Cant move my stuff from an external harddrive!

i have a windows laptop with a hard drive i have used for a while. all my pictures an videos are on that external hard drive. i recently just bouht a macbook and tried to move my files from the eternal harddrive onto my macbook. but it wouldnt let me. All i want to do is drag and drop my photos and videos into another folder on my desktop. How do i go about acheiving this. Thanks!

When you plug the external drive in does it mount on the desktop? If it does not can you see the drive using Disk Utility?
You can also try turning the external drive off, turning your Mac off. Hooking the drive to your Mac, turning the drive back on and giving it a few seconds to spin up, then turning your Mac on.
See if the drive mounts then.

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How do i copy files and folders from one external harddrive to another on the iMac?

For some reason when i drag the folder or file that i want to transfer or copy from one external harddrive to another, nothing happens when i drop it on the destination folder or drive. however, when i drag and drop to the desktop or any location on the Imac internal hardrive it works without any issue. The only problem is that i dont want to transfer or copy stuff to the computer. i want to copy it to an external harddrive. please help if your have answers to my question.
Thanks!

Check the formatting of the external hard drive. To do that, right click on the drive icon and select Get Info. (Or click once on the drive and type command +i ) The pane includes information about the drive format.
The drive should be formatted as Mac OS Extended. If it is not, run Disk Utility (App;ications / Utilities) and format the drive.

HT1660 Can I play movies and music from my external hard drive or do I have to re-instll them on my computer?

Can I play my movies and music from my external hard drive or do I have to reinstall it on my computer?

Hello B3NN13,
If you would like to add the music from your external hard drive to iTunes without copying it to the iTunes Library on your internal hard drive, you may find the following article helpful:
Add files to your library without adding them to your iTunes folder
When you add an item already on your computer to your iTunes library, iTunes places a copy of the file in your iTunes folder. The original file remains in its current location.
You can change this setting so that files are added to your iTunes library without being added to the iTunes folder. You might want to do this, for example, if you prefer to store video files on an external disk but still want to view them in iTunes.
Choose iTunes > Preferences, and click Advanced.
Deselect the checkbox next to “Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library.”
From now on, when you drag a file to your library or choose File > Add to Library, the item appears in iTunes, but the actual file isn’t copied or moved.
Tip: You can temporarily reverse this setting by holding down the Option key while you drag files to the iTunes window.
iTunes 12 for Mac: Change where your iTunes files are stored
Sincerely,
- Brenden

Using iTunes from an external harddrive?

I would like to know if it is possible to download and run itunes from an external harddrive.
I have a lot of music and would not like it to be on my macbook's harddrive.

The iTunes application needs to be on the boot drive, but you can put your media anywhere you wish. The easiest way is to just drag the entire iTunes folder (the entire folder, not just the iTunes Music folder) to your desired location. Then hold down the Option key while launching iTunes. You'll be given a dialog box where you can select the iTunes library you want to use. Navigate to and select the iTunes folder in it's new location.
Note that this procedure assumes that all of your tracks are contained in the iTunes Music folder. If they're scattered around your drive, moving them becomes much more complex. And don't launch iTunes with the external drive not mounted or iTunes will default back to the internal drive. If it does, though, just mount the external drive and launch iTunes with the Option key again.
Don't delete the tracks from the old location until you've confirmed that they're working correctly from the external drive.
Regards.

Migrating my Itunes Library from An External Harddrive to a NAS

I have a 20" IMAC and currently store my 350 GB Itunes library with roughly 6400 tracks on a 1 TB external Harddrive. I just purchased a 5 TB Network Attached Server that is attached to my wireless network. What is the best and fastest way to migrate my Itunes library from my external harddrive to my NAS? I am concerned that if I do it over my wireless connection it will take forever. I am also concerned that Itunes will get confused in trying to locate the files on the NAS. I have successfully used the consolidate library function in the past but am worried that it will not work with a NAS over a wireless connection. Should I try using a direct ethernet connection with the NAS hooked directly into my IMAC and then re-connect the NAS to my router? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Please don't repost the same thread
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=7786712#7786712

My songs I add from my external harddrive do not play in itunes. They appear when I search them in the search bar but if I click on the album it does not come up. HELP!

My songs I add from my external harddrive do not play in itunes. They appear when I search them in the search bar in Itunes but if I click on the album it does not come up instead an album from icloud plays.HELP!

ErinGillaim wrote:
The audio format or the codec may not be recognized by the iTunes
It is else it would not have been able to be selected to import.
The simple fact that it shows up in iTunes Search means it is in the iTune library.
It is a bug where some imports do not show up in the iTunes library (but they usually show up in Recently Imported playlist) until a restart of iTunes, which usually fixes it.

I can't access my itunes from my external harddrive anymore

I hope someone can provide some guidance and insight regarding the following problem: I have an imac g5 osx 10.3.9 and I used to access my itunes library from my external harddrive (maxtor). While living overseas last year I bought a Mac Book osx 10.6.8 and initally was successful in accessing my itunes library from my maxtor external harddrive. After two weeks my Mac Book started ejecting the harddrive and I wasn't able to use it again (maybe something to do with it needing too much power. I have found many similar discussions on this). Now I am back home and using my imac g5 again but am having problems accessing my itunes library on the external harddrive. The imac recognises the external harddrive but if I try and play a song on itunes it says it cannot be found and I have to manually direct it to the song on the external harddrive. It may play or it may freeze. I have tried to reset everything through itunes preferences but nothing changes or else everything freezes.
when I got the Mac Book I tried to set up the Time Machine and I think that is when things started going wrong with my external harddrive. I am not too computer savvy so I'm not too sure.
Thanks in advance for any help.

I hope someone can provide some guidance and insight regarding the following problem: I have an imac g5 osx 10.3.9 and I used to access my itunes library from my external harddrive (maxtor). While living overseas last year I bought a Mac Book osx 10.6.8 and initally was successful in accessing my itunes library from my maxtor external harddrive. After two weeks my Mac Book started ejecting the harddrive and I wasn't able to use it again (maybe something to do with it needing too much power. I have found many similar discussions on this). Now I am back home and using my imac g5 again but am having problems accessing my itunes library on the external harddrive. The imac recognises the external harddrive but if I try and play a song on itunes it says it cannot be found and I have to manually direct it to the song on the external harddrive. It may play or it may freeze. I have tried to reset everything through itunes preferences but nothing changes or else everything freezes.
when I got the Mac Book I tried to set up the Time Machine and I think that is when things started going wrong with my external harddrive. I am not too computer savvy so I'm not too sure.
Thanks in advance for any help.

I move a folder from an external hard drive and then I press command+z after I eject the drive to change a typo for the name, but this "erase" the folder. Where the folder go?

I move 15 gigs from an external hard drive and then eject the drive to give it back to my friend.
Once i got home I was re naming the folder and I made a mistake with a typo, and out of instict I press command + z and the folder dissapear!!!
Where it is now?
Someone have any ideas, he doesnt have it and is not showing on my mac
mountain lion/ macbook pro

did you try holding the shift-command-Z to see if it returns?

Open os9 movie clip from iomega external harddrive on osX

With my old G3 Mac I stored movies on a 120 GB External firewire Iomega Hardrive.
When I use this same external harddrive with my new G4 Mac, the Harddrive works perfect without having to dowload any drivers.
But the os9 ( G3 mac) movie's stored on the Iomega external harddrive will not open on the osx G4 Mac
All mp3's stored on the external harddrive from the G3 os9 mac open perfect on the G4 osx mac.
I dont have the G3 mac anymore so am now stuck with 20GB of old movies I can't open up on new G4 osx mac
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)
apple mac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

The files used to look like those ( im with a star)
Now they are just Light black / grey Icons (Rectangles)
With the letters " exec " witten on the top left corner in Green writing.
Under info in finder it says:
Kind: Unix Executable File
Size: ( whatever)
Where: / Volumes / IOMEGA_HDD/ MAC OS9 Folders 20GB
Modified: (Whatever)
I looked in diskUtility and yes this is somthing I must do to re-formatt.
How do I do this please.
They dont open with quicktime or im ( or any application ) on the External drive
or on the mac internal drive even when you drag / import clips to desktop on the G4 osx mac
If I reformatt the external drive would this solve the problem?
* Now there is no problem at all storing and playing /opening new movies I make and store on the external drive now with the G4 osx Mac. They all have the folders and Icons with the im star.
Thanks.

Moving itunes to ad from an external harddrive

i have windows 2000 and recently got an iPod nano 3rd generation. to use my new iPod on my computer i need windows xp. to install it, i need to move everything off of my computer.
i already had about 1000 songs on iTunes from my old iPod, so how do i move iTunes and all of my music to an external herddrive and back? i read the information about moving songs to an external harddrive, but how do i move them onto the new iTunes after my windows xp is installed???
thank youfor your help,
Kara

To move the files back, locate where you put them on the external drive, drag the files to the internal drive, and then drag the copies on the internal drive into the open iTunes window. Another option is to drag them directly from the external drive into iTunes followed by using the Consolidate Library command in the Advanced menu.
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Can you still backup your stuff to an external harddrive if your harddrive is down?

so my harddrive is down and im taking it to the Apple store tomorrow but i was wondering if you can still backup your stuff beforehand to an external harddrive?

Do you have a bootable backup? If so you can boot from it then see if it can read the internal drive. What model of Macbook Pro and what version of OS X do you have?

How do you move iMovie library onto an external harddrive ??

How do I move my iMovie library onto an external harddrive ???

iMovie '11: Copy or move video from your Event Library to an external hard disk
iMovie '11: Copy or move a project to an external hard disk

Unable to boot Windows 7 Premium from an external harddrive

I recently gained an interest in playing microsoft based games, and just recently got my late 2013 macbook pro retina 15". I have been trying for several hours for the last two days to get bootcamp to boot Windows 7 Premium from a 500GB external harddrive without re-partiitioning my internal harddrive. I can get to the first screen of the Windows 7 Install asking about language, but neither my keyboard or mousepad respond with the windows installer. I assume this is because Windows 7 premium does not have USB 3.0 capability. Is there a workaround for this that doesn't involve partitioning my internal drive?

That's all fine and good, but I would strongly prefer not to have to use internal drive space for Windows. Even If I were to use the internal drive to install it, I would still run into the same problems of not having a keyboard or trackpad as I've seen other users having issues with. It stands to reason that if I had a working keyboard and mouse that I would be able to install it to an external hard drive, using a workaround method found here:
http://bleeptobleep.blogspot.fr/2013/02/mac-install-windows-7-or-8-on-external.h tml
If I had to partition my internal drive, what would be the absolute minimum amount of space I would need?

How do i move a file from one external drive to another

This is my first Mac computer and I have no idea how to move/copy a file from one external hard drive to another? It won't let me drag and drop from one Finder window to another and there is no copy/paste option on the left mouse click.

mediamagnate03 wrote:
This is my first Mac computer and I have no idea how to move/copy a file from one external hard drive to another? It won't let me drag and drop from one Finder window to another and there is no copy/paste option on the left mouse click.
That is because it is on the Right Click, and the menu.

How do I move a project from an external drive back into Imovie

I recently bought an Iomega external hard drive to store documentary movies so that I wouldn't jam up my Imac's free space. However, after I moved an imovie/idvd project to it, and wanted to make changes, I could not move the project back into the Imac's drive. (It also would not burn from the external, giving me a multiplex error) When I tried to move the movie back into Imovie on the Imac it said Quicktime couldn't parse it. I saw various posts about parsing, but not about specifically about moving a project from an external drive. Can anyone offer any suggestions? It seems to me that I should be able to move a project back and forth without that much trouble.

Sounds like you have a DVD format (MPEG-2) and not an iMovie Project file.
The key phrases are "multiplex" and "parse". Both suggest MPEG-2 format when opened in QuickTime. It would also throw an error -2048 message if MPEG-2.
But another issue could be the file format of the external drive. Most ship pre-formatted for the Windows OS's but a Mac user should format using HFS+ (and others). If you didn't format the drive before moving the large iMovie Project onto it it may have become severely fragmented if the external used FAT 16 or FAT 32 (very common) formats. They have a 2 or 4 GB file size limit, respectively and would have made your Project unreadable when moved back and forth.
Use the Disk Utility app to find out the format of your external drive.

Cant move my stuff from an external harddrive!

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