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How do I unlock my external hard drive?

In Finder if you select the external HD then do a Get Info (cmd+I) it'll bring up a window. Under the General section at the bottom there's a check box for Locked. Make sure this is not checked. Do the same on some of the folders on the external HD.

Another check:

  • Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal)
  • type: cd /Volumes
  • type: ls -go
  • Copy and paste the line that refers to your external hard drive to this thread so we can see if any settings here are wrong. It may have permissions wrong or locked.
 
Is it a Windows formatted HD? There are two formats FAT32 and NTFS - one is read only on the Mac, and the other is read and write.

ATM, I can't remember which is which though, sorry.
 
jarmart said:
So I looked in the general section of the info window and I didn't see any check box for locked. I also did the terminal thing and this is the line that I got that refers to my external hd:

drwxrwxr-t 20 jarielma uchg 782 Jan 17 15:42 Portable HD
Click to expand...

The "uchg" part means it is locked. Not sure why you couldn't find the "Locked" check box though, but we can do this from Terminal.

  • cd /Volumes
  • chflags -R nouchg Portable\ HD
  • The above command will perform an unlock on the HD and recursively unlock every file and folder on the drive.

Edit: The Lock option in the Get Info may not have been present if it's a NTFS file system, which means the above commands may not work, though still worth a try. I haven't worked with NTFS HDs from Mac.
 
angelwatt said:
The "uchg" part means it is locked. Not sure why you couldn't find the "Locked" check box though, but we can do this from Terminal.

  • cd /Volumes
  • chflags -R nouchg Portable\ HD
  • The above command will perform an unlock on the HD and recursively unlock every file and folder on the drive.

Edit: The Lock option in the Get Info may not have been present if it's a NTFS file system, which means the above commands may not work, though still worth a try. I haven't worked with NTFS HDs from Mac.
Click to expand...

I just ran into the same prob as the OP, using a external hard drive NTFS formatted and tried the TERMINAL commands u posted. Didn't work though.

Still READ only, and I don't see a lock icon in the GET INFO window...hope anybody else has a idea?
I read on an other forum using ROOT + certain set of commands might do it but I'd rather not login as ROOT since I'm totally unfimiliar with TERMINAL and Leopard for that matter....I'm only in my fourth week ;) any suggestions guys?
 
i have the same problem.. my external hard drive are formatted as mac journaled, i try to changed the permission but it will not let me changed it. i can not acces any of my external hard drive, it says i do not have any permission to access it.. any one else have solution to this?
 
im having trouble also please help.

Im having trouble with a hard drive that will not let me read or write on it. i looked on my terminal like one of the posts said and i think this is the line pertaining to my hard drive please help

drwxr-xr-x 1 louisbri - 0 Apr 22 12:24 Backup01
 
I have the same issue with a internal drive.

I followed the Terminal instructions and this is the info I have.

drw-rw-r-T 69 2414 Dec 31 10:14 Mr. Tumnis

I have the same problem with the get info... no lock.
 
In your case, open Terminal and type:

sudo chmod g+w [drag your hard drive's icon into the Terminal window and it will fill in the rest]

Does that work?
 
Similar Problem Please help

I use to have a G4 that died but before it died, I'd backup the data on a external HD.
When I plug the external HD "MAC-DRIVE" into my other Mac all I can do is read the files.

I do not have any way to change the the Ownership & Permissions.
So my HD is locked.

Here is the info from Terminal...

drwxr-xr-x 1 joe2 - 0 Apr 22 14:24 MAC-DRIVE

Please help
Thanks
 
BlueRevolution said:
What filesystem is it? If it's Mac OS Extended, you can run the command I mentioned in my previous post.
Click to expand...

First... Thank You for helping. I'm at a complete lost of what to do.

In the System Profile it indicates NTFS.

I'd also installed MacFUSE. But I do not know what "benefit" it has done.
"Info" still shows that I do not have any method of changing Ownership & Permissions.

Thanks
 
BlueRevolution said:
Have you also installed NTFS-3g? You'll need that as well in order to get read/write support on an NTFS drive.
Click to expand...


Ok... installed NTFS-3G but now the HD will not mount at all.... here is the lengthy message I have. Could you please translate to plain english. This sounds more like "Windows" than "Mac"... thank you


NTFS-3G could not mount /dev/rdisk2s1 at /Volume/MAC-DRIVE because the following problem occured:

$LogFile indicates unclean shutdown (0, 0) Failed to mount "/dev/rdisk2s1': Operation not supported
Mount is denied because NTFS is marked to be in use. Choose one action:

Choice 1: if you have Windows then disconnect the external device by clicking on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon in the Windows taskbar then shutdown Windows cleanly.

Choice 2: If you don't have Windows then you can use the 'foce' option for your own responsibility. For example type on the command line:

mount -t ntfs-3g -o force /dev/rdisk2s1 /Volumes/MAC-DRIVE

Or add the option to the relevant row in the / etc/fstab file:

/dev/rdisk2s1 /Volumes/MAC-DRIVE ntfs-3g force 0 0

Thanks
 
DuRui said:
I just ran into the same prob as the OP, using a external hard drive NTFS formatted and tried the TERMINAL commands u posted. Didn't work though.

Still READ only, and I don't see a lock icon in the GET INFO window...hope anybody else has a idea?
I read on an other forum using ROOT + certain set of commands might do it but I'd rather not login as ROOT since I'm totally unfimiliar with TERMINAL and Leopard for that matter....I'm only in my fourth week ;) any suggestions guys?
Click to expand...

NTFS in read only, try install "macfuse" or type in "ntfs osx" in google, its something called nfts-3g that works! (your HDD is NOT locked) :D
 
BlueRevolution said:
Have you also installed NTFS-3g? You'll need that as well in order to get read/write support on an NTFS drive.
Click to expand...

Hi BlueRevolution. I am still stuck... I have installed ntfs-3g but now the HD will not mount.

Is there some configuration I should do in Terminal?

Thanks
 
Just plug it in to a Windows XP/Vista computer. The drive will appear, then manually eject it, unplug and connect it to your Mac and it should work fine. The problem is that it was uncleanly removed last time it was unplugged, so NTFS-3g is refusing to read/write in case the drive is damaged.
 
I tried the above command and got this message

chflags: LaCie RAD II: Permission denied
 
New Fix To Locked Drive

chflags: LaCie RAD II: Permission denied

Basically I tried the
cd /Volumes
chflags -R nouchg your\ hard\ drive\ name\ here

and it told me
chflags: LaCie RAD II:

But another computer was able to fix it with out running the terminal again

Background:
Drive: Mac OS Extended external drive.
Computers: iMac and Powerbook g4; 2 user accounts per machine have accessed this external drive.
Initially this drive came up with a little lock on top of the drive icon. I was trying to unlock this from both of my machines (iMac and laptop). Nothing worked then I ran the codes above and got the permission denied message.
Subsequently I took the external drive to my Lap top and it was still irrevocably locked under my non-admin account. Then I entered the admin account and though the external drives was locked it no longer had a lock icon on the drive icon. Subsequently I went into -command i- (for get) info and I was able to unlock it from there.

I am not sure what is was that fixed it in the end. I always set permissions on this external hard drive from my iMac yet my lap top (where I first started using this drive) admin account (not other users) seemed to have the master key to it. Myabe it was because I ran the terminal commands first or maybe it was only avialable to unlock from my Admin lap top account all along.

Who knows

PS the apple phone tech support was total ****. They would not comment on the external drive because it was not theirs. This problem had nothing to do with the brand of hard drive it was generated by my apple computer. Anyway what a waste of time and money with apple tech support.
 
Please Help:(

1. “In Finder if you select the external HD then do a Get Info (cmd+I) it'll bring up a window. Under the General section at the bottom there's a check box for Locked. Make sure this is not checked. Do the same on some of the folders on the external HD.” – Angel Watt

Another check:
Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal)
type: cd /Volumes
type: ls -go
Copy and paste the line that refers to your external hard drive to this thread so we can see if any settings here are wrong. It may have permissions wrong or locked.


I have tried the above and this is the results:

total 8
lrwxr-xr-x 1 1 Jan 25 21:18 Macintosh HD -> /
drw-rw---- 24 1156 Jan 14 20:08 Time Machine Backups

My hard disk is Mac OS Extended (Case Sensitive Journaled)

2. The "uchg" part means it is locked. Not sure why you couldn't find the "Locked" check box though, but we can do this from Terminal.
cd /Volumes
chflags -R nouchg Portable\ HD
The above command will perform an unlock on the HD and recursively unlock every file and folder on the drive.

I have also tried the above and here is the results:

rj-imac:Volumes rjelape$ chflags -R nouchg /Volumes/Time\ Machine\ Backups
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.0022412dbc5d: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.DS_Store: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.Spotlight-V100: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.TemporaryItems: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.Trashes: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.com.apple.timemachine.supported: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/.fseventsd: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Alico: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Alumco: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Desktop DB: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Desktop DF: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/My Blog: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/My Music: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/My Pictures: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/My Software: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/My Videos: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUALS-: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Personal Files: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Rj's File: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Simple Drive: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/System Volume Information: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/hatta small: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/iMovie Events.localized: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/lost+found: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/mac-softwares: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/my secured files.exc: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/standards: Permission denied
chflags: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups: Permission denied


3. I have also tried this from Blue Revolution

In your case, open Terminal and type:

sudo chmod g+w [drag your hard drive's icon into the Terminal window and it will fill in the rest]

And here is the result, I keyed in my password yet nothing happens

rj-imac:Volumes rjelape$ sudo chmod g+w /Volumes/Time\ Machine\ Backups
Password:

4. I have also tried the macfuse and ntsf-3g but nothing works, my external hard disk is still locked.

PLEASE HELP, Its been a month I was not able open this external storage. I have all the back ups here and all my files.
 
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