Files Not Transferring to External HDD

R

Rudy Meadows

Registered
Hello,

I am having issues getting files to transfer from my computer (MacOSX) to my external Hard Drive (it is an "Elements" hard drive) When ever I try to add files to the HDD I get an error message that reads as, "The finder cannot complete the operation because some data in "file name" could not be read or written. (error code - 36)" What I don't understand is why I have previously been able to add files but I currently can not. I can however take files from the HDD. What can I do to fix this?

Thank you for your time,
Rudy
 
I'd be looking at the format too ... then at the file name/s, to check that they don't contain certain characters that could be causing the problem. This is a long shot but do you have plenty of room on your inner HD?
 
The format of the external is MS-DOS(FAT32)

Personally that means nothing to me but maybe it will help.

And I have plenty of space available on my internal, I have 63 gigs...but I'm trying to free up more by transferring files.
 
Yes, that helps tremendously. FAT32 is a dated, old disk format that has several limitations that don't play well with Macs. First off is that it does not support some characters in filenames, such as dollar signs among others. Second, it does not support the storage of files larger than (2^32)-1 bytes (1 byte under 4GB).

If you intend to use this drive solely with Macintosh computers, then I would recommend re-formatting or re-partitioning the drive and using the HFS+ format (Mac OS Extended [Journaled] format). Be aware that re-formatting/partitioning removes all data on the hard drive, so copy the data on the hard drive somewhere else before proceeding with the format.
 
I did not intend this external for a mac. I got it for my home computer before I left for college, then I got a mac for college. How would I go about reformatting my external HD
 
Rudy Meadows said:
I did not intend this external for a mac.
Click to expand...

Just want to clarify that you do want to format the ext drive for use solely with your Mac?

If so, connect it up then launch Disc Utilities, (Applications ~> Utilities ~> Disc Utility) Select your ext drive in the left column and then click the Erase Tab. Then follow the instructions in the previous post about reformatting the drive.
 
If you choose MS-DOS, the drive will work with both Mac/PC ... otherwise use the format mentioned above for use solely with Mac OS. Don't forget to back up any important data on the ext drive beforehand. :)
 
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