Can't copy folders to USB key - HELP

[JustinVM]

Hmm, it actually makes sense then! Not too long ago I switched to The Unarchiver because Stuffit Expander was acting up when it came to unraring password-protected files. But here's the thing: I've found the ._.DS_Store file even in some folders that were never extracted/compressed!

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i don't know how that occured but my money is still on 'The Unarchiver' for creating them.
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Btw, I just tried to compress a music album/folder by right-clicking on it and selecting "Compress" and then unzipped the file with Unarchiver again - but it did NOT create a ._.DS_Store file though.

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if you were to test a few times with mp3 files,( i.e.) sooner or later a song named 'Against The Wind.mp3' would have an invisible friend named '._Against The Wind.mp3' created by The Unarchiver.
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I have a feeling that it only creates it with RAR files (though not all of them). Also, I've noticed that in some of my music folders where aside from mp3s I also keep a jpg cover of the album, there is also a ._name-of-that-jpg-pic hidden file in there - which will also prevent the folder from being copied to a USB key (even if there is no ._.DS_Store file in there)..... I'm totally confused about all this crap.....

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i suggest you trash The Unarchiver and d/l EasyFind. then search your Volume for ._. files.
select all and right click on EasyFind's window and choose Destroy.
all these ._. files are just useless crap.

keep in mind that snow leopards Finder is different and we now have 2 'com.apple.finder.plist' files...
~/Library/Preferences/ com.apple.finder.plist
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/ com.apple.Finder.plist

 

[upaymeifixit]

For some reason this post is really getting on my nerves, so I will do everything possible to fix it.

So if you delete this ._.DS_Store file, then you are able to transfer the folder?
What is the format of the flash drive? *Hint - Go to Disk_Utility.app to figure this out.

 

[jon08]

For some reason this post is really getting on my nerves, so I will do everything possible to fix it.

So if you delete this ._.DS_Store file, then you are able to transfer the folder?
What is the format of the flash drive? *Hint - Go to Disk_Utility.app to figure this out.

Why is it getting on your nerves?

Yes, if I delete the ._.DS_Store file, I can transfer the folder. Btw, some of my music folders also include a .jpg file (an album cover) - let's call it cover.jpg - and also include a ._cover.jpg hidden file but at the same time DON'T include the ._.DS_Store file, and I still won't be able to copy them - because the ._cover.jpg hidden file will prevent them from being copied. Again, if I erase this ._cover.jpg file, I will be able to copy.

My USB key is formatted in FAT32 format. Let me also remind you that it's not only my USB key(s), but also external drive that those problematic folders won't get copied to. My external drive is formatted in NTFS though (I have Paragon NTFS installed).

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i don't know how that occured but my money is still on 'The Unarchiver' for creating them.
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if you were to test a few times with mp3 files,( i.e.) sooner or later a song named 'Against The Wind.mp3' would have an invisible friend named '._Against The Wind.mp3' created by The Unarchiver.
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i suggest you trash The Unarchiver and d/l EasyFind. then search your Volume for ._. files.
select all and right click on EasyFind's window and choose Destroy.
all these ._. files are just useless crap.

Okay, I've downloaded EasyFind. So I can search for all ._.DS_Store hidden files on my computer and delete them all without worrying that I could cause any damage/corruption to my files?

What about the ._cover.jpg hidden files that in some cases also prevent folders from being copied to USB/HD - can I erase those too?

keep in mind that snow leopards Finder is different and we now have 2 'com.apple.finder.plist' files...
~/Library/Preferences/ com.apple.finder.plist
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/ com.apple.Finder.plist

What should I keep in mind about that? What role do they play?

 

[Tomorrow]

I had the same problem the OP is having - could copy files directly, but not folders.

This solution was quick, easy, painless, and worked for me.

Open Terminal.

Navigate to the directory containing the folders you're trying to copy (the source).

Enter this command: dot_clean <folder name>

It seemingly takes no time at all, but it cleans out the hidden "dot" files in the folder and makes it readable to your copy operation.

 

[jon08]

I had the same problem the OP is having - could copy files directly, but not folders.

This solution was quick, easy, painless, and worked for me.

Open Terminal.

Navigate to the directory containing the folders you're trying to copy (the source).

Enter this command: dot_clean <folder name>

It seemingly takes no time at all, but it cleans out the hidden "dot" files in the folder and makes it readable to your copy operation.

Sounds really easy, thanks! So I can select my entire folder with subfolders containing dot files and it will work on all of them?

 

[Tomorrow]

Sounds really easy, thanks! So I can select my entire folder with subfolders containing dot files and it will work on all of them?

Here's what I was doing.

I was trying to migrate my media to a rebuilt NAS. Primarily, it's in three main folders: Images, Video, and Music. I wanted to simply drag those folders to the new NAS volume, but I would get Finder Error -36 and it would abort.

So I'd go into the Music folder and try its contents (my iTunes folder and some backup library files). It copied the library files okay, then aborted - again with the Error -36 - when it got to the "iTunes Music" folder.

So then I'd go into iTunes Music and try to copy those folders over, and inevitably it would get to an artist's folder that it couldn't copy, and the whole thing would stop. I would have to go down to every single level in the directory tree to copy files, and I wasn't having it. Same with my Images, same with my Video.

So I opened up Terminal and navigated to the volume where my Images, Video, and Music source folders were, then executed:

dot_clean Images
dot_clean Video
dot_clean Music

After I did that, each folder copied with nary a hiccup.

 

[jon08]

Here's what I was doing.

I was trying to migrate my media to a rebuilt NAS. Primarily, it's in three main folders: Images, Video, and Music. I wanted to simply drag those folders to the new NAS volume, but I would get Finder Error -36 and it would abort.

So I'd go into the Music folder and try its contents (my iTunes folder and some backup library files). It copied the library files okay, then aborted - again with the Error -36 - when it got to the "iTunes Music" folder.

So then I'd go into iTunes Music and try to copy those folders over, and inevitably it would get to an artist's folder that it couldn't copy, and the whole thing would stop. I would have to go down to every single level in the directory tree to copy files, and I wasn't having it. Same with my Images, same with my Video.

So I opened up Terminal and navigated to the volume where my Images, Video, and Music source folders were, then executed:

dot_clean Images
dot_clean Video
dot_clean Music

After I did that, each folder copied with nary a hiccup.

Thanks! So if I run this command, it will delete all the dot hidden files in those folders for good? Or do they get created again later on if I copy/move them around from disk to disk?

i suggest you trash The Unarchiver

What app should I use for un-raring files then?

 

[Tomorrow]

Thanks! So if I run this command, it will delete all the dot hidden files in those folders for good? Or do they get created again later on if I copy/move them around from disk to disk?

That's my understanding. They may get re-created, but it will allow you to copy your folders first.

 

[jon08]

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i don't know how that occured but my money is still on 'The Unarchiver' for creating them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you were to test a few times with mp3 files,( i.e.) sooner or later a song named 'Against The Wind.mp3' would have an invisible friend named '._Against The Wind.mp3' created by The Unarchiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
i suggest you trash The Unarchiver and d/l EasyFind. then search your Volume for ._. files.
select all and right click on EasyFind's window and choose Destroy.
all these ._. files are just useless crap.

keep in mind that snow leopards Finder is different and we now have 2 'com.apple.finder.plist' files...
~/Library/Preferences/ com.apple.finder.plist
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/ com.apple.Finder.plist

So if I trash The Unarchiver, what app should I use to un-rar files?