# Can't delete files from external hard drive.



## naby (May 10, 2006)

I recently switched from PC to Mac and I have an external HD that I used to back up all my files when I was using a PC. Today I was going through my files and I tried deleting everything that I didn't need or want any more. The HD would not let me delete anything. The permissions says read only and it will not let me change it. How can I fix this without reformatting my HD? 

The HD is using the NTFS file system.


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## bobw (May 10, 2006)

From a Mac, you can only read a NTFS drive, not write or delete.

Get Info on the Drive and see if you can Ignore Permissions and see if that does anything. Otherwise, hook it up to a PC and reformat as Fat32.


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## naby (May 10, 2006)

It does not look like I can ignor permissions unless I am doing it wrong. I can't get anything to happen when I click on permissions or read only. I can't reformat without losing everything.


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## bobw (May 10, 2006)

Maybe use PartitionMagic on the PC and change the partition scheme. Make a second partition Fat32 and put the files on there and then the Mac will read/write.


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## ShotgunSaint (May 14, 2006)

I had this same problem with my WD hard drive.  You're gonna have to reformat.  I wouldn't use Partition Magic because it doesn't make physical partitions, only virtual ones.  This is why you can't use Partition Magic to make a dual boot system on Windows.  Hook your HDD up to the PC, and burn off data disks of everything you don't want to lose.  Then, reformat as FAT32 and take it back to your mac.  Never let it touch your PC again.  Well, that last step isn't necessary but if I were a hard drive I wouldn't wanna be hooked up to a Windows machine.  XP is VERY sloppy with where it throws data, requiring frequent defrags.
*gets down off of soapbox, quits derbying*


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## bobw (May 14, 2006)

> This is why you can't use Partition Magic to make a dual boot system on Windows.



This is false.

I used Partition to make a dual (XP and 2000Pro) boot system with no problems. At one time I had 4 partitions with a different system on each, made with PartitionMagic.


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## nixgeek (May 14, 2006)

I have to agree with bobw.  I did the same thing when I made a dual-boot system using Partition Magic.  Even under Linux, the newly resized WIndows partition was seen as a smaller partition, so the partitions aren't virtual.  If they were virtual and something only seen using Partition Magic, the Linux installation wouldn't have been able to be installed.


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## sinclair_tm (May 14, 2006)

why use partition magic?  i would just copy the files i what to keep to the mac, and just use the mac to reformat the drive.  if you need it to work with pcs and macs, then format fat32, which the mac can do.  if it doesn't need to goto pcs again, than format hfs+, and the mac will work with it better.  then copy all the files back.  and it saves you from spending more money.


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## bobw (May 15, 2006)

Sinclair

You need to read the first post.  



> The HD is using the NTFS file system



The drive is read only on a Mac.


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## ra3ndy (May 15, 2006)

Unless I'm sadly mistaken in my recall, you should still be able to copy files FROM an NTFS drive onto the Mac's HD, reformat the external, then move the files you want to keep back to the external.  No?


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## timswim78 (May 15, 2006)

ra3ndy said:
			
		

> Unless I'm sadly mistaken in my recall, you should still be able to copy files FROM an NTFS drive onto the Mac's HD, reformat the external, then move the files you want to keep back to the external.  No?



Assuming that you have enough space on your Mac's internal drive, that should work just fine.


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## ShotgunSaint (May 15, 2006)

Hrmm, point taken.  This contradicts everything I've heard about partition magic from people I trust, but if it works, it works.


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## ex2bot (May 20, 2006)

Even though OS X can only read from a NTFS volume, you should be able to reformat that volume as with HFS+.

Doug


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