Can't copy folders on external drives

I just can't figure this out.  I have several external drives I use to edit video.  Most are 1TB drives, and I recently got a couple 3TB drives I was hoping to use to consolodate my scratch drives and reorganize my footage, etc.
Ideally, I'd like to just be able to drag the entire contents of the smaller drive over to the bigger one, but I can't, because I keep getting error messages.  Sometimes it's "Cannot complete, [file name] is in use" or I get an "error -50" code.
Before I began the copy, I formatted the destination drive in Mac OS Extended (journaled), and zeroed out the data to protect against bad sectors.  I've scanned the drives since to determine if there are any verification issues (no), and I've tried turning off icon preview and the preview pane, none of it solves the problem.  What the eff is going on here??
Thanks,
~Trav
(I'm using all firewire800 drives.  Currently several LaCie and Western Digital drives, but only trying to copy one at a time)

For the file in use message, open Terminal and try
lsof -l +L -R -V | grep <path to volume you want to search>
or
sudo lsof -l +L -R -V | grep <"path to volume you want to search">
No quotes needed if there are no spaces in the volume name.
You'll have to do some scrolling through the output, but you might find the process or file that's open and quit it.

Similar Messages

  • Can't copy applications to external drive

    I am trying to manually back up my applications folder. Time Machine is also doing it just fine, but I'm paranoid. So I am just trying to copy all the files to my external USB drive - recently formatted with macos journalled.
    I get the message
    The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access "Charles"
    or such - various applications won't copy, and it blocks the whole process and stops, as opposed to skipping these files and copying the rest.
    I have verified and repaired disk permissions on both disks.
    I am logged on as my own account with administrative rights, and it's already prompted me to authenticate in order to copy other applications.

    Hi. Thanks for the reply. Does Time Machine by default exclude System and Applications Folder (I didn't click any option to exclude those I remembered)? How do I not exclude the Applications folder and System files this time around?
    In Time-Travel view when I point it to the Applications folder, it switches to the Volumes folder and the Restore is dimmed. I wonder if it's incompatible because it's not Apple's Time Machine or it's a bug with Moutain Lion (the drive is backing up the new clean install of Mountain Lion now but when I test it, use Migration Assistant if I need to restore things again, it still doesn't see it as a Time Machine backup).
    What could be the solution? Should I reinstall my applications again (I guess that's a blessing in disguise, now I can declutter)?
    Thank you.

  • Can I copy folders or nested folders from a PC to a Mac?

    can I copy folders or nested folders from a PC to a Mac?

    Sure you can. I have folders on my Mac from my PCs and folder from my Mac backed up on my PCs. In fact I have the complete drive from my Mac, including every file and folder (even the OS files and folders) stored on a couple of my PCs and external drives.
    It is called Networking.

  • Using an external drive with shared files (iPhoto, iTunes), attached to a Time Capsule, can the contents of the external drive be backed-up to the internal Time Capsule drive? Perhaps a RAID1 mirror to a partition?

    Using an external drive with shared files (iPhoto, iTunes), attached to a Time Capsule, can the contents of the external drive be backed-up to the internal Time Capsule drive? Perhaps a RAID1 mirror to a partitioned Time Capsule? I understand that the Time Machine (software) cannot backup a networked drive (the external) and that Time Capsule (the router/wireless hard drive) does not have its own backup software... so it won't backup the connected drive. What I would like is an alternate solution for having an automated backup of a networked drive. A 2TB Time Capsule has more than enough space for Time Machine backups of my family of Macbooks, so I had hoped to mirror a 500GB external drive (with shared media files) to a portion of the Time Capsule internal hard drive. I assume this would require a partition of the Time Capsule drive. If not, would the sparse file from the various computers being backed up need to be copied to the external drive as part of the RAID1 setup? This seems like overkill for the Time Machine backup, but it would cover the media files.  

    The complexity with this idea is the software has to run from a Mac computer on your network.. so you need a Mac turned on, probably most of the day.
    It isn't possible to partition the TC although you can create a image area.
    The software would have to copy the material, that means all files to be copied, go from USB drive, back to the Mac, then back to the TC, and written to the drive. In other words you have just added Network congestion, although a proper incremental backup type software will not actually use a lot of capacity.
    Finally it will be slow.. network drives are slower than internal drives. Well USB connected drive is much slower than the same drive connected directly to the computer.. and if the drive is connected directly to a computer it can be shared with the network.
    http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/airport-extreme-5th-gen-and-time-capsule-4th- gen-review-faster-wifi-/4
    Read carefully the speed of the USB drive plugged into the TC.

  • Can I use a 2tb external drive with Time Machine to backup my Mac Mini (256gbSSD + 2tbHDD)?

    Can I use a 2tb external drive with Time Machine to backup what I have on my Mac Mini?
    My Mac Mini has one 256 SSD and one 2tb HDD. I want to use Time Machine to do a backup of everything.
    Would an external 2tb My Passport Drive by Western Digital work for the backup?
    It seems like it would not work because the total storage on the Mac Mini is 2304 gigabytes (SSD + HDD).
    And the external Western Digital drive is only 2048 in gigabytes versus 2304 gigabytes the Mac Mini has.

    No. A Time Machine backup drive should have at least twice the capacity of the drive it backs up. You would need at least a 4 TB backup drive for Time Machine.
    Might I suggest as an alternative that you not use Time Machine but a third-party backup utility that simply overwrites older files with new ones such that the backup drive can be the same capacity as the drive backed up.
    Suggested Backup Software
      1. Carbon Copy Cloner
      2. Get Backup
      3. Deja Vu
      4. SuperDuper!
      5. Synk Pro
      6. Tri-Backup
    Others may be found at MacUpdate.
    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

  • Can I boot from an external drive with a "Virtual CD"

    I just purchased a Hitachi LifeStudio external hard drive for use as my Time Machine backup. When I plugged it in to my MacBook running 10.6.4, I realized that it had one of those "Virtual CDs" that contained the manufacturers crapware, similar to Western Digital's MyWare or whatever its called. It shows up in disk utility as an actual separate disk and not just another partition that can be wiped.
    I reformatted the drive using GUID and and created 3 HFS+ Journaled partitions. One was going to be for the 10.6 installer, one for the 10.6 boot, and one for my time machine backup. I restored a 10.6 install dvd disk image I created using disk utility to the 10.6 installer partition (with erase destination checked) then option booted my mac and the partitions did not show up. The only thing I could see was my internal hard drive.
    I have done this many times before and it has always worked so Im trying to figure out what Im doing wrong. The only thing I can think of is that the "Virtual CD" that Hitachi put on this external drive is stopping the Mac from seeing the bootable partitions I created. I even went into system preferences>startup disk and blessed the 10.6 install partition. That didn't work either, the computer just booted to my internal drive.
    So my questions are. Is it because of this "Virtual CD" that I can't boot from my external drive? If so, is there a way around it? I already searched their web site and emailed their tech support asking for a firmware update to remove the virtual cd.
    Thanks in advance.

    Yes, it's a known issue. You've already referred to the issue with WD systems. WD has a long list of products that are either not compatible with Macs or won't boot a Mac.
    There are practically no problems with bare drives, but once installed in an enclosure there is no guarantee that the package will function as a bootable device. This is especially the case if the manufacturer uses some sort of "virtual" scheme intended for using the device as a sort of one button backup device.
    External drives don't have to specifically say anything about being Mac bootable or compatible. It's up to the consumer to verify compatibility and usability.

  • I am having the same problem I think.  With mobileme you simply copy documents to the idisk folder and then synch.  I cannot seem to sink that folder anymore.  Any idea as to how I can simply copy folders to icloud and then access the MS Word and PDF file

    I am having the same problem I think.  With mobileme you simply copy documents to the idisk folder and then synch.  I cannot seem to sink that folder anymore.  Any idea as to how I can simply copy folders to icloud and then access the MS Word and PDF files on my iphone?

    Apple never bopthered to explain that this would happen
    Your iDisk is still accessible after moving to iCloud in exactly the same way as before. Nothing is deleted until June 30th 2012.
    , so I could easily have lost ALL of the files I kept on iDisk.
    No, you couldn't. Firstly, nothing was deleted from your iDisk. Secondly, any files stored on your iDisk should never be your only copy. Even if your iDisk spontaneously combusted, you should keep local backups elsewhere.
    Does Apple WANT people to move their storage elsewhere and stop paying Apple for it?
    Yes. Apple doesn't provide such a service anymore, nor are you paying them for it.
    Apple has made no effort to suggest remedies for the problem it has given iDisk users
    They've provided instructions on how to download your files from your iDisk. What you do with them after that is your choice.

  • MacBook Air, can I partition my Mac external drive to have an ISO image file location for Windows downloads?

    Hi, in preparation for installing bootcamp and windows 7, and in the absence of a DVD drive on my MacBook Air, can I partition my Mac external drive to have an ISO image file location for Windows downloads?

    The Boot Camp instructions are located here: http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/
    The Boot Camp Discussion Community is located here: https://discussions.apple.com/community/windows_software/boot_camp

  • Can't Access Photos on External Drive

    I attach my external drive (Toshiba 320GIG) and open, which gives me the external drive window. I click on Toshiba on the left-hand-side menu, then begin to enter IMG in the search window. As soon as I type the first letter, the menu highlight defaults to my hard drive menu item and I can't search in my external drive. What am I doing wrong?
    Thanks for reading. Any help appreciated.
    Russ

    So, you have two versions of iphoto? One from the old machine and one from the new?
    If so, forget about opening with the older version of iPhoto.
    For the newer version:
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.  

  • I can't access my portable external drive anymore.

    I can no longer access my external drive. I can see it in the system profiler but not the disk utilities. What should I do?

    At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac.
    Then click on More Info>Hardware>USB, does it show up there?
    No idea why Mobile me is popping up.
    "Try Disk Utility
    1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
    2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
    Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
    3. Click the First Aid tab.
    4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
    5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
    Does the external show up there?

  • Time Machine will not let me restore from recent backups.  I can see them on the external drive but will not restore sooner that June of 2013!  Any suggestions?

    Time Machine will not let me restore from recent backups.  I can see them on the external drive but will not restore sooner that June of 2013!  Any suggestions?

    All I can suggest is that you open that file on the MBA and save it as a new file, then see if you can open the new one on the iMac.

  • I can read but I can't write to an external drive - changing permissions

    I can read but I can't write to an external drive. 
    How do I change permissions? None of the helps here on the discussions have helped.
    Why would a computer company let me read files but not write? Hahaha. This is insane.
    I have to write computer files for work. It's a project due this morning.
    Man, I'm going to have to go back to PC.
    Just need the compter to write files.

    If it's formatted as NTFS, reformat it as MS-DOS, exFAT, or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as desired.
    If it's formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, use the Disk Utility's Repair Disk command on it.
    If it's formatted as Mac OS Extended, click Authenticate and provide your administrator password, or change the permissions on that specific folder in its Get Info window.
    (72460)

  • Can't save multiple folders to external drive. Get: "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items." when dragging large folders to mac os extended journalled external drive from OS 10.6.8

    Hi
    I am feeling  VERY desperate!
    After losing an external drive [dont ask....]  -   I got  another one :  2TB WD formatted properly [ OS extended journalled for mac ] ready for action to move  my thousands of files and images and ppts in hundreds of folders across from the laptop to this drive because I travel a bit with the laptop and this is too risky not to back up at home.
    But this message came up after starting on moving folders across [** and not straight away, sometimes after moving  a folder  when  4 of 6 gb of files across  then the message comes up  = very frustrating]:
    "The operation can’t be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items."
    I am  dragging mixed sometimes large complex folders to this  os extended journalled external drive from my mac book pro OS 10.6.8  - it would take decades to move items one by one or even folder by folder and really confusing. 
    I have  dragged-copied  various small folders and files across successfully, but it is only working 50:50 and I can't leave machine with the idea of things copying eg: overnight - it just won't work....
    I have been browsing google and find some people describing in CODE how they overcome this 'message'   .... but  I  [and I guess some other viewers of this in future & also in desperation]  would need  instructions for beginners....  to try this type of thing.  I don't know any code.
    How can this be happening - I feel ANGRY at APPLE !!!!  for not posting easy fix instructions yet re; this, or better still  updating software so it doesn't happen [ that I can find at least  !!! ] .   There seem to be hundreds of people stuck with this stupid message and inability to back up their projects etc.
    Can anyone help ?
    Many thanks
    Julie
    15 August 2011

    hi Samberl
    thanks a lot for the fast reply.
    I was dragging folders from main folders on the laptop-desktop  onto the external drive icon - to copy them across....
    Your suggestion sounds very promising -  I didn't know about 'cloning'.
    Yes the idea is to backup the laptop -    I thought I would just move it all now, new - and then keep saving/dragging physically   across to the new drive myself each day or two...
    Would this be the sizeof the internal hard drive = c.500 gb  ?   =   under the HD icon on desktop is written  : 
    " 499.76gb , 311.5 gb free  " 
    I can erase and start agin on the new external drive - so this plan is to make two partititions, rather than the one at present, and make one of them 500 gb ?
    I have found CCC [carbon copy cloner] googling - looks good.
    When CCC site says it backs up  the hard drive - would this  mean all my files  [over 100 gb] that are mostly  in folders on the desktop, plus the others in itunes, iphotos etc found in the HD icon,  would all copy across successfully [wherever they are in the computer ]  ?
    thanks again, hope you can clarify these things and then I will go for it. 
    It would be great and amazing if this 'lack of permission' message doesn't show up in the process of doing this ccc transfer - hopeful!
    Julie

  • Best way to copy large folders to external drive?

    What is the best way to transfer large folders across to external drives?
    I'm trying to clean up my internal hard drive and want to copy a folder (including its sub folders) of approx 10GB of video files to an external firewire drive.
    I've tried drag and drop in finder (both copy and move) and it gets stuck on a particular file and then aborts the whole process.
    1. Surely it should copy everything it can, and simply not copy the problem file.
    2. Is there a way I can do copy and verify, a bit like when I burn a disk so I can be sure the video files have transferred safely before I delete them from my internal drive?
    Many thanks in advance for any advice.

    What you are trying to do makes perfect sense to me and I have done the same prior to getting myself a Time Machine system in place.
    1. Surely it should copy everything it can, and simply not copy the problem file.
    The fact that it is getting stuck on a particular file suggests that there is a problem with it. Try to identify which one it is and deal with that file on it's own. It could be that there is a disk error where that file is stored.
    2. Is there a way I can do copy and verify....
    The copy process you are using does that implicitly as I understand it.
    Chris

  • I can't copy files to External Hard Drive : Please help..

    Evening,
    I've just bought a Macbook and am just getting to grips with it. This is my first question on this forum...the first of many no doubt.
    Problem I've got is that I can copy file's from an external hard drive on to the MAC but I can't go back the other way and copy file's from the MAC on to the external hard drive - it says 'New Folder cannot be modified'.
    When I go into 'Ownership and Permission' of the external hard drive it says I can read only.
    The Hard Drive is a Octigen USB 2.0 drive if that helps..
    Any ideas?
    Thanks for your help
    R
    Macbook   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
    Macbook   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    How confident are you that MacFuse/ntfs-3g is a reliable option for ordinary humans? It is at version 0.2.2, not long out of beta, the FAQ mentions slow write performance and other rough edges (possibly fixed in the current version), and this is a comment by the author as of 1/11/07:
    "Small disclaimer: Please note that MacFUSE is a complex piece of software, and it is a work in progress. We believe in releasing early and often, so we're releasing it now so that the community can help us to make it more robust."
    I have no need for it whatsoever, but if I did, I would have concerns about using it for a backup drive.

Maybe you are looking for