External Hard Drive Woes

[udontno]

I have an external hard drive that I had been using for years with my MBP. The last time I used it I used it with another Mac running Windows. I go to plug it in and find I can't add a new folder... I'm pissed. I didn't reformat the drive or anything the last time I used it. All of my information is still there. I'm now trying to drag things to the desktop so I can clear off the drive to reformat it, but I just got an error message saying that I don't have permission to access some of those documents.

Any advice?

ETA: I just got a message saying that the folder can't be copied because there isn't enough space. What do you suggest I do now?

 

[Fishrrman]

"I just got a message saying that the folder can't be copied because there isn't enough space. What do you suggest I do now?"

Well.... free up space by throwing other stuff away.

Also, try this:
a. mount the external on the desktop so that only the icon for it is showing.
b. click ONE TIME on the icon to select it
c. type "command-i" (eye) to bring up the get info box
d. down at the bottom of the box there is a lock icon
e. click on the lock icon and enter your password
f. there should also be a checkbox to "ignore ownership on this volume". Put a checkmark in it and close the get info box.

Does that change things?

 

[udontno]

"I just got a message saying that the folder can't be copied because there isn't enough space. What do you suggest I do now?"

Well.... free up space by throwing other stuff away.

Also, try this:
a. mount the external on the desktop so that only the icon for it is showing.
b. click ONE TIME on the icon to select it
c. type "command-i" (eye) to bring up the get info box
d. down at the bottom of the box there is a lock icon
e. click on the lock icon and enter your password
f. there should also be a checkbox to "ignore ownership on this volume". Put a checkmark in it and close the get info box.

Does that change things?

I'm unwilling to "throw other stuff away" The stuff on my hard drive currently as well as the external is all very important and I can't delete any of it.

I will try your suggestions when I get home and back to my Mac.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I'm unwilling to "throw other stuff away" The stuff on my hard drive currently as well as the external is all very important and I can't delete any of it."

Well then, you're just going to have to accept the reality that at some point the drive will "fill up", and that you won't be able to store anything more on it...

What else is there to say?

 

[elf69]

If you created it on windows all you need is an NTFS driver.

I bought paragon one now can read and write to NTFS drives.
Surly that easier than take it all off, reformat and put files back.

 

[udontno]

OP wrote:
"I'm unwilling to "throw other stuff away" The stuff on my hard drive currently as well as the external is all very important and I can't delete any of it."

Well then, you're just going to have to accept the reality that at some point the drive will "fill up", and that you won't be able to store anything more on it...

What else is there to say?

I think you misunderstood my post. I was trying to copy from the external to my hard drive so I could erase the external and reformat, but then I quickly realized there is way too much crap on the external to move it all to my hard drive, hence the running out of room message.

If you created it on windows all you need is an NTFS driver.

I bought paragon one now can read and write to NTFS drives.
Surly that easier than take it all off, reformat and put files back.

I didn't create the external on windows though. I have used this external with this computer for a long time and have no idea how it got into that format. It was in a format (I can't remember the name) where it could be read and wrote by both Windows & Mac.

 

[elf69]

OK so was fat/fat32.

Then if you have two machine, both not have enough room to backup the drive?

Windows can easily corrupt drives and do weird things, that one more reason I moved to apple mac.

Windows seem to mount drives strange compared to mac.

 

[bent christian]

Probably exFat.

It sounds like you just need to adjust the permissions of the drive (Get Info).

 

[udontno]

OK so was fat/fat32.

Then if you have two machine, both not have enough room to backup the drive?

Windows can easily corrupt drives and do weird things, that one more reason I moved to apple mac.

Windows seem to mount drives strange compared to mac.

I do have two machines but haven't thought about plugging the drive into my work computer. It's a laptop, but it rarely leaves its docking station at work.

Probably exFat.

It sounds like you just need to adjust the permissions of the drive (Get Info).

Will look at that when I get back to the drive.