I'm trying to copy large files from a FW drive to a USB drive. Both drives are fine as are the files, however every file I try and copy over I get the same error message "error code -36". I believe this has surfaced since the last upgrade from 10.5.6 or 7 to 10.5.8.
Siberian wrote:
every file I try and copy over I get the same error message "error code -36".
That seems to be a popular error recently. If you do a Web search for "finder copy error 36" (without the quotes), you'll see a number of mentions, some with advice.
If you need to come back here for more advice, please describe the format of the source and destination drives.
Thanx for your replies. No I'm not out of disk space, it's not a permissions issue, VLC and any other program can see and access the files with no problem and the Finder actually finds them as well. It's copying that's the problem. They are relatively large files. 900Megs to 7.3 Gigs.
Transfer from HD to FW device is fine, no problems. It's going FROM FW to HD or FW to USB that the error appears.
Here's a convoluted way to get them over. Transfer rates are abysmal. This is going from a FW device to a USB 2 device.
Run Data Rescue and dump the files onto the HD. Then copy them over from there. PAINFULLY slow. Any ideas? TIA
It is. What's interesting is that file is visible and accessible - yet Time Machine can't back it up, Finder can't invoke File Copy. The files are HFS+ Journaled. I also tried two separate FW cables, same issue. I rebooted, I also shut the machine down and the same conditions persist. The drive is a Seagate 200Gig external drive.
Oh well, was just hoping for some miracle or "duh dude, why don't you...". Thank you for taking the time. Appreciate it. Will reformat the drive once Data Rescue manages to transfer what's on it - probably two weeks at the rate it's going 8-)
If you've read through most of the info on the error you will know that a corrupted file can cause this problem and produce an Error -36 alert. Also the filename (too long or contains illegal characters) can elicit the error. You may want to verify that the file in question isn't damaged or uses a questionable filename.
Kappy, I did read through most of entries related to this error code. The files are fine. As I said, VLC for example can access them and play them. The names are well within the length norm with no illegal characters. So it seems to be a finder/copy routine bug as everything else works. To recap:
* FW Drive is seen by the Mac,
* Files are seen by the OSX
* File names are fine
* FW device was tested with TWO separate cables both produce the same error
* VLC, for example, is able to access and play them
* Time Machine can NOT back them up
* Copy can't copy them (to the HD or external USB device)
* Data Rescue retrieves and copies the files to the HD with no problem.
* Copy works from the HD to the USB device
So unless I'm missing something... once you eliminate everything else, whatever remains must be the truth. There's a bug (don't know if in 10.5.8 or earlier as it's been a while since I accessed the device). Always willing to try something else. Thanx for your time
No, I'm out of ideas. This error has been around forever in all Linux/Unix versions around for a long long time - even before OS X. So, I don't know why it occurs (despite all the info about it) but I don't think it's an OS X bug unless it's a bug in every LInux/Unix out there.
I wish I had a solution for you, but as far as I know nobody has provided a definitive cause and/or fix.
I was lucky in the sense that the Seagate is both a FW and USB drive. I thus connected it on the USB port to the Mac and it now works perfectly. Thus it would seem it's a FW problem either on the Seagate side or the Mac side as I no longer get the -36 error and files copy over normally over USB.
Yes, I hesitated to say "my question has been answered" because as far as the FW issue is concerned it hasn't; it's just lucky that it was a dual drive.
The obvious culprit comes to mind as "the cable". But two cables being bad is well possible but unlikely. Could it be a 400 vs 800 issue? Doubt it as 800 is backward compatible. I guess I can try it on a verified good cable - meaning my 2 TB drive that backs up Time Machine to be certain.
What is further weird is that Mac's DVD player will for example say "this is not a movie file or the file is corrupt". Yet over USB the file is fine. Thus it's at the transport layer that something is funky. Because if the file is corrupt, then it's corrupt no matter what transfer protocol you use.
Very weird. Again thank you very much for your help and happy holidays
