Please help: OS9 to OSX file problems

wicky · #1 January 7th, 2005, 05:42 AM

I've just installed a new eMac in our office, and copied across all of the old working files (word, quark, etc.,) from the OS9 iMac that we had before.

The problem is, that I am now unable to edit the file names of these old files in OSX for some reason!! I've checked that each file has the correct permissions, and i've repaired the disk permissions for the whole volume using the disk utility on the installer CD, but the problem still persists.

Has anybody had similar issues, or does anybody have any ideas how to mend the problem?

(PS. OSX 10.3.7; all software has been updated; rebooted more times than I can remember)

Tommo · #2 January 7th, 2005, 06:14 AM

What error is it giving for not renaming them ? Definitely sounds like a permissions problem, did you copy them to the same partition as the OS ?

wicky · #3 January 7th, 2005, 06:32 AM

The disk is not partitioned, there is only one physical HD with one volume on it. It is not returning any error message, it is simply not allowing me to edit the file names even in the info panel.

I suppose I could open each file in turn and try to resave it, but there are lots of files!!! At best this solution would be an inadequate work around, and I'd like to avoid it if possible.

It's a fairly weird problem that I have never heard of before (obviously)... none of the usual permission mending tricks (that I know of) seem to have any effect.

JeffCGD · #4 January 7th, 2005, 06:53 AM

A quick question. Did all of the files have file extensions? Many files will require these in OSX if they did not SPECIFICALLY have metadata descriptions attached to them in OS9. (I know this can be an issue with Quark and Word files).

Tommo · #5 January 7th, 2005, 06:58 AM

By default the system disk under OSX is read only in all areas outside the home share. Try copying one of the files to your home share and renaming it there.

wicky · #6 January 7th, 2005, 07:01 AM

The issue isn't to do with opening the files, the permissions work fine in that respect (ie. not write protected). The specific problem is clicking on them and and editing the name in Finder.

In answer to your question, no they haven't got a suffix, however in order to give them a suffix I need to click on them and edit the name..... which is exactly what the OS is not letting me do.

wicky · #7 January 7th, 2005, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommo

By default the system disk under OSX is read only in all areas outside the home share. Try copying one of the files to your home share and renaming it there.

All of the files are already located in 'Users/Home/Documents'. Is that what you mean?

Tommo · #8 January 7th, 2005, 07:08 AM

If Users means the user you are logged in as yes, if not then look in the Users Folder and find the folder named after the username logged in and copy a file to the Documents Folder in there.

Sorry if this is a bit vague.