# Errors while copying files (Error code -36)



## jamesgxyz (Aug 3, 2006)

Hi, 

I keep getting the following error intermittently while copying files in Finder:

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

I have a 20" Intel iMac with a 250 GB internal drive running OS X 10.4.7 with the latest updates, plus 2 external drives - one a Lacie 300 GB d2 Triple Interface Extreme (attached via Firewire) and the other a Lacie 300 GB Ethernet Disk mini (attached via USB 2.0).

The error has occured 3 times in the space of a few days.

  - The first time, I was copying files from the Firewire drive (which was NTFS-formatted at the time) to the USB drive (which is HFS+J formatted).  After the error occured, subsequent attempts to copy and open the file on the source (Firewire) drive were successful.

  - When it happened a second time, I had already reformatted the Firewire drive to HFS+J, so they were both HFS+J now, and I was copying files the other way (USB to Firewire).  The copy failed with the same error, but on a different file.  This time subsequent attempts to copy or open that file on the source (USB) drive failed - the file was corrupt and I had to restore it from a backup.

  - The third time it happened, I was copying files from the iMac's internal drive to the Firewire drive.  On this occasion, subsequent attempts to copy and open the file that errored on the source (internal) drive were successful.

This has all happened in the space of a few days, and has made me very worried - I can't even pin the problem down to one particular suspect drive or cable, since each time the error occured I was copying _from_ a different drive.  The Firewire drive was involved all 3 times (once as the source and twice as the destination) - but the only time a file got permanently corrupted was on the USB drive.

Any ideas what I should try next?

Thanks, James


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## random006 (Aug 8, 2006)

Hi James,

I've seen this as well (again with LaCie) and based on my research, the problem might be due to the use of Firewire.  At first I thought it might be the LaCie drives but not only did I try 3 different drives, other people have reported problems with other Firewire based devices.

If the Firewire drive has a USB port, try repeating the experiment you list above, only this time going from USB to USB.  Naturally, a known good copy of the file(s) in question should be used.

Give it a whirl and let us know!


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## jamesgxyz (Aug 9, 2006)

random006 said:


> Hi James,
> 
> I've seen this as well (again with LaCie) and based on my research, the problem might be due to the use of Firewire.  At first I thought it might be the LaCie drives but not only did I try 3 different drives, other people have reported problems with other Firewire based devices.
> 
> ...



That's really interesting.  The Firewire drive does indeed have a USB port - I've now connected both drives via USB so I'll let you know if how it goes!

Thanks, James


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## jamesgxyz (Aug 16, 2006)

Pinned it down to a dodgy firewire cable.


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## random006 (Aug 16, 2006)

jamesgxyz said:


> Pinned it down to a dodgy firewire cable.



Glad you found the problem!

I'm happy it turned out to be a simple matter of cabling. If you read more here and on Apple's discussion board it becomes apparent quite quickly that there something amiss in the land of FireWire.


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## frankrod1 (Jan 13, 2008)

For a few days now I've being trying to back-up my I-Photo Library (20 GB) to a LaCie drive (250 GB). It starts ok (even though it tells me that It will take 14 hours to do the chore) but after a while, or 300 or 400 MB later, it gives me the dreaded message: "The finder cannot complete the operation because some data in ...... could not be read or written. Error code -36". 

This really has me worried, because, first, I cannot find an easy way to back-up all my data, and second, when I try to move something from one place to another, I get the error code 36.

Any suggestions?

Frank


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