External HD read only

assakm0a

Registered
I have new powerbook G4 and I already had external HD 40 GB, it work fine and the system recognize it directly but I cannot add or modify any thing in the HD and it shows taht it is read only ???

how can I change it from read only to read and write.
 
Select and copy ('Command C') the next line of code ...

diskutil list; cd /volumes/; ls -la

Launch 'Terminal' ('/Applications/Utilities/' folder), do a paste ('Command V'), and press the <return> key.
Select and copy the contents of the 'Terminal' window, and paste into your reply.
 
Last login: Wed Oct 12 14:01:47 on console
Welcome to Darwin!
84-235-5-136:~ XXXX$ diskutil list; cd /volumes/; ls -la
/dev/disk0
#: type name size identifier
0: Apple_partition_scheme *55.9 GB disk0
1: Apple_partition_map 31.5 KB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 55.8 GB disk0s3
/dev/disk1
#: type name size identifier
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *37.3 GB disk1
1: Windows_NTFS New Volume 37.3 GB disk1s1
total 8
drwxrwxrwt 4 root admin 136 Oct 12 14:02 .
drwxrwxr-t 31 root admin 1156 Oct 12 14:01 ..
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 1 Oct 12 14:01 Macintosh HD -> /
drwxr-xr-x 1 khalidal khalidal 0 Apr 22 2009 New Volume
84-235-5-136:/volumes$
 
Barhar,
Please find the appove replay as per your request Thanks for your help I hope you will find the soluation.

Robn Kester,
I already check GetInfo and it shows for reading only thanks for your help
 
Get Info on the drive (Command-I), at the bottom check 'Ignore ownership on this volume'
 
Just open /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility and select the FW drive in the left-hand pane, then format it HFS+ (journaled).

Job done, with all the bells and whistles. :D


The GUI tools are gooooooooood, people. What's with all the CLI stuff for newbies?!?
 
As per your reply ...

'/dev/disk1
1: Windows_NTFS New Volume 37.3 GB disk1s1'

... defines your external (non boot) hard disk drive, hdd, as formatted as 'NTFS', with 37.3 GB of data space, and named 'New Volume'.

'drwxr-xr-x 1 khalidal khalidal 0 Apr 22 2009 New Volume'

... identifies 'New Volume' as read, write, and executable by 'khalidal' (the first one); read and executable by 'khalidal' (the second one); and, read and executable by anyone else. However, MacOS X ignores these settings and views the volume ('New Volume') to be read only.
To me, the '0' (in ''drwxr-xr-x 1 khalidal khalidal 0 Apr 22 2009 New Volume') confirms that no blocks can be written to, on this volume.

----

With respect to bobw's "Get Info on the drive (Command-I), at the bottom check 'Ignore ownership on this volume'". No can do.
I connected a 40 GB IBM drive (originally from a Mac; since formatted as NTFS - and have saved data to it from a Windoze XP PC) to the Mac via a Wiebetech Firewire enclosure. The 'disktuil ... ls -la' unix code was executed - and similar data as assakm0a's was presented.
In 'Finder' the NTFS formatted disc was selected and a 'Get Info' performed. Under the 'Ownership & Permissions:' disclosure triangle, is 'you can only read' - only.

-----

As per Veljo's post above and these (1, 2, ...) links ... to read and write to the 40 GB drive, 'assakm0a' - you must first copy the data on the drive to another hdd, reformat the 40 GB (via 'Disk Utility') as either a MS-DOS File System (FAT) or as a Mac only formatted hdd; and (optionally), copy back the data.

To actually perform the formatting - launch 'Disk Utility' ('/Applications/Utilities/' folder); click on 'New Volume' in the left side list; click the 'Erase' tab; select either 'MS-DOS File System', 'Mac OS Extended', or 'Mac OS Extended (Journaled)', then click the 'Erase' button.

----

I copied the NTFS's data to an internal hdd, reformatted it - as MS-DOS File System

Before reformatting the NTFS formatted DISK2_VOL1 hdd ...

'cd /volumes/; ls -la
drwxr-xr-x 1 s s 0 Apr 22 2009 DISK2_VOL1'

After reformatting 'DISK2_VOL1' as 'MS-DOS File System' (or 'FAT') ...

'cd /volumes/; ls -la
drwxrwxrwx 1 s s 32768 Oct 12 12:34 DISK2_VOL1'

Notice that '0' - in the 'before' list, is now '32768' - in the 'after' list? 'DISK2_VOL1' can now be written to.

Also, (after reformatting 'DISK2_VOL1' as 'MS-DOS File System') from 'diskutil list' ...

'/dev/disk3
#: type name size identifier
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *38.2 GB disk3
1: DOS_FAT_32 DISK2_VOL1 38.2 GB disk3s1'

----

Before copying NTFS files, temporarily saved to a Mac hdd, to a FAT ('MS-DOS File System') formatted hard drive - understand the differences, etc. between the two formats.
FAT vs NTFS will be left as an exercise for the student.
 
Thanks ::love:: ::love:: ::love:: ::love::

Thanks it works very well with me after I change it to DOS. ::love:: ::love:: ::love:: ::love::
 
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