I bought the MacBook Pro barely used. I've had it for a while, just tried to copy files from an external HD that I had been using with my iMac to the MacBook Pro's internal HD. I get the grayed out circle with the slash across it. The external HD is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled); the internal HD is formatted APFS. I opened up Get Info on both of them. On the MacBook Pro, I am not allowed to change the Sharing & Permissions for system, wheel (whatever that is), nor everyone...they have the privilege(s) of Read & Write, Read only, and Read Only respectively. My external drive is similarly set up, just with my customized name instead of system and staff instead of wheel. However, I can freely change those privileges without unlocking anything. How do I get "the necessary permissions" in order to have control over the new Mac's internal HD. Thank you very much for any enlightenment that you can provide!!!
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Not allowed to copy files from former external HD to MacPro Internal HD
- Thread starter brifd1
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Which version of MacOS? Which MBP model? Can you create a new folder on the desktop of the user you’re logged in on the MBP from the external drive? Can you try to copy from the external drive to this desktop - connect the external drive and drag&drop a file to the desktop.
Do you have another drive around?
Or do you have even a USB flash drive around? That's all you need.
I offer "a test":
1. take the USB flash drive
2. format it to HFS+ (mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format)
3. connect it to your Mac, let the icon mount on the desktop
4. click ONE TIME on the icon to select it
5. bring up the get info box (command-i)
6. at the bottom, click the lock and enter your password
7. put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions)
8. close get info.
Now, try this:
Copy a file (or folder) from the Seagate external HDD TO THE FLASHDRIVE.
Does the file/folder "copy over" without problems?
Or, does it give you an error?
IF the file copies without problems, NOW try copying the file from the flashdrive to your INTERNAL drive.
Again, does the file copy this time?
Or do you have even a USB flash drive around? That's all you need.
I offer "a test":
1. take the USB flash drive
2. format it to HFS+ (mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format)
3. connect it to your Mac, let the icon mount on the desktop
4. click ONE TIME on the icon to select it
5. bring up the get info box (command-i)
6. at the bottom, click the lock and enter your password
7. put a check into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions)
8. close get info.
Now, try this:
Copy a file (or folder) from the Seagate external HDD TO THE FLASHDRIVE.
Does the file/folder "copy over" without problems?
Or, does it give you an error?
IF the file copies without problems, NOW try copying the file from the flashdrive to your INTERNAL drive.
Again, does the file copy this time?
1. Done 2. Selected Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
3. Ejected, re-connected, let it mount on desktop
4, 5, 6, 7, 8: Did, except already had "ignore ownership on this volume" selected (though always good to verify)
A file does copy from the Seagate to the flash drive without problems. From Disk Utility, I saw that it was formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
A files is not allowed to copy from the flash drive to the Internal HD. From Disk Utility, it is formatted as APFS
3. Ejected, re-connected, let it mount on desktop
4, 5, 6, 7, 8: Did, except already had "ignore ownership on this volume" selected (though always good to verify)
A file does copy from the Seagate to the flash drive without problems. From Disk Utility, I saw that it was formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
A files is not allowed to copy from the flash drive to the Internal HD. From Disk Utility, it is formatted as APFS
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You've somehow managed to lose all your permissions to the internal drive. You may be able to fix this using Terminal and the chmod command, but my bet is that you're going to need to reformat the drive and reinstall MacOS. It doesn't look like you've got much if anything stored on the drive, so this shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.
If you're not sure about what to do, I'd make an appointment with an Apple Genius and they can help you either fix the permissions or format and reinstall the operating system.
If you're not sure about what to do, I'd make an appointment with an Apple Genius and they can help you either fix the permissions or format and reinstall the operating system.
Bandito makes good points above.
Here's something you could try.
WARNING -- it will ERASE all your data that's currently on the MBP.
Get an external drive to serve as a backup.
BACK UP your MBP's internal drive to the backup drive.
I recommend using SuperDuper for this job (NOT time machine). SuperDuper is free to download and use for 30 days.
Now, open system preferences.
Go to the "system preferences" menu (menu bar) and choose "erase all content and settings".
This will invoke "erase assistant" and your administrative password will be required.
"Click through" the erasure process.
This will literally "wipe out" ALL user-installed data, leaving only the OS in the "Secure System Volume", factory-install Apple apps, etc.
I believe that when erase assistant is finished, you will see the initial startup screen (choose your language), just as you saw the first time the MBP booted up.
AT THIS POINT, CONNECT YOUR BACKUP DRIVE.
Now, start "clicking through".
Use setup assistant to "bring back over" your personal accounts, apps, data, etc.
See if this works for you.
IF IT DOES NOT, now it's time to make an appt. to visit the genius bar at a nearby Apple Store...
Here's something you could try.
WARNING -- it will ERASE all your data that's currently on the MBP.
Get an external drive to serve as a backup.
BACK UP your MBP's internal drive to the backup drive.
I recommend using SuperDuper for this job (NOT time machine). SuperDuper is free to download and use for 30 days.
Now, open system preferences.
Go to the "system preferences" menu (menu bar) and choose "erase all content and settings".
This will invoke "erase assistant" and your administrative password will be required.
"Click through" the erasure process.
This will literally "wipe out" ALL user-installed data, leaving only the OS in the "Secure System Volume", factory-install Apple apps, etc.
I believe that when erase assistant is finished, you will see the initial startup screen (choose your language), just as you saw the first time the MBP booted up.
AT THIS POINT, CONNECT YOUR BACKUP DRIVE.
Now, start "clicking through".
Use setup assistant to "bring back over" your personal accounts, apps, data, etc.
See if this works for you.
IF IT DOES NOT, now it's time to make an appt. to visit the genius bar at a nearby Apple Store...
@Fishrrman You have a good idea, but my guess is that it won't work as he doesn't have write permission for the drive. If it uses the system-level permissions, then it should be okay. Either way, it's worth a shot.
With an unregistered copy of SuperDuper, my only option is to Erase the external HD and then copy files from my files from the internal HD (I chose to backup all files, as that's apparently the only way to get the Mac OS moved over as well, per what SuperDuper had written in its dialog box). I found a large enough external HD to back up the external HD that I was about to erase. Then just to improve my possible odds, since the first external HD was going to be erased anyway, for the time being (since I'd like to have the versatility of using the external drives for Windows machines as well), I used Disk Utility to erase it and reformat it as APFS. Things were going swimmingly until they didn't. It looks like many of the files were copied over, but not enough to make the copy bootable.
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I don't know why the resource was busy unless it was because the screen saver engaged. Otherwise, the permissions on the copy are changeable by me (the one on the left in the picture). Thus, my theory was that, after changing the Startup Disk, I could then copy the copy over to the original HD. I will try this again, but this time won't step away from the machine just in case it was the screen saver that led to the failure, though it does indicate no such process. How odd!
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OP:
The OS you're using is OS 10.12 "Sierra", is this correct?
Then... DO NOT format your backup drive to APFS.
Format it to HFS+ (Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format).
NOW -- try SuperDuper one more time.
Do a FULL CLONE.
Does this end up bootable?
The OS you're using is OS 10.12 "Sierra", is this correct?
Then... DO NOT format your backup drive to APFS.
Format it to HFS+ (Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format).
NOW -- try SuperDuper one more time.
Do a FULL CLONE.
Does this end up bootable?
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More odd things today. The copy mounts. However, SuperDuper doesn't see it any more! I did not see your message until after it was formatted to APFS. However, now I can't reformat it to anything by APFS (no other options are provided by Disk First Aid).
I am trying the babysitting idea. The copying made it in a couple of minutes. I renamed the external HD so that I could more easily tell them apart (since they were named the same by yesterday's attempt). The replicating is taking a while. I noticed the battery was down to 20% and that SuperDuper was using a lot of power, so took a risk and plugged it in. Thus far, no impact, the replicating of the data volume is slowly taking place. Made it to finalizing just before 10.5 minutes. Done. Message said that it made it! I can change R/W permissions on the external HD. I can make the external HD a startup disk! Still can only have it formatted as APFS by Disk Utility, though. Now, the moment of truth. I'll try re-starting with the external HD as the startup. The first prompt with an input is that I don't have any authorized users. I authorize myself. I'm asked two more times. Then, it restarted. It got partially through, then restarted again.
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External HD started up pokey. Uh oh. Copied the permissions over as well. Started SuperDuper to copy to it before I noticed. Replicating took longer this way, but when it was done, it was bootable. Still, I've dug a deeper hole. Present situation: both the internal and this external HD, both formatted APFS, cannot have a file dragged from them nor to them.
It's not a good idea to do too much "foolin'" with permissions.
Not unless one really REALLY knows what one is doing...
Not unless one really REALLY knows what one is doing...
