Transfering Files from Mac to PCs

[blips]

For all that have both:

I would like to know the "cheapest" way to transfer files from my iMac to my Win 2k. How does everyone do it?

I used two shareware programs. CrushFTP for an FTP server on my Win 2k machine and Fetch 4.0 client on the Mac. My problem is that it won't transfer a file over 2.1GB properly. I don't want to pay the shareware fee until I figure out which one has the problem. The server or the client. Or is there a general FTP limitation on file size?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: blips on 2001-07-09 09:12:21 ]</font>

[ironwood321]

There are two ways of doing this.
Way one because you are running windows 2000 get a network card for your mac and PC. Make sure your 2000 machine formated to NTFS on at least one partition. Install apple servces on your 2000 machine and configure your mac appropiately and you should be able to setup and view shares on your mac.

To install Apple services, right click on Network neighbourhood enter the service menu and install them. I think this can also work with the workstation version of 2000 as well as server.

If you are going via the file transfer way and have a mac device which is readable on the PC use the program HFV Explorer on the PC to look at the fileingsystem and copy the file off.

The 2GB is a limit with a FAT32 disk you can only transfer files over this if you either split them or install NTFS filingsystem.

You can use netscape on your mac to upload files to your PC. GuildFTPd FTP servers freeware for the PC. If you get hold of Dave which is the macintosh samba client/server you can use this to talk to the PC as well.

[blips]

ironwood321,

I checked my win2k box and the disk is one partition and is NTFS. So I wonder what the problem is.

I tried Dave and using FTP between both but I still cannot beat the 2GB barrier.

I will try creating a second NTFS partition and see how that works.

Any other ideas?

[ironwood321]

I'm surprised DAVE (Samba) has this problem. I've just checked and DAVE does have a 2GB limit which will be addressed later.

I have two things you can try.

Right click on network neighbour hood, and Add Services for Apple Macintosh. This might only work on the Server version of 2000. I have a word document with more information I'll have to send you if you have this option. it has some information on configuring open transport on the Mac. Click on the email icon at the side of my name and send me your email address. ironwood123@icqmail.com

Try to find FetchFTP for the Macintosh and try that. GuidFTPd a nice free ftp server for the PC http://www.tucows.com/preview/195555.html

I have some information on setting up ftp service on an iMac if this is the machine you are using.

Another option I think should be tried at the last resort is a file splitting util for the Mac.

What iMac are you running and software and what error messages are you receiving

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ironwood321 on 2001-08-02 04:56:59 ]</font>

[blips]

Sorry about my last hasty and uneducated post. I should have done more research before I posted it.

#1 I found out that Services for Apple Macintosh is only on Win 2k Sever and not Professional.

#2 I tried Dave's demo version. After playing with the demo version I found on Samba's website where Dave hs a 2GB limit. I e-mailed Samba to see if it is going to be fixed in the next release. Their reply was:

This issue is being addressed in the upcoming version of DAVE.

DAVE For Mac OS X Is Available For Free! Go To http://www.thursby.com/support/dave3x.html

I don't have OS X to test it. Now there is another forum were one guy was testing this free version of Dave. He created a 3GB file and it would not transfer.

#3 I have tried setting up a FTP server on Win2k and using fetch on the Mac it doesn't work. I have tried two different servers on the Win2k side. And two different clients on the Mac side. There is not one combination that works for files bigger than 2GB.

#4 I have tried setting up personal web sharing on the Mac and downloading a file thourgh explorer on the PC. That doesn't work. 2GB limit again.

#5 I sent an e-mail to Connetix Double Talk (competitor to DAVE). I'm waiting for a reply but I'm not hopeful. They do not offer a demo version.

#6 I tried a demo version of PCmacLan which goes on the PC side. I had high hopes that it would work because in the faq on their web site it states:

Q: Will PC MACLAN for Windows NT/2000 support large drives over eight gigabytes?
A: Yes, PC MACLAN is AFP 2.2 compliant which allows Macs with OS 8.5.1 (and/or the latest AppleShare Client installed)to see drives larger than eight gigabytes on the PC. The PC can view drives larger than eight gigabytes on Mac OS 9 systems or AppleShare IP 6.0 (or higher)servers.

But once again for files smaller than 2GB no problem and files larger than 2GB don't transfer.

I sent an e-mail to their tech support and am waiting a reply.


All in all I think the only course I have left is put an FTP sever on the Mac and the client on the PC. But I think that will have the same result.

Other than that I'm stuck doing files smaller than 2GB.

I have a 400mHz iMac with 384MB of Ram and Mac OS 9.1.

If I used a file splitting utility on the Mac I wouldn't be able to put them together again on the PC, would I?

What are you using Win 2k server? Or don't you tranfer files this big?

I thank you very much for making an effort to help me.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: blips on 2001-08-02 08:11:49 ]</font>

[blips]

#5 The e-mail I received from Connectix was this:

Thank you for contacting Connectix Corporation.

The limit is built into Mac OS, if you are running Mac OS 8.x or ealier, yes the limit is 2GB

if you are running Mac OS 9.x the limit is 127GB.

Thanks,
Julio Diaz

Tracking Number: CSXXXXX
Agent: Julio Diaz

IMPORTANT: Do not change the Subject line when replying to this email. Also make sure to include the Agent and Tracking Number in the body of your email.
***
I'm intrested in DoubleTalk but I have one question. What is the largest file I can transfer between my Mac and PC? Everyone's barrier seems to be 2GB. Does DoubleTalk also have a 2GB limit on the file size that it can transfer?

[ironwood321]

Its seems after looking around that a Macintosh has only been capable of supporting files larger that 2GB since OS 9.1 and above.

That also could mean that every file transfer program ever written for the Mac therefore has this limitation and have not been updated this might be also related to Mac binary or binhex files in some way due to the way files have to be transferred.

The windows NT4 server in use at work and is used to transfer video projects? It provides apple servcie for the mac? Why are you transfering a project so big? For backup? Why not backup to dat tape on the mac? Can you not convert down to another standard assuming the projects finished?

Upgrade your software if you can i.e. open transport / tcp.ip /Apple share etc

There is also the same problem related to a virus killer called virex it interferes with files over 2GB in transfer.

The only way around it I see is possibly getting a ftpserver program for the Mac which was written after or with OS9.1 in mind.

Splitting files I have tracked down a Mac version of rar (MacRAR) this can on the Pc spilt/squash files into predetermined chunks so I assume it will also do the same on the Mac. http://macrar.free.fr/
Look for the PC version at http://www.download.com

Pity you don't have access to a win2k or nt4 server as Apple services for NT use Apple Share so a file might transfer assuming everything's up-to-date.

Have you used your web browser to transfer the file to the Mac? ftp://server address or ftp://user@server or ftp://passwrd:user@server

Disable your virus killer or anything that might be checking files.

The only other method I could think of was direct transfer from device to device but this might have its limitations

This will be an interesting problem to solve, because I know of people who do a lot of video work and many times there projects exceed many gigs and they may want to transfer them.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ironwood321 on 2001-08-02 14:55:32 ]</font>

[blips]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-02 14:40:22, ironwood321 wrote:
Its seems after looking around that a Macintosh has only been capable of supporting files larger that 2GB since OS 9.1 and above.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
I'm using OS9.1 so I will try to squeeze a guarentee out of Connectix (See my post above) that it will work before I buy.

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
Upgrade your software if you can i.e. open transport / tcp.ip etc
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm at OS 9.1. I won't do Mac OS X unless they come out with a fix for the 2GB problem (the rumor has it 10.1 will be able to share files with PCs).

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
There is also the same problem related to a virus killer called virex it interferes with files over 2GB in transfer.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
I live on the edge. I don't have any virus programs.




<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
Have you used your web browser to transfer the file to the Mac? </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
See #4 in my previous post

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
This will be an interesting problem to solve, because I know of people who do a lot of video work and many times there projects exceed many megs and they may want to transfer them.</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
If I get a money back guarentee from Conectix I will buy Doubletalk and let you know.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: blips on 2001-08-02 15:01:23 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: blips on 2001-08-02 15:02:27 ]</font>

[ironwood321]

WinRAR supports files and archives up to 8,589 BILLION GIGABYTES in size The number of
archived files is, for all practical purposes, unlimited.

By update I mean go to apple home page enter the update section and download the patches and update for you system which are available scince OS 9.1 ie appleshare /opentransport / mactcp etc

Why are you transfering a project so big? For backup? Why not backup to dat tape on the mac? Can you not convert down to another standard assuming the projects finished?

I know why you are having problems with TCP its related to a thing called a sequence number ie the way packets are numbered when they are sent to you. Because of 2GB and 2^32 seqence numbers, and your data size you could run out of numbers approaching 2GB. In reality after the number reaches its maximum it is supposed to loop back round to 0 again but for some reason ie bad client / server programming or bad stack implementation it does not. I have a solution.

Setup you server / client FTP as you did previously. But this time GET a tool which resumes files ie GETRIGHT on PC or equivalent on the mac. Upload or download your file to your destination using this tool. Before the file reaches 2GB terminate your upload. Then resume your upload. This should reset the sequence number and resume from the last point.

I belive apple might have sorted this problem out using AppleShare / IP but I can easily see nobody sorting this out with TCP / IP as its a well established protocol many years old.

You probally could use UDP / IP but this has no sequence numbers so is considered unreliable or another protocol but i've not seen any written transfer util using other protocols.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ironwood321 on 2001-08-03 01:53:04 ]</font>