External H/D format on a MAC

OK maybe I should have been more confident. I just followed the erase in Disc utility, and If I had looked further I would have seen I could choose the format type.
At least the PCs can now see the drive.

Indeed, disk utility will do all this.

better to use NTFS format. FAT32 is horribly horrible, and vastly less reliable. Something to think about if you are using it for backups...

re:NTFS
The MAC won't use it if I need it to will it?

You need a tool on the mac to write the NTFS Format. Without it you can only see the NTFS HDs, can read from them but can not write on them. One possible tool comes from Paragon. I think it came with an issue of Macworld as a free tool, otherwise see the website of Paragon and check the latest version, it is somewhat around 30 Euro.

But the use of FAT32 should work as well. At least if you don´t copy a lot of small files on t.

Is there a way of having the H/D partitioned some for MAC the rest for PC NTFS?

That should work. Just split the HD, but still (if you want to excange Data from the one world to the other) you need something like paragon to write on the WIN Partition.

For a backup resource you need to keep it as simple as possible. Do not rely on special programs to enable it to be read - because there is a very good chance that when you need to recover from the drive you will have lost/forgotten etc that you need to use a special program etc. By definition you will have to do the recovery in an unplanned time frame and with the feeling of panic settling in on you as you fear that you have lost all those valuable pictures of your sacred family event.

If its just for backing up I would suggest just use it for the PC. You have the TC for the mac. I have a 500g connected to my extreme base station and 3 macs, and since april I still have 325gigs left. I really is not an issue.