution is to spend another 50+ dollars on a separate drive to use for each type of computer!?  Now that is impractical!

Please stop talking to us in the forums like we're not making sense and talk to us like people.  If we ask for help quite sending us to the same spot where nothing gets fixed and actually listen to our problems.  I am very very disappointed in this product and even more disappointed in the help that we should be getting.

[AlanM]

bunnybun,

Speaking of "unfair", I've been trying to help you out.  Is this the type of appreciation you generally show to people who try to help?

Also, you need to understand that it's typically good forum conduct to read over what has gone before, rather than complaining when people try to link you to where the exact same discussion has already been had. 

What is your precise, specific complaint about these drives?  Is it that the NTFS driver has to be installed on each Mac? Maybe you'd like to suggest a better solution.  I'm sure Bill Gates and Steve Jobs will be interested in anything you can figure out that will involve bridging the often-kinda-bitter gap between Mac and Windows.

[rowlandville]

I am going to state my problem simply:

I am going to burn a collection of CDs into the GoFlex from my MAC.  Once they are burned in, I want to be able to access the songs at my wife's PC and then be able to add songs to the collection from the PC.

The drive must be writable from both platforms.

Just now, I followed Seagate's directions exactly as directed to allow writing to the drive from both MACs and PCs.  However, now I can't create any folders or even moves files to the GoFlex (using the MAC, which is where I have had the drive since the moment it came out of the box). 

Is there a way to 1) make this drive writable from the MAC now and then 2) later from the PC? 

Ideas?  (The sooner the better.  This was my weekend project.)

Thanks.

[rowlandville]

I am going to burn a collection of CDs into the GoFlex from my MAC.  Once they are burned in, I want to be able to access the songs at my wife's PC and then be able to add songs to the collection from the PC.

The drive must be writable from both platforms.

Just now, I followed Seagate's directions exactly as directed to allow writing to the drive from both MACs and PCs.  However, now I can't create any folders or even moves files to the GoFlex (using the MAC, which is where I have had the drive since the moment it came out of the box). 

Is there a way to 1) make this drive writable from the MAC now and then 2) later from the PC? 

Ideas?  (The sooner the better.  This was my weekend project.)

Thanks.

[AlanM]

The way it is supposed to work is that you format it on PC and then connect the drive to the Mac and then run the NTFS driver on the Mac.

[elibelli]

i bought my 1TB goflex with the intention of using it between mac and windows

i installed the software as per the seagate website and for the first few weeks i was able to interchange theHD between the two platforms

BUT

recently i have found that it is no longer read and writable on my mac (it is just readable)

is it somehow possible for me to change it back to read and write??

i REALLY need access to write on mac

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!