Can't move files - white circle with white line through it?

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Level 1

112 points

Can't move files - white circle with white line through it?

OsX 10:4:10

Suddenly I cannot move files from one drive to another, or from drive to desktop. Recently updated everything.

White circle with white line through it appears.

Network awaiting news footage. I'm stuck. What might this be?

Any help would be most appreciated,

Ben

G5 2.5Ghz, Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Posted on Aug 20, 2007 5:53 PM

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Answer 1

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Aug 21, 2007 6:02 PM in response to Malcolm Rayfield

Hi guys,

A mystery. I think it was the external drive I was working with. I disconnected the funky external drive, logged in and out of the tower, and now I can transfer files back and forth again.

BUT!

A new glitch. I'm trying to move one file from the tower to my laptop using one of those little USB drives. I can move the file to the USB drive. But when I connect the USB drive to the laptop I CANNOT move the file to the desktop! White circle, white line. BUT! In the very same folder I have another file that DOES move, both transfered at the exact same time!

One file is a Photoshop 'layered' PSD file. The other is a Photoshop generated flattened JPEG of the exact same thing. The JPEG can be moved from drive to drive to desktop. The PSD file can be moved from the tower drive to the USB drive, but WON'T allow itself to be moved from USB to laptop desktop.

Beyond me. Any ideas?

I did trash that preference file before trying this latest round.

Ben

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Answer 2

dreed2

Level 7

25,730 points

Aug 21, 2007 6:54 PM in response to Ben Low

Right click on the file that won't be moved and select "Get Info". Then check Ownership & Permissions. You may need to repair your permissions, as I mentioned earlier.

Message was edited by: dreed2

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Answer 3

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Aug 21, 2007 10:07 PM in response to dreed2

Cher Dr. Dreed2

I'm repairing my permissions twice a day every day. I'm not sure that will do the trick. Certainly had no effect on this situation. Is there such a thing as 'repairing permissions' on a single file? Which would be beyond my understanding of the function of 'permissions'.

Ben

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Answer 4

megagram

Level 1

95 points

Aug 21, 2007 11:12 PM in response to Ben Low

Repairing permissions only fixes system files and application support files. It does not touch your documents or any files created by the user.

What you could do is get info on your USB drive and select "Ignore ownership on this volume".

I'm not quite convinced this is a permissions problem, however. Are you using an administrator account? I changed a file of mine to be owned by "root" (aka superuser) and changed the permissions no no read write or execute access. I could still move the file around at will using my user account.

What are the permissions of the file in question? Open a get info window and select "Ownership and Permissions" and view Details. Can you list out who the owner is and what the access is for each listing (owner, group, other)? Thanks!

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Answer 5

dreed2

Level 7

25,730 points

Aug 22, 2007 4:50 AM in response to Ben Low

Yes, on a single file you right click and choose Get Info. Down at the bottom of the window that opens, click on the triangle next to Ownerships & Permissions. (If the file already says read & write, then I have no more ideas...)

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Answer 6

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Aug 23, 2007 11:34 AM in response to dreed2

Hi megagram & dreed2,

Thanks for staying with me on this.

USB drive and errant file both have 'read and write' clicked. There is no 'ownership' choice in the info pop-up.

Nor is there 'Ignore ownership on this volume' choice for the USB drive.

I'm using an administrator account. I created a 'root' account, but it didn't seem to have any effect - didn't fix the problem. (I don't like messing around with 'root' account stuff.)

I'm not running as a 'client in a Mac OSX Server environment'. Just as an 'admin' with the one tower and a rotating bunch of external drives (projects).

I did a work-around for now ... shipped the 'unmoveable' file out to an ftp site (it would allow me to do this), and I haven't heard if the downloaded file is causing any problems on the other end (yet).

If I come across a solution I'll post. It may have something weird to do with that funky drive (now returned to its owner), and me creating this particular file that same day as the funky drive was giving me problems. (Though the file was not ON the drive.)

And the (almost new) computer did go down for a day last week ... would not reboot ... took it to the shop, nothing wrong with it, brought it home, it's been working fine ever since. Go figure.

Thank you kindly for all your suggestions...

Ben

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Answer 7

baraboom

Level 1

0 points

Sep 5, 2007 9:12 AM in response to Ben Low

so, ive got a macbook and an external usb wd "my book" 320gb external hard drive, formatted fat32 and am experiencing the same problem, which came out of the blue

i can copy files to the external just fine and access them (eg, view, listen, edit/save) but if i try to move them around, eg, to the desktop or another drive or just another folder on the same drive, i get the small white circle with the line through it

ive rebooted, ive verified the external with disk utility, i'm not sure what else to try - this thread is not very encouraging

btw, it seems to effect ALL files on the drive (180gb worth)

thx in advance
-boom

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Answer 8

Nov 10, 2007 9:42 PM in response to Ben Low

I'm having this problem as well. I've been having it on and off since I got this computer last April. I repair and reboot, and if I never try to pull anything off a (burned) CD or (burned) DVD, things seem okay. But then as soon as I try that, it shows those files as unable to be moved onto my computer, and then usually no other files will move anymore, whther it's from folder to folder or external disk to HD or whatever.

I just want to know what to do to be able to get burned files off a DVD or CD, which I can never do, even after fixing the other moves. I thought maybe it had to do with brands, but it happens with Verbatim as well as TDK and Maxell. I'm at a loss, and I can't just keep buying external drives to store and transfer files! I have to be able to put some on DVD disk and be able to get them back on my computer.

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Answer 9

dreed2

Level 7

25,730 points

Aug 20, 2007 8:04 PM in response to Ben Low

Have you repaired permissions with Disk Utility? (Applications/Utilities)

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Answer 10

megagram

Level 1

95 points

Aug 20, 2007 8:38 PM in response to Ben Low

Does this apply to all your files? Or just specific files? What filetypes are affected? Or what location are the affected files in? More details will help towards a solution.

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Answer 11

Aug 20, 2007 9:43 PM in response to Ben Low

Try deleting "com.apple.recentitems.plist" from the "Preferences" folder in your "Library" folder, then relaunch the Finder.

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Answer 12

megagram

Level 1

95 points

Aug 21, 2007 11:14 PM in response to Ben Low

Here's another thought... are you running a Mac as a client in a Mac OS X Server environment?

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Answer 13

dreed2

Level 7

25,730 points

Aug 30, 2007 6:38 PM in response to Ben Low

Ah well... I suppose stranger things have happened. But it is a mystery.

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Answer 14

baraboom

Level 1

0 points

Sep 5, 2007 9:28 AM in response to baraboom

just fyi, after i posted, i powered down everything, disconnected the drive, powered up and then reconnected the drive. these "steps" seemed to resolve my problem, hopefully this'll help others

-b

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