Removing external drives from desktop

Is there a way to have external drives/SD cards not appear on the desktop when plugged in? I access them just fine from the sidebar in finder and don't need the extra couple desktop icons.

Choose Preferences from the Finder menu, click on the General tab, and uncheck the box for them.
(64133)

Similar Messages

Cannot remove Disk Icons from Disk Images or External Drives from Desktop

After years with PPCs, I just upgraded to an Intel Mac. I am now running into a funny problem. The majority of the time (although occasionally it works as it should), I am unable to eject disks. These include disk images from my internal hard drive, external hard drives, and disk images from external hard drives.
I do not get the “Cannot eject this disk because it is in use” error that happens when something is trying to access a file on the disk; instead, nothing happens. I’ve tried ejecting by dragging the icon to the dock, hitting the eject icon in finder, right-clicking and ejecting from there, and even using a terminal-based script that I found on the WEB. None of these do anything- no errors, but the icon hangs about as if nothing happened.
Occasionally I cannot log off at all (I just get the SBBOD); here I have to do a hard reboot. Sometimes I can log off properly. Either way, all seems to be fine when I log back in.
I’ve run Applejack multiple times.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated! Thank you.
OS 10.5.6
2.8 GHz Intel Core Duo iMac with 2 GB factory RAM

The linked macfixitforums topic is over seven years old and isn't applicable. Follow nerowolfe's suggestions. Once you sort things out, see these:
Switching from Windows to Mac OS X,
Basic Tutorials on using a Mac,
MacFixIt Tutorials,
MacTips, and
Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Leopard Edition.
Additionally, *Texas Mac Man* recommends:
Quick Assist.
Welcome to the Switch To A Mac Guides,
Take Control E-books, and
A guide for switching to a Mac.

How to remove an external drive from time machine backup

In time machine I also backup to an external drive. I recently bought a new external drive and thats working fine. However, it still wants to backup to my previous drive which I dont want to use. In time machine preferences I see the old and new drive listed. Both are greyed out so I cannot deselect the older drive.
Suggestions?

mhattonmd wrote:
So when I open time machine preferences I see time machine and both external drives listed. If I click on options I see both external drives but I cant select either as they are both greyed out.
If you see them both listed on the initial screen of TM prefs, they are both selected as backup drives. They are not being backed up. They are being used by Time Machine as a destination. You need to use “Select Disk…” to remove the external drives from the destination drives. Select Disk does not choose the drives you want to back up. It chooses the drives you wan to back up to.

Removing hard drives from Mac g4 tower dual proc?

I have the original hard drive, plus two added drives, in my PowerMac G4 tower, (dual mirrored drive doors). All the photos/videos/instructions online, don't seem to match my configuration, where the original drive is vertical, along the back of the tower, under the horizontal power supply, while the added drives are under the CD and DVD drives at the front of the tower. I need data fromt the drive related to a thesis project, as well as other work, have had a grey screen problem (unrelated to the drives) that is unresolvable, so bought a G5, and will use some drives and new wireless card from G4 that are compatable. I have tried to put G4 tower in target disk mode to transfer to G5 via firewire, but no luck. Drives don't show on desktop. Since intending to remove all drives from G4 anyway, will try to use them externally, or internally, to access files.
Problem is, I can't access where it looks like the screws are for the original vertical hard drive, can't find instructions online, or examples that look lik mine. What else needs to be removed in order to access this? Please Help!

The drives will not work internally in the G5 if they're IDE/ATA drives, G5s use SATA drives, but there are some external options.
It's been a long time, but I seem to remember the rear Drive(s) cage was released with a gray or maybe tan lever that needed pushing one way while sliding the cage...
AHA, there the little beggar is, Step 6...
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-Power-Mac-G4-MDD-Hard-Drives/1618/2

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

Need help removing hard drive from Time Machine exclusion list

I have a 1TB Western Digital Essential hard drive with about 500Gb of music, movies and other assorted data tethered directly to my iMac. I also have a 1TB Time Capsule that serves as my wireless router and connects to my iMac over the wireless network. I'm trying to use the Time Capsule as the ultimate backup device, to backup the data on my iMac and the tethered 1TB Western Digital hard drive via Time Machine. It already backs up all the data on my iMac, but unfortunately, Time Machine places the 1TB Western Digital hard drive in the exclusion list (which I understand is normal), but will not let me click the minus sign to remove the drive from the exclusion list (which is where I'm at a loss). Someone please help me find a way around this as I've been unable to find a way to remove the Western Digital drive from the exclusion list and have Time Capsule access its data. Many thanks in advance for any help with this.

gotham,
Forgive me, but are you highlighting the drive in the list before you click the "-" button?
Also, were is the external drive? Connected to your Mac or the TC. If the TC, then Time Machine won't backup the external drive. It needs to be connected to the Mac directly.
Otherwise, you can delete the TM .plist.
*Delete The Time Machine Preference .plist*
Go to --> Macintosh HD / Library / Preferences (Note: NOT Home / Library / Preferences).
Drag the .plist file labeled,
com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
to the root level of your Macs’ hard drive.
Reboot your computer.
This .plist file is automatically recreated at startup if it is missing.
You will need to reselect your Time Capsule in the TM Prefs for backup.
Now try 'removing' the other drive form the exclusion list.
Let us know if this helped resolve your issue.
Cheers!

How do I have itunes use/detect my external hard drive and place music on the external drive from the itunes store? There are no music files on my pc yet. I will like to do this after installing itunes 11 on my pc for the first time. I am using windows 7

How do I have itunes use/detect my external hard drive and place music on the external drive from the itunes store? There are no music files on my pc yet. I will like to do this after installing itunes 11 on my pc for the first time. I am using windows 7. HP computer intel Dual Core. Thanks for any help!

Hey idw3,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities, and thanks for the question. Follow the instructions on this article to move your iTunes Media folder to an external hard drive:
iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
Regards,
David

Clone a Mac Partition to an External Drive from within Windows 7 Bootcamp?

Anyone know if it is possible to clone the mac os x partition to an external drive from within Windows 7 bootcamp? I (like a few others) had a problem with the latest 10.6.3 update and I cannot boot into the mac partition but I can access it via bootcamp so I was thinking about trying to clone it to an external drive and then boot from the new clone and see if that works.
Appreciate your comments.

setup a 30GB partition on an external drive, along with a partition of 150% the size of your Mac OS X volume -- or larger.
Install OS X to 30GB.
While booted from DVD, before you install, you'll need to go to Utility Menu => Disk Utility to do the partitoning. While there, in DU see if you can repair your system.
And where is your TimeMachine or clone backup? The "Step #1: Backup before beginning your Boot Camp project."?
No way to backup or clone from within Windows, though you may be able to write to NTFS backup volume, UNLESS you bought MacDrive8 which allows read AND write to HFS+ from within Windows.

Can I install os9 on an external drive from mavericks

Can I install OS9 on an external drive from Mavericks? I'm running Mavericks 10.9.4 on both my MBP and 27" iMac. I have my original OS9 install disc. I'd like to install OS9 on an external drive so I can use some classic apps that I'd like to use.
I tried to install directly to an external drive, but when I click on the Mac OS Install icon, I get the message "You can't open the application "%@" because it may be damaged or incomplete." The icon for Mac OS Install is the generic page with an A. Figuring that Mavericks doesn't recognize the app. Then I restarted and held down the C key - no luck.

I understand, but was hoping I boot off an external drive in 9. Thanks for your response and I apologize for my late response.

Veeam - How to remove a drive from the rotated hard drive media pool

Does anyone know of a way to remove a drive from the media pool of the rotated drive media repository?
I accidentally added one to the repository and now I want to get it out of there so Veeam Backup & Replication does not try to backup to a drive that is normally full.
This topic first appeared in the Spiceworks Community

Hi Frank, and a warm welcome to the forums!
There still is that paper clip hole, but on some G4s you have to remove the faceplate or even drive to do it.
Does it boot into Open Firmware with CMDOption+of ?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642
Boot into Open Firmware and eject If you have a Mac that will not startup properly and has a stuck disc, try booting into Open Firmware by holding down Command, Option, O key and F key during startup. After booting into Open Firmware, type the command eject-cd.

I have scanned a document, how do I save to a specific folder on an external drive from the Preview application?

I have scanned a document, how do I save to a specific folder on an external drive from the Preview application?

There is no 'Save as' in Lion. If it's a new document then select File -> Save will bring up a standard 'Save' dialog box which will allow you to specify the location. Otherwise select File -> Duplicate and then save the duplicate.

I had to remove my drive from a broken mac pro and put in another mac pro now my adobe master collection is telling to sign up for a trial

i had to remove my drive from a broken mac pro and place it in my spare mac pro, but now my adobe master collection is asking my to sign up for a trial

uninstall and clean adobe programs you 'migrated' - Use the CC Cleaner Tool to solve installation problems | CC, CS3-CS6
and then properly install your master collection.
Downloads available:
Suites and Programs: CC 2014 | CC | CS6 | CS5.5 | CS5 | CS4 | CS3
Acrobat: XI, X | 9,8 | 9 standard
Premiere Elements: 13 | 12 | 11, 10 | 9, 8, 7 win | 8 mac | 7 mac
Photoshop Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9,8,7 win | 8 mac | 7 mac
Lightroom: 5.6| 5 | 4 | 3
Captivate: 8 | 7 | 6 | 5
Contribute: CS5 | CS4, CS3
Download and installation help for Adobe links
Download and installation help for Prodesigntools links are listed on most linked pages. They are critical; especially steps 1, 2 and 3. If you click a link that does not have those steps listed, open a second window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'.

Removing a drive from IX2 in RAID1

I have an IX2 operating in RAID1 (mirror) mode with two 2TB disks. Write caching is not enabled.
I would like to remove a drive from the unit and continue using the IX2 with one disk.
Can I just power off and pull the disk out, or is there a danger I will lose all the data?

Just a question first: why would you like to do that?
Yes I would believe that would work out, if your NAS is really configured for RAID 1 ( not RAID0 or JBOD!). Then it operates as if one drive failed and system had to rely on the remaining...........
Various PCs / Laptops ( sorry I still really love Dell and Fujitsu ;-))
Supporting Customers ix2s and ix4s -- Love Networking ( not only technically ).
I am not a Lenovo Employee.
If you find a post helpful and it answers your question, please mark it as an "Accepted Solution"!

How do I remove backup files from desktop

I am having difficulty removing backup files that are locked from my desktop that I transfered from a backup external hard drive. It starts to delete but whern it gets to 0 it rewrites the file. this happens evn after I answer "remove all locked files".
Thank you
John Roberts

I was able to delete the backup.backup files once I :
1. ran disk repair
2. disconnected the external drive and restarted.
Also the 1password.backup files
( Other discussions helped greatly.)
Thank you,
John5

New to Macbook. How do I remove external drives?

Hi there,
I am new to Macbook and cannot remember if I need to safety remove external devices. Can someone please advise me.
Thanks

To safely eject external drives, drag them to the Trash from the Finder (if they're on the Desktop) or, from a Finder window, use the 'eject' arrow next to the name of the drive in the Sidebar.
And, yes, you need to do it! Otherwise, you might suffer data loss.
Good luck,
Clinton

Removing external drives from desktop

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for