Cannot duplicate files in finder

I recently ugraded to Lion, and am just realizing now that I cannot duplicate files (Command D) in the finder. The progress window shows the copy being made, but the duplicate file, which used to show up just under the original file as "file name copy" does not appear. When I do a spotlight search, the copied file is nowhere to be seen. Also tried doing an Option-drag-to-finder. That didn't work either. I was trying to make a copy of an image and then rename the new file to send to someone. I had to go through Preview, then Unlock the file and then save as another name. A ridiculously long process. Anyone have any ideas?

did you try selecting the item in the finder
press cmd + c
press cmd + v
presto, you have a dupe of the file that has it's name appended with the number 1.

Similar Messages

How to find duplicate files in Finder with Automator or Apple ScriptEditor

Can anyone tell me how to find duplicate files in Finder with Automator or Apple ScriptEditor.

D'oh! It's actually fairly easy - I just right clicked on the file, Get Info, Artwork tab, then dragged the picture to the desktop, from where I can do what I like with it. Never mind, nothing to see here, carry on.

Copy-Paste/Duplicate files in finder doesn't work

Hello Everyone!
I am trying to duplicate a file in Finder, but it seems I cannot do it.
I can do cmd+C/cmd+V or duplicat through cmd+D but two things can happen:
- The copied file is shown in grey and I cannot open it
- The copied file is shown for a fraction of a second and then it disappears
Please note that it works for VERY small files (under 1k)
...and my permissions are OK, just verified and corrected!

BTW If I create a new user on the computer the system works!

Cannot move files with Finder

Experiencing erratic behavior with Finder. I am trying to move several files from a folder to the application "PDF Toolkit" and clicking dragging is not working.
Are there settings that alter click drag behavior? Can Finder be reset?

Carmine From Grand Rapids wrote:
Safari will not open the .pat file.
you'll need to install the .pat from your NAS.
control panel > DSM update > manual update
(open image in new browser window)

Cannot "cut" files in Finder

How come when I try to cut(cmd+x) i cant do it and in the edit menu cut is grayed out? I dont want to have to make copies of everything for moving large files around.

So that people don't inadvertently lose files by using the clipboard for something else or logging out without pasting it.
In no way to sound cocky, but would this really be a problem? Take Windows for example, cut/pasting files works like a charm (or well it works).
Reason for this, is that the "move" command of file(s) or folder(s) is first processed when a "cut" and "paste" command have been issued in succession.
Also moving the data into "the clibboard" on the "cut"-command is not viable, because either to clibboard is in memory in which case it is likely that the item being cut'ed can't fit, or it is on disk in which case a cut/paste command would double the IO, as opposed to the previous model.
Don't take this as an offense, just trying to get a reasonable discussion on the topic.
I myself have only recently bought myself my first Mac, and this is one of the things that seems odd to me.
Moving by drag-drop is very intuitive, but nevertheless I have met people who just stares blank into my eyes when I mention "dragging" stuff.

Every time i try to sync my iphone with my music on itunes, it says, "The iPhone "KORA" cannot be synced. A duplicate file name was specified."

I need help

Hi korasaurous,
Thanks for visiting Apple Support Communities.
You may find the troubleshooting steps in this article helpful with resolving the error message you're seeing:
iTunes: Troubleshooting issues with third-party iTunes plug-ins
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3430
There are several ways an add-on can cause iTunes to act erratically, such as those listed below:
You see this alert while syncing: "... cannot be synced. A duplicate file name was specified."
Best Regards,
Jeremy

Cannot duplicate event due to same file name

I'm trying to archive some video projects my boss has made using Final Cut Pro X 10.0.7 on OS X 10.7.5. The problem I'm having is that I cannot "Duplicate Project + Used Clips" like I have done in the past because this project uses clips from three different events, and each of these events contains files that happen to have the same names as files in the other events.
For example:
Event A
- 00000-1.m4v
- 00000-2.m4v
- 00000-3.m4v
Event B
- 00000-1.m4v
Event C
- 00000-1.m4v
- 00000-2.m4v
So let's say the project he's created uses all these clips. If I attempt to "Duplicate Project + Used Clips", it won't work because 00000-1.m4v from three different events is used in the project. Apparently FCP is written in such a way that it allows you to fall into this trap. What it should be doing is either not allowing you to import a file into an event if that file name already exists in another event, or it should be smart enough to rename duplicate files on-the-fly when exporting (for example, 00000-1-1.m4v and 00000-1-2.m4v). But it does neither of these things.
The problem here is that these are the three events:
Event A = 108 clips
Event B = 68 clips
Event C = 80 clips
All FCP will say is that "two or more media files use the same name - rename the file or files and try again". Only it's not talking about the name of the file from within FCP -- it only cares about the file name as seen in the Finder. So even if I went into event A and put "A-" in front of all the clilp names, it doesn't matter, because it's not really "A-00000-1.m4v" -- the file is still named "00000-1.m4v" in the Finder, and the problem is unresolved.
Does anyone know any way of sorting out this problem without a massive amount of digging around, renaming files by hand and relinking?

I'm still stuck on this problem and in a couple of days I'm going to be sitting in on a webinar that will discuss archiving in FCP X.
I have tried several things and if I'm missing something I'd like someone to let me know. I also cannot find much on this subject which is very surprising...or I'm not searching in the right places. I'm going to submit feedback to Apple as follows:
Error: “The operation cannot be completed. Two or more media files use the same name. Rename the file or files and try again.”
Operation attempted: Duplicate project with used clips.
Second operation attempted: Consolidate project media > Copy used clips only.
Cause: Two or more events contain clips with the same name.
Eg.
event-20130126
          GOPR0002.mp4
event-20130220
          GOPR0002.mp4
Background:
          This video project resulted in a one hour documentary that used recordings from 6 different cameras shot over a span of 4 months. Each day’s recording, for the most part, was broken into separate fcp events. This resulted in 48 events.
          AVCHD imports result in media files whose name reflects the date and time of the recording which makes each of the imports’ media file names unique, even across all events.
          Imports from cameras such as GoPro’s Hero use their own original file names such as GOPR0001. Therefore media file names are not unique across all events.
          Due to render and export problems, the video was broken up into 14 separate FCP X projects, aligned with what would ultimately be a “chapter” in the resulting video.
          The 14 projects “share” events; i.e. the events used in the 14 projects (chapters) are not mutually exclusive.
          The source media as well as the events span over 3 physical external hard drives.
          All 14 projects are on one hard drive.
Consideration #1:
          It would seem that one way around this problem is to merge all 48 events. I will not do this since this function moves the events rather than copies them. Additionally, I’m not even sure if I have enough space to consolidate all 48 events anywhere available to me.
Consideration #2:
          This leaves only one other option which is to rename the source media files and relink all of them across all events.
Questions:
          1.          Why can’t FCP (internally) qualify the media file names that it imports with the event name? i.e why is it left up to the user to insure that all of the media file names are unique across all events used by a project?
          2.          If it doesn’t do #1, then why were we not warned of this before starting. I find out about this when I’m done with my project and trying to archive. Now it’s a huge task to rename and relink.
Thoughts:
          Regardless of whether there is work-around to this problem, the fact that FCP has a “feature” such as events and allows projects to use more than one event but does not manage them properly reveals a weakness and flaw. If such is the case, then it would be less painful, in this situation, to force a project to use only one event.
I wish that others would speak to this problem. Or let us know what the answer to this is.
Thanks.

ITunes Library file cannot be saved. A duplicate file name was specified.

Every time I open up iTunes I get the error 'The iTunes Library file cannot be saved. A duplicate file name was specified.'
I've had this problem for a couple of months, tried out every solution I can find, changed the library names, recreated the library etc. Recreating the library seemed to work for a few days, but now the problem has returned. Because of this problem I can't add any new songs to my iTunes, and I cannot update any of my apps.
Any help would be appreciated!

I also have the same problem as in the duplicate file was specified thing after opening up itunes.
But for me is the apps. I can't download or update my apps from my comp but i can do that on my iphone. I did tried to transfer purchases but it popped up about something that if i dont authorize this comp my apps will be removed. When i clicked dont authorize, it removed almost all my apps so i stopped in the middle of syncing. I click authorize and after entering my apple ID, another pop up saying that there is an error in transfering the purchases and told me to repair my itunes. I tried that too but it didnt work. I already did authorize my comp long ago. When i clicked cancel, it doesnt sync all my stuff and remains the same cause it always stuck at the apps. I tried to uninstall itunes but it says there's an error in the package thing, error code 2330. Any idea on what should i do? >_<

Receiving "The Itunes Library file cannot be saved. A duplicate file name was specified".

Itunes Version 10.5.3.3
Using Iphone 4 on Windows 7 Proffesional PC.
Keep getting "The Itunes Library file cannot be saved. A duplicate file name was specified" when trying to sync Itunes with Iphone.
Have tried the following steps;
first you have to locate your last library file, you can do this by clicking Edit-preferences-advanced. it will show you the itunes media folder location. then close Itunes
open your folder and locate the last library (libraries are saved with date names, find the most recent one or the one that was last modified).
change the name of the library to today´s date following the format it already has. you will have to change the name for libraries: .itl, .xml, genius and extras.
once you have changed the name to today´s date on the 4 libraries you will have to delete all other libraries existing on the same folder or on a folder named "previous itunes libraries". it is also recommended to delete the itunes "preferences file" .dat (usually 1kb) and the "sentinel" file.
so, you will have on your itunes media folder only 4 libraries: .itl .xml genius and extras.
the next step is to click the itunes icon holding the "shift" key . itunes will ask you to either "quit, choose library or create library" click on choose library. then locate the library you just renamed with today´s date and extension .itl
done, itunes will open with the last saved version of your library. keep in mind that some changes or songs will not be present if you added any while getting the error "itunes cannot save the library file. a duplicate name has been specified" just locate the songs and add them again, if you have the option "copy files to itunes media folder when adding to library" checked. then go to file-add folder or file-and locate the songs missing on the itunes media folder.itunes saves the files on the hard drive but does not save the changes on the library.
No luck.
Any help would be greatly appriciated.

I found the solution:
first you have to locate your last library file, you can do this by clicking Edit-preferences-advanced. it will show you the itunes media folder location. then close Itunes
open your folder and locate the last library (libraries are saved with date names, find the most recent one or the one that was last modified).
change the name of the library to today´s date following the format it already has. you will have to change the name for libraries: .itl, .xml, genius and extras.
once you have changed the name to today´s date on the 4 libraries you will have to delete all other libraries existing on the same folder or on a folder named "previous itunes libraries". it is also recommended to delete the itunes "preferences file" .dat (usually 1kb) and the "sentinel" file.
so, you will have on your itunes media folder only 4 libraries: .itl .xml genius and extras.
the next step is to click the itunes icon holding the "shift" key . itunes will ask you to either "quit, choose library or create library" click on choose library. then locate the library you just renamed with today´s date and extension .itl
done, itunes will open with the last saved version of your library. keep in mind that some changes or songs will not be present if you added any while getting the error "itunes cannot save the library file. a duplicate name has been specified" just locate the songs and add them again, if you have the option "copy files to itunes media folder when adding to library" checked. then go to file-add folder or file-and locate the songs missing on the itunes media folder.itunes saves the files on the hard drive but does not save the changes on the library.
hope this is clear enough.

Hi i am trying to sync some music to my friends ipod but i keep getting this message"cannot be synced a duplicate file vname was specified" how can i fix this

hi i am trying to sync my friends ipod but i keep getting this message "cannot be synced a duplicate file name was specified

Hi big ds,
If you are getting a "duplicate file name" error, you may find the following article helpful:
iTunes: Troubleshooting issues with third-party iTunes plug-ins
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3430
Regards,
- Brenden

HT1386 Trying to sync my music into my iphone 4s but a pop up keeps showing up saying "The iPhone "Brandon's iPhone" cannot be synced. A duplicate file name was specified." How can I fix this?

Trying to sync music into my iPhone 4s but a pop up keeps showing up saying "The iPhone "Brandon's iPhone" cannot be synced. A duplicate file name was specified." How can I fix this?

Remove any duplicates in your iTunes Music Library by following the link below:
How to find and remove duplicate items in your iTunes library
Then try to sync again.

Cannot Duplicate or Copy Files

This is a repost as my issue is still unresolved.
I have a user using an Intel iMac with a server managed account. the account resides on the server. The iMac is running 10.4.9 and the server is running Server 10.4.9.
If she opens a directory on her desktop and tries to duplicate the file via Command-D she gets the error that "The operation cannot be completed because an item with the name "<insert any filename here>" already exists."
If she keeps hitting Command-D repeatedly the file will often eventually duplicate. There is no duplicate prior to her trying to make the duplicate.
Sometimes it works without an error. Usually not. I just deleted her account and recreated it, copying all her files back to her account via "cp -Rpv" in Terminal. I'm pretty certain it's not a permissions issue. I just ran permissions repair on the server. No change.
It seems like I've seen something on this but I cannot find it in the discussions. Any help is of course appreciated.

Jayce,
I am having the same problem where the I cannot duplicate the file and then the source file is deleted. Did you ever find out a cause / solution for this?

In my Macbook Pro finder folder under All Images, there are duplicate files, but one is small and the other is full size. I wanted to clean up the files, but don't know why I have two of everything. Any Ideas?

In my Macbook Pro, the Finder folder has duplicate images in the 'all images' file. One image is small and the other is full size. First question is why do I have two of every image? Why is one small and the other large. Do I need two of everything? If not, which do I delete?
thanks, Jean

Hello fane,
Re: duplicate images in finder.
Nearly all images are JPG with a few GIF and PNG sprinkled in.
I opened the inspector so I do get info when opening each image, but it a slow process.
It seems that one image is around 70k while its twin can be up to 4Mb which is what comes unedited from my camera. Sometimes there will be 3 or 4 identical images in finder, but when I open iPhoto to see what ‘s really in the file, I find only one image, and it’s full sized.
Are all these extra images, even if they are aliases, taking up space on my drive? And should I delete them? The info bar says I have over 10,000 images, which is rather a lot for what I do.
I am unable to add the file size on the view menu as it is grayed out. Don’t know why it’s gray, but having that info on the screen would save a lot of time and fiddling with each image.
I am trying to resize selected pix so I can upload them to e-bay, which requires less than 70k. I have looked at resizing programs but most are for PC platform and not Mac, so I am trying to resize in the finder window under tools. Tedious at best. Any suggestions will be appreciated
Thanks for your help,
jeanfromwilsonville

How do I find and locate duplicate files?

What is the process to find and remove duplicate files. The tab is grayed out. I am using version 13 and have over 1000 files and many of them are duplicates

In unix you can use a combination of ls and diff.
Unfortunately Apple is notorious for creating crippleware, so they have only provided this function in iPhoto and maybe iTunes. There is no easy Finder solution, such as would make sense as part of Smart Folders!
Stupid Apple

When I plug in my ipod it comes up with an error saying, "ipod "Skye" cannot be synced, duplicate file name specified." it wont let me put any songs on my ipod? Help!

my computer deleted all of my songs off my ipod one time with i unplugged it, i think i unplugged it too soon and it wasn't finished ejecting. now every time i plug it in it gives me an error saying "the ipod 'Skye' cannot be synced, a duplicate file name was specified." It wont let me put any songs on my ipod now.

Never mind. I found out how to fix the problem
- Go to "Computer"
- Right click on your IPod icon
- Click "Properties"
- Go to the "Tools" tab
- Under "Error -checking" cilck the "Check now..." button
After doing all of that, ITunes now works like normal for me.

Cannot duplicate files in finder

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for