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    Why can't I move or copy folders within my external harddrive when I'm using it with my Macbook?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by BDronicus, Apr 20, 2009.

  1. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    I don't get it. I try to move one file into a folder and it says it can't be modified.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks!
     
    BDronicus, Apr 20, 2009
    #1
  2. HLdan

    HLdan Notebook Virtuoso

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    A little more info please? What files are you trying to move into which folder?
     
    HLdan, Apr 20, 2009
    #2
  3. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    Sorry.

    I'm trying to move loose music and picture files from the main directory into smaller folders, like "family pics" and "my music", etc.

    When I try dragging a file into a folder, it says it "cannot be modified". Same if I try to copy it.
     
    BDronicus, Apr 20, 2009
    #3
  4. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

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    Let me guess.
    You formatted the drive on a PC?
    The format is NTFS?

    OSX can only read NTFS, not write to it.
     
    Hep!, Apr 20, 2009
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  5. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    Sounds right. Yay!

    Now what do I do?

    Do I need to format it? If so, to what?

    Thanks!
     
    BDronicus, Apr 20, 2009
    #5
  6. Hep!

    Hep! sees beauty in everything

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    Do you use the drive on any non mac computers?
    If yes:
    Format to FAT32

    If no:
    Format to HFS (called Mac OSX I think in Disk Utility)
     
    Hep!, Apr 20, 2009
    #6
  7. waralex11

    waralex11 Notebook Geek

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    yes if you formatted it on PC.. you need to reformatted it on MAC..
     
    waralex11, Apr 20, 2009
    #7
  8. fins4o8

    fins4o8 Notebook Consultant

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    I can tell your expertise will help out in this matter.

    Back to subject at matter:

    There is no need to reformat to FAT32. You can write to NTFS if you install two apps: MacFuse & NTFS-3G.
     
    fins4o8, Apr 20, 2009
    #8
  9. Seshan

    Seshan Rawrrr!

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    Please go troll some where else.

    Do not format in fat32! It's a old and obsolete file system.
    Just do what fins4o8 said.
     
    Seshan, Apr 20, 2009
    #9
  10. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    Instead of FAT32, I would go the route like fins4o8 said, with NTFS and a piece of software installed. If you're just using it on a Mac, the it would be HFS+, which is called Mac OS X (Journaled) when you go to format it. ;)
     
    Colton, Apr 20, 2009
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  11. jackluo923

    jackluo923 Notebook Virtuoso

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    Fat32 is a very infficient, slow, obsolete format. It wastes a lot of your hdd storage spaces.
    NTFS is the way to go if you have large hdd volumes.
     
    jackluo923, Apr 20, 2009
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  12. easyeye

    easyeye Notebook Consultant

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    easyeye, Apr 21, 2009
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  13. pickster

    pickster Notebook Consultant

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    no need to spend any money.
    just download MacFUSE and NTFS 3G. Google them.
    that's how i use my ecternal HDD and bootcamp partition.
     
    pickster, Apr 22, 2009
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  14. BDronicus

    BDronicus Notebook Consultant

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    Gonna try the freebees first.

    Hope it works!

    Thanks to all for the suggestions.
     
    BDronicus, Apr 22, 2009
    #14
  15. Convoluted

    Convoluted Notebook Evangelist

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    I'd also recommend Paragon NTFS as well. Never had a problem with it, very simple installation. Haven't tried the freeware versions, but I'm sure they'll do just fine.
     
    Convoluted, Apr 22, 2009
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  16. Colton

    Colton Also Proudly American

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    Paragon is great, but it's quite expensive for a person who just wants to move a couple files. It would probably pay off to try the freeware versions first, and if the OP finds a freeware he likes, then stick with that. If not, then he could always try Paragon or some other software. ;)
     
    Colton, Apr 22, 2009
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  17. pickster

    pickster Notebook Consultant

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    there is seriously no need to pay $40 when MacFUSE and NTFS 3G do essentially the same thing. And they work too, I have been using them for over a month and its working out perfectly.
     
    pickster, Apr 23, 2009
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  18. NgCir

    NgCir Notebook Consultant

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    Are there any effects on performance when using MacFUSE and NTFS 3G? I'll have a Macbook pro next week and new backup drives and I'm wondering how I should format them. I'll be using windows via bootcamp quite a bit for 3d viz.
     
    NgCir, Apr 23, 2009
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  19. pickster

    pickster Notebook Consultant

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    Definitely format them as NTFS if you have to work with Windows computers. Cuz it'll be a pain to make them work with those computers otherwise.
    MacFUSE and NTFS 3G work perfectly.
     
    pickster, Apr 23, 2009
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  20. NgCir

    NgCir Notebook Consultant

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    Automated features like time machine will still work, correct?
     
    NgCir, Apr 23, 2009
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  21. pickster

    pickster Notebook Consultant

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    havent tried that out yet. but a quick google search suggests that you won't be able to use it with Time Machine.

    If you don't have to use it with Windows, format it completely as HFS and it'll work with everything.
    But if you do have to use it with Windows, make two partitions. One formatted as HFS [for time machine backup] and the other as NTFS [which will work with windows]. You will be able to use NTFS partition with the Mac [except Time Machine] with MacFUSE and NTFS 3G.
     
    pickster, Apr 23, 2009
    #21
  22. Luke1708

    Luke1708 Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    You can try to partition it and make 50% ntfs, and 50% hfs.
     
    Luke1708, Apr 23, 2009
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  23. NgCir

    NgCir Notebook Consultant

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    mmmmok, thanks for the replies pickster. appreciated.

    edit* off the topic, but I can't believe I did this. Like I said in earlier post, I'm waiting on new backup drives for my new mbp, which will be getting all the data from my dual G5 and recently dead PC. I bought a 2 TB drive thinking this entire time that I had two 500GB drives installed on the G5, but just now looked and they're only 2x250GB! Happy accident, as I gues I'll have lots of room to grow....
     
    NgCir, Apr 23, 2009
    #23