Cannot transfer files to my External HD

[Mattbull]

I have an iomega external HD. When ever I try to transfer files from my mac internal HD I get the message "the Item could not be moved because "iomega HDD" cannot be modified." This HD works fine with windows, but is doesn't seem compatible with my mac. Any way to fix?

 

[spinnerlys]

What format (file system) does it use then?

Either check via Get Info in Finder or Disk Utility.

It probably uses NTFS, see below for more information:

FAT32

• Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
• No individual file larger than 4GB.

NTFS

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
• To Read/Write NTFS from Leopard: Install MacFUSEand NTFS-3G. You can install both with NTFS-3Gfor Mac OS X.
• To Read/Write NTFS from Snow Leopard: Guide: Enable native NTFS Read/Write in Snow Leopard
• (Be aware that some are of the opinion that enabling native NTFS in SL is unstable/unreliable, and favor the MacFuse/NTFS-3G method for Snow Leopard)

HFS

• Read/Write HFS from native Mac OS X
• To Read/Write HFS from Windows, Install MacDrive
• To Read HFS (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer

MRoogle is a good tool to search these fora for already existing threads about the same issue and may solve your problem.

 

[123macman]

Plug the external HD into your mac and then open disk utility. Make sure all the files on the HD ARE BACKED UP then erase the hd in disk utility and reformat it. If you want it to work with a mac and windows chose fat 32 but if you only need it to work with a mac choose Mac os extended journal. Remember if you do this and choose fat 32 you can only transfer files no bigger that 4gb for each file. That is the only downside.

Hope this helps

and i did not mean to repeat "spinnerlys" he posted as i was typing this.

 

[Mattbull]

thanks for your help. I am currently operating in "journaled."I have about 2tb on my external hd and transfering/retransfering would kind of be a pain. Is there any other way to get the hd compatible with my mac other than reformatting my external HD?

Plug the external HD into your mac and then open disk utility. Make sure all the files on the HD ARE BACKED UP then erase the hd in disk utility and reformat it. If you want it to work with a mac and windows chose fat 32 but if you only need it to work with a mac choose Mac os extended journal. Remember if you do this and choose fat 32 you can only transfer files no bigger that 4gb for each file. That is the only downside.

Hope this helps

and i did not mean to repeat "spinnerlys" he posted as i was typing this.

 

[spinnerlys]

thanks for your help. I am currently operating in "journaled."I have about 2tb on my external hd and transfering/retransfering would kind of be a pain. Is there any other way to get the hd compatible with my mac other than reformatting my external HD?

Your external HDD is formatted in the "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" format?
If so, your Mac should be capable of writing to it, as the quoted message in my first post suggests.

Have you taken a look at GET INFO > Sharing & Permissions and seen, if your user is included there and has the appropriate rights.