Can't Copy Files from Mac to External HDD

melvsim

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Mar 12, 2014
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I have a Toshiba 2TB external HDD which is in NTFS. I have used it before (just last week!) to move files from my MacBookPro13 to it but now it won't let me move anything no matter what the size of the file.

I have tried running disk utility but all the options are greyed out including Verify Disk.

Since I have successfully moved files from my MacBookPro to it previously, I would like to continue using it without reformatting it.

What should I try next?
 
Solution
I'm not real familiar with MacOS, but it sounds like you either need to reinstall whatever driver you were using to write to NTFS drives or possibly use this to edit your fstab file.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57588773-263/how-to-manually-enable-ntfs-read-and-write-in-os-x/
Mac doesn't have native write support for NTFS. Are you sure it was NTFS the last time you wrote to it? Normally for cross platform support, external drives will either be formatted as FAT32 or exFAT. I prefer to use exFAT over FAT32 due to file size limitations.
 

melvsim

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Mar 12, 2014
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Yes, I have formatted the HDD once before and then proceeded to use it with the MBP. I have not re-formatted it since nor changed the file system on the HDD. It's very puzzling why I have been able to use it up until last week and then I can't.
 
I'm not real familiar with MacOS, but it sounds like you either need to reinstall whatever driver you were using to write to NTFS drives or possibly use this to edit your fstab file.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57588773-263/how-to-manually-enable-ntfs-read-and-write-in-os-x/
 
Solution

melvsim

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Mar 12, 2014
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Thanks. Will try it later. Seems they need for my HDD to have a one word name but mine has two so I'll see how I can change the name and try that out.