Mac can't save to my network hard drive

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Mac can't save to my network hard drive

Hi,

I have a home network with both a my Mac and my girlfriends PC. I have an external hard drive plugged into my ASUS RT-N56U router via USB for shared storage.

I have used the same external hard drive with my Macbook before (connected directly to my Mac via USB) and haven't changed the filesystem or anything.

My girlfriends Windows machines can both read and write to the networked hard drive. My Macbook Pro can read from the networked drive just fine but cannot write to to it. When I try to save a file from my Mac to the network attached drive I get the error message:

"You don't have permission.

To view or change permissions, select the item in the Finder and choose File > Get Info."

However, in Finder, I can't see any useful information when looking at the info-screen.

I've checked on the RT-N56U router, that I've created a user, which should have access to all the content on the attached hard drive. When looking at the network drive in Finder, I connect with the same information as provided on the settings on the router.

On my girlfriends Windows machine, it connects instantly (and read/writes perfectly) after typing in the same user-information.

Does anyone have experience with similar problems or any suggestions to what I can do?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Feb 3, 2012 2:05 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 3, 2012 2:10 PM in response to nonameneo

It's probably formatted as NTFS. WIndows can only write to these volumes. MacFUSE can help. Have not used it in a long time. You can also reformat it as a FAT32 which both Mac and PC can write to.

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Answer 2

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:44 PM in response to nonameneo

nonameneo wrote:

This is how my "Get info" looks like. 😐

That is a drive formatted as NTFS

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Answer 3

CMCSK

Level 6

11,452 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:13 PM in response to nonameneo

However, in Finder, I can't see any useful information when looking at the info-screen.

The bottom of the "Get-Info" window should show this - If you unlock the padlock, you will be able to edit/change permissions.

Mac OS X (10.6)

Use Software Update to update your os and anything else that needs to be updated.

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Answer 4

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:59 PM in response to nonameneo

Well that software works when the drive is connected to your computer but might not when connected through a network. As far as your computer is concerned there isn't a drive connected. That is why the Get Info shows the router and not the drive.

In my opinion the only way to get this to work is to format that drive either FAT32 or exFAT. It clearly is not going to work formatted NTFS.

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Answer 5

nonameneo Author

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Feb 3, 2012 2:37 PM in response to nonameneo

Further more I have MacFuse/Tuxera NTFS installed - and I have used the hard drive with my Macbook before - it works fine if I plug it directly into my Macbook, but then it's plugged in to the router, it suddenly won't work.

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Answer 6

nonameneo Author

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Feb 3, 2012 2:51 PM in response to Shootist007

I've already updated the firmware on the router to the latest version.

How it it possible to update the firmware for the external hard drive? I've chekked Seagates support-website for my hard drive (http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/external/expansion/expansion_desktop/# tTabContentSupport) but couldn't find anything related to updating firmware?

I'm not using Lion - 10.6.8 is Snow Leopard?

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Answer 7

nonameneo Author

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Feb 3, 2012 2:35 PM in response to CMCSK

This is how my "Get info" looks like. 😐

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Answer 8

nonameneo Author

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Feb 3, 2012 2:53 PM in response to Csound1

But that shouldn't be a problem, when I'm using MacFuse/Tuxera NTFS and having no problems when using the hard drive directly connected to my Mac, shouldn't it?

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Answer 9

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:23 PM in response to nonameneo

Have to agree with Ho Lee. The drive is more then likely formatted NTFS. OS X Lion can read NTFS drives but can not write to them.

You need to format that drive exFAT, or just FAT32, for both systems to read and write to it.

Use FAT32 if the only files you ever plan on storing on it are 4GBs or less.

Use exFAT if you plan on storing files larger or smaller then 4GBs.

If you format the drive exFAT do that on a Windows PC.

If the drive is already formatted either FAT32 or exFAT then try updating the firmware on the router. Lion has had some issues with USB drives connected to routers as a NAS devices.

Hope this has helped.

Message was edited by: Shootist007

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Answer 10

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Feb 3, 2012 2:42 PM in response to nonameneo

nonameneo wrote:

Further more I have MacFuse/Tuxera NTFS installed - and I have used the hard drive with my Macbook before - it works fine if I plug it directly into my Macbook, but then it's plugged in to the router, it suddenly won't work.

Yeah you may need to updat the routers firmware. Like I said there have been issues with Lion not being able to access certain NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices. That is what the router is turn that USB external drive into, a NAS. The firmware on the drive might also need updating for Lion to work with it. It is clearly a Lion problem but there isn't much you can do about that.

You can try updating the firmware on both the drive and the router.

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