Transfer files from HFS+ to EXFAT

[Boxer757]

Hello,

I have a Macbook Pro and just got a new PC to use at home. I transferred photos from an external HFS+ HDD (HDD1) to an external EXFAT HDD (HDD2). The idea is to reformat HDD1 as NTFS, shuck it, and place it into the PC. However there are some discrepancies between the two drives that are giving me pause.

Example:
Folder A on HDD1: 162GB with 22,352 files
Folder A on HDD2: 170.38GB with 18,941 files

The original HFS+ drive has 15% less files yet has 5% less storage. I've been searching like crazy to see if this is normal but I can't find any resources. There are hundreds of thousands of files in all and so it feels impossible to check the integrity of the transfer manual. Can anyone provide some guidance?

Thank you!

 

[BrianBaughn]

I don't know if there's a reason for this that's associated with the ExFat format.

There's an application in the App Store called "Compare Folders" and you might give that a shot...but I can't vouch for its reliability or if it will even work with ExFat.

You might give the 30 day trial of Carbon Copy Cloner a try. Very reliable and will report issues that arise during the copying process.

 

[Boxer757]

I don't know if there's a reason for this that's associated with the ExFat format.

There's an application in the App Store called "Compare Folders" and you might give that a shot...but I can't vouch for its reliability or if it will even work with ExFat.

You might give the 30 day trial of Carbon Copy Cloner a try. Very reliable and will report issues that arise during the copying process.

Thanks, Brian. I downloaded Compare Folders and it looks like there are a bunch of "._filename" files on the EXFAT drive. They are very small (a few kilobytes) but I'm thinking they could be the culprit along with .DS_Store files. I've been doing some research and it seems the ._ files are a "resource fork" that OS X uses to store some metadata that cannot be written within the original file when transferring from HFS/+ to another format such as FAT32, EXFAT or NTFS. Still trying to determine if it is OK to delete these files. Some resources I have found say not to touch them as they could include important metadata. Others seem to think it doesn't matter. I am now slightly less confused, though still at a loss as how to proceed. I feel more confident that all of the files I need transferred, but I would like to delete all of the ._ files and other hidden files that seemingly have no use in windows if I can. I suppose the safest play may be to just leave them but if I am never going to need them as I will never use this drive with a mac again, then I am tempted to clean up the drive and delete them.