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Weird Write problem 10.4.10 (error code -36)

B

Ben Kei

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 30, 2002
204
1
London UK
Hello, I hope someone can help with this.

A colleague has brought in her MacBoook (Dual 2gig Blackbook - 10.4.10) today because it's having a few issues.

She had told me that she couldn't attach files to e-mails so I said I'd take a look, expecting it to be something as simple as no file type on the file names or something.

Now there seems to be a problem with moving files to the desktop, creating folders on the desktop etc.. if I try to move a file to the desktop it says:

"The Finder cannot complete the operation because some data in "filename.doc" could not be read or written. (Error code -36)."

There is still 18gb left on the drive so it's not a psace issue, I've checked read/write permissions, they are fine. I've repaired permissions too.. nothing major there.

If I try to create a new folder on the desktop it seems to reboot the finder.
The title bar and HD icon on the desktop disappear temporarily then reappear but no folder is created.


:EDIT: File vault is turned ON.
I have no experience with file vault at all.. is this a feature of it? or an artefact of it?


Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ben
 
Are there any apps running or any theme changers? If you create a new account for your friend, does the same problem happen there? Error -36 is pretty generic but it's weird to be getting it with the Desktop.
 
mad jew said:
Are there any apps running or any theme changers? If you create a new account for your friend, does the same problem happen there? Error -36 is pretty generic but it's weird to be getting it with the Desktop.
Click to expand...

No apps running and no theme changers.

I'll try adding a new account and see what happens there.

Thanks!
Ben
 
Right,

I just created a second account and everything works fine.

File vault is off and the user cannot administer the machine but otherwise everything is the same.

What is likely to have happened to the original (and admin) user account to not allow desktop access?
Baring in mind that all read/write permissions are set correctly (on sight at least)
 
mad jew said:
Okay, I missed your edit concerning FileVault in the first post. Has this been disabled on the dodgy account?
Click to expand...

Not yet, it's actually my colleagues boyfriends machine and she's a bit iffy about doing things to it without him here.

I'll tell her it has to be tried and I'm sure she'll be fine ;)

Thanks mate,
Ben
 
Yeah, FileVault is dodgy. Tell her to tell him to turn it off. If he's paranoid about the security of his data then tell him to create an encrypted disk image in Disk Utility instead. :)
 
Sounds like a drive error. Have you tried booting from the install DVD and repairing the drive?

My flatmate had a file that wouldn't delete (I think it gave an error -36 too) and it was some minor drive corruption.
 
Well I think there must be a disk error now.

I just tried to disable Filevault and it says it can't do it because there is not enough space do decrypt the drive.

OK, I can understand that..

Here's the thing though, it says it needs an additional 4080.0 gb to decrypt the drive!

Surely this is a problem with the file system? I'm guessing it's not an issue with the way Apple have worded the error message. Four thousand and eighty gigs space? There is no way they would have 'accidentally' written gigs when they meant megs is there?

Thanks!

Ben
 
This is acutally a know inssue with Filevault and there is an KB article on it. See here for more info and the suggested solution
 
xUKHCx said:
This is acutally a know inssue with Filevault and there is an KB article on it. See here for more info and the suggested solution
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! but urgh.. what a pain that fix is.
Not really something I can do on the quiet while I'm supposed to be working ;)

Thanks again,
Ben
 
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