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Hard Drive does not appear in Finder / Desktop

I too am having the exact same problem. I've followed the instructions in the thread up to the ./SetFile -a v / bit, at which point I run into a problem. After entering the commands and double checking my syntax, I hit enter and get the following:

Code: 
ERROR: Unexpected Error. (-5000)  on file: /

I'm guessing this is a permissions error. I've already run a Permissions Repair in DU. Any suggestions?
 
Thanks for the awesomely fast reply.

And no, I'm trying to un-hide it. I have the same invisible HD problem as the original poster. It's making me very :(
 
problem fixed - a little more Googlin and I learned how to Sudo. Rebooting now to see if it fixed the drive problem!

For anyone else who may run into this problem in the future, the solution is to add the command "sudo" to the beginning of the command line. Like so:

Code: 
sudo ./SetFile -a v /

It will then ask you for your password to override the permissions.
 
The need to use sudo was covered earlier in this thread. ;)

But then I forgot that this thread was about the root drive not appearing in the Finder, so we're even. :)
 
Getting down to the "root" of my problem, after fixing the invisible drive I should have then been able to finish re-installing my Windows partition. I found out tonight that what had happened was the latest expansion to EVE Online, called "Trinity", which launched tonight apparently contained a critical bug in a certain part of content that has been erasing the boot.ini file from some Windows XP users' systems.

Yes, you read that correctly, EVE Online completely borked my laptop's operating systems. Apparently whatever it did affected my OSs so much that it cause me to have to re-format my windows partition and try to re-install Windows. Only I can't reinstall it, because somehow my macbook's CD drive has ceased working at the same time. When I put a disk in, it just clicks very quietly for a little while and then honks at me and spits the disk back out.

Today just hasn't been my day. :(
 
Easy Fix.

Far out guys! dont worry about all that terminal console crap!

Using FileBuddy from macupdate.com
1. Enable administrator privileges
2. File -> Get Info -> Choose -> Macintosh HD (default selection)
3. Uncheck the box on the left which should be ticked as invisible
4. Do a finder search for a file named "com.apple.sidebarlists.plist" (you will need to activate the search to include hidden system files, delete this file)
5. Reboot your computer.
 
I have some problem on my Leopard 1.5.1, how to fix it? Please help

Thanks
 
Thanks from another very happy reader

yellow said:
OK, soo.. using SetFile to make the root drive invis DID **** up the Finder.

Now it doesn't show the HD on the Desktop, even though it's checked in the Finder prefs, and that is confirmed in the com.apple.finder.plist as being visible (ShowHardDrivesOnDesktop=1, aka TRUE). Which would totally jive with your problems trying to use the Finder prefs and it having no effect at all.

/Developer/Tools/GetFileInfo on / shows that the drive is currently set to "V" (invisible), as opposed to "v" (visible). Setting it back to "v" worked!!

Hopefully this will take care of your problem:

You need to install XCode Tools. Either from the installer DVD, or downloaded from http://developer.apple.com. A basic install should do just fine. After installation..

Let's check and see what it's attirbs are:

Open Terminal.app, type:

cd /Developer/Tools
./GetFileInfo /

The output should have something like this in it:

Code: 
attributes: a[B][COLOR="Red"]V[/COLOR][/B]bstClinmedz

Does yours have a capital V or lowercase v?

If it's a capital V, then continue, type:

./SetFile -a v /

Now logout and log back in. Is your HD back on your Desktop?
It should be!

<crossed fingers> (damn I hope this works)

EDIT: Fixed a spelling mistake in /Developer/
Click to expand...

I am extremely grateful to you for the above fix which has also sorted out a problem for me which appeared 'from nowhere' on my 10 month old machine shortly after upgrading to Leopard. I have spent three full days trying to sort this out including two system re-installs. The next step was a 'clean' install but then I found this thread. Thanks again
:)
 
Easy Fix script

For anyone else who runs into this problem in the future, I made a quick and dirty script to run the command lines to fix this problem with a double-click instead of having to type it all out each time. The problem does reoccur from time to time, so having the script parked away in a corner on my desktop has proven convenient as all hell!

I'm logged on under my windows partition right now, but next time I log in on MacOS I'll attach the file to this post. If anyone needs it in the meantime, email me at outcry27@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you.
 
Drive fix script

Forums won't let me attach a .app file, so I just threw the script up on 1asphost.com. Download here. Enjoy!
 
yellow said:
I am assuming your script gives credit where credit is due, correct?
Click to expand...

No, you just click it and your drive reappears - there's no splash screen hailing and proclaiming myself as the creator of this awesome l337 code or anything. I'm assuming anyone who reads this thread far enough to download the script will have seen that the commands it works off of were posted by others earlier in the thread. ;)
 
yellow said:
OK, soo.. using SetFile to make the root drive invis DID **** up the Finder.

./SetFile -a v /

<crossed fingers> (damn I hope this works)
Click to expand...

Had the same issue, tried this, fixed it (killall Finder restarted everything, and it all shows up now. Thanks for taking the time and effort to help this guy, cause you helped me too!

Leigh.
 
One more suggestion

It's great that this thread is teaching terminal techniques, and trying to narrow down the root cause of a strange problem. I have one more suggestion, back up now! The OP mentioned that he had unbacked up pics and music on his computer. Any strangeness with a HD should immediately be followed by the question "how recent is my back up?" and updating it if it is uncomfortably old. Then the real troubleshooting can begin. Especially when you are applying root level commands and learning at the same time, things can and do go horribly wrong. The local Best Buy had an ad for an $88 320GB USB2 HD this week. That and an image of your boot drive created with Carbon Copy Cloner 3 on it - would be my first step in solving your issue or any HD issue in the future.

Cheers and good luck.
 
Terminal Commands Provide Only Temp. Solution

I've been following this thread with great interest.

Today I finally attempted the Terminal commands that have been recommended. While it did restore my Hard Drive to the Finder/Desktop temporarily, it hasn't proven to be long-term solution for me. I have attempted it several times and get the same results.

After doing the Terminal commands, the first log-out and log-in work fine. But, any additional times I log-out or restart my computer the Hard Drive once again disappears. Using FileBuddy to de-select the invisible option on the Hard Drive gets the same results.

Does anyone have any further ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Whew. Thanks to all who helped out in this thread; this had been driving me bonkers. No idea what caused it. I'll add my piece to help future fellow travelers:

If this happens to your root drive (which did on mine), following the instructions as written above will get you on track. You might need to type sudo before the ./SetFile command; do so if you get an error when you don't.

If this happens to a partition on your external (which did on mine), instead of typing ./GetFileInfo /, you'll need to type ./GetFileInfo/Volume/Nameofthepartition. If your partition has a multi-word name (mine did), you'll need to type the name of the partition in quotation marks, like ./GetFileInfo/Volume/"Name of the partition". Then when you use the SetFile command, remember to enter the same /Volume/etc string you entered when writing GetFileInfo.

I ran multiple searches and didn't see this thread. I ended up performing an archive and install and, of course, the problem was still there. I ran another search on google, and after a few mis hits, this thread came up. From there, it was trying to adapt the instructions toward finding both of my missing drives. Good luck to anyone else who gets this horrid bug.
 
ceperry said:
I've been following this thread with great interest.

Today I finally attempted the Terminal commands that have been recommended. While it did restore my Hard Drive to the Finder/Desktop temporarily, it hasn't proven to be long-term solution for me. I have attempted it several times and get the same results.

After doing the Terminal commands, the first log-out and log-in work fine. But, any additional times I log-out or restart my computer the Hard Drive once again disappears. Using FileBuddy to de-select the invisible option on the Hard Drive gets the same results.

Does anyone have any further ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
same here
 
OS10.5.3 was supposed to fix this issue.
*Fixes an issue in which certain attached hard drives may not show up in the Finder.

Still, my second hard drive does not appear on the desktop. It works normally, just no icon. I have to use the terminal or the show hidden items option to make it appear when I need it.
 
solved

WOWk so after 5 hourts of faffing about, I ran the command
cd /Developer/Tools
./GetFileInfo /,
checked for the capital V , ran the
sudo ./SetFile -a v /
and badda bing badda boom, there is my hard drive.
I did learn that the spaces thing is important
So, at least I now have all files that are backed up (yes, I was preparing to wipe/reinstall)

One thing thought, when I checked com.apple.finder.plist, I did not see anything like ShowHardDrivesOnDesktop 1. I wonder if that means my issue will recur.

Thanks for all the teaching everybody :)
 
No longer an issue with 10.5.3?

I used to suffer the above problem on only one of my 3 Macs. The 'fix' used to clear the problem for one or two weeks but it would come back and I would have to apply the fix again. However since upgrading the OS from 10.5.2. to 10.5.3 as soon as the upgrade was available (a couple of months ago?) I have never seen the problem again.
 
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