unable to move .avi files in a folder to my external seagate hard drive

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Level 1

8 points

unable to move .avi files in a folder to my external seagate hard drive

please help me! whenever i try to do so, it consistently says "cannot move _, an error has occurred (error code -50)" or "the item ___ is in use" even though nothing is open but the finder! help me out here, please.

macbook 13" inch, aluminum, Mac OS X (10.6.4), bought in november 2008.

Posted on Aug 11, 2010 3:49 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Aug 11, 2010 5:50 AM in response to adela !

Try it booting into safe mode (hold the shift key at startup).

If that doesn't work, where is the file stored presently?

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Answer 2

direwolf8

Level 4

1,286 points

Aug 11, 2010 2:00 PM in response to adela !

Is your external drive connected via firewire or usb, or is it network attached storage?

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Aug 11, 2010 2:07 PM in response to adela !

Is the hard drive Mac formatted?

Is it FAT32 or NTFS from PC?

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Answer 4

adela ! Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 11, 2010 4:01 PM in response to adela !

the files are presently stored in folders on my desktop.
the external hard drive is a 500gb seagate silver, connected to my computer via usb 2.0.
it is formatted as a mac extended volume.

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Answer 5

adela ! Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 11, 2010 4:21 PM in response to adela !

just tried to boot into safe mode and move the files - didn't work.
another problem with my seagate drive - it absolutely refuses to eject when i tell it to! i have to force eject it every single time, even after repairing and verifying it on disk utilities.
and even then, sometimes when i try to repair and verify, i can't - because the disk refuses to unmount.

i sound desperate, but i really am! please help - even if i bought a new drive, it would be hard for me to move stuff around because there isn't space on my computer for EVERYTHING on my drive - and i could only get a new hard drive if i can move stuff around. argh.

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Aug 13, 2010 6:12 AM in response to adela !

The good news is there is finally a hard drive copying mechanism that requires no computer!

You will need to remove the hard drive from its external case and put it in that mechanism, but at least it will solve your file copying issues.

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2010/03/30/startech-satdock22r-usb-to-sata-standalone-h ard-drive-dock-duplicator-review/

I don't work for Startech, just am a very happy customer.

That's just something to keep in back of your mind should you end up getting a new drive.

Since the drive is USB, it likely is getting hung by other USB devices on your system. Go to Apple menu -> About This Mac -> More Info, and select USB.

Make sure the hard drive is not on the same bus as other devices. Every single item on the same bus can slow down the hard drive.

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