My external hard drive is suddenly locked. It doesn't unlock through 'get information' as I'm restricted to read only.

Question

My external hard drive is suddenly locked. It doesn't unlock through 'get information' as I'm restricted to read only.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 4, 2013 1:39 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,931 points

Feb 4, 2013 5:52 PM in response to tonynacinovich

The drive has malfunctioned and corrupted itself. If that has ever happened before, or if it ever happens again, replace the drive. You may want to consider replacing it anyway for the safety of your data.

If you choose to keep using the problem drive, launch Disk Utility, select the volume, and run Repair Disk. If the volume can't be repaired, you'll have to erase it and start over. Don't do that unless you have at least two complete backups.

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Answer 2

WZZZ

Level 6

13,238 points

Feb 4, 2013 6:54 PM in response to tonynacinovich

If it's showing the locked padlock icon, the see this post from V.K.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2329689?start=0&tstart=0

Enter each command separately, hitting return after each.

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