Insufficient Disk Space but unable to delete or move files to EHD

Question

Insufficient Disk Space but unable to delete or move files to EHD

My daughter is home from her freshman year of college, and her MacBook hard drive is FULL. Her plan was to begin by moving her iPhoto files to her EHD, but told me it 'wouldn't let her.' She's right - I can't move or delete the photos in her iPhoto Library. I'm having the same issue with other file formats, including .docs.

What am I missing, or what should I be doing to resolve this? Many thanks (in advance!)

Posted on May 20, 2010 8:50 PM

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Answer 1

Lyssa

Level 8

41,327 points

May 20, 2010 9:10 PM in response to Ssabrina Kapp

What happens when you try to move files?

Any error messages?

How full is the drive?

~Lyssa

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Answer 2

May 21, 2010 5:35 AM in response to Lyssa

The drive is about 99% full (I know, I know ... trying to make my 19-year old daughter understand how BAD this is ... @#$@#$@#$ 😉 ) NO error messages even pop up.

In iPhoto as I tried to move files to the EHD, I had no luck at all. When I tried simply moving to the Trash, I had no luck EXCEPT for a couple of folders with only a few photos, and only then if I moved to trash from the File menu - no dragging, no copy/paste or cut/paste.

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Answer 3

Lyssa

Level 8

41,327 points

May 21, 2010 9:51 AM in response to Ssabrina Kapp

Hmm.

If you have another Mac and a firewire cable, you can try shutting down both machines, connecting them using a Firewire cable, then starting the other Mac. Once the other Mac is logged in & ready, boot up her troubled Mac while holding the T key held down. This should start the machine in Target Disk Mode, and its hard drive should show up on the other Mac as an external drive. From there, you should be able to move files.

~Lyssa

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Answer 4

May 21, 2010 10:40 AM in response to Lyssa

Thank you Lyssa! I will try this tonight.

Sabrina

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Answer 5

Lyssa

Level 8

41,327 points

May 21, 2010 1:50 PM in response to Ssabrina Kapp

My suspicion is that the operating system on her computer is too confused to be able to handle the commands given. Accessing the computer as an external drive should get rid of that problem.

Good luck!

~Lyssa

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