Cannot copy files from iMac to Macbook pro over network

Thanks for your reply Tommy. I tried both your suggestions but neither worked. In fact, when I tried to copy a file from iMAC Desktop to MBP Desktop, logged in under a new User account, the file icon didn't even appear on the MBP desktop, as it did on my normal Admin User account, under the same procedure, even though according to the Finder window on the iMAC that it was now there! I could delete the file icon from the Finder window on the iMAC but it never appeared in the Trash on neither the iMAC nor the MBP!

So when logged in as my normal Administrator User account the situation now is this:

From Finder in MBP I connect with iMAC Desktop (or any other iMAC Folder). I can see correctly what is on the iMAC Desktop (or the other iMAC Folder).

From Finder in iMAC I connect with MBP Desktop. I can see correctly what is on the MBP Desktop.

I can drag a file, via the MBP Finder, from the iMAC Desktop to the MBP Desktop directly, correctly and with no hassle.

I can drag a file, via the iMAC Finder, from the MBP Desktop to the iMAC Desktop directly, correctly and with no hassle.

I cannot drag any file from the MBP Desktop into the Finder window connected to the iMAC Desktop without getting the response that my password is required, and simultaneously the icon for that specific file appears on the iMAC Desktop, but is empty (zero bytes and different appearance): as mentioned in my first problem description.

Exactly likewise when I try to drag any file from the iMAC Desktop into the Finder window connected with the MBP Desktop.

So I am only permitted to drag from and not permitted to drag into the respective Finder windows.

I should, perhaps, also mention that I have just replaced a dead hard drive in the iMAC and reinstalled Lion from a DVD that I had made during the first installation of Lion, and then copied everything over to the iMAC from the MBP. All went smoothly except for this peculiar problem.

Thanks for your reply Linc.

I did as you suggested and there were two iMac network passwords and I deleted them both. Unfortunately the problem still remains.

So when logged in as my normal Administrator User account the situation now is this:

From Finder in MBP I connect with iMAC Desktop. I can see correctly what is on the iMAC Desktop.

From Finder in iMAC I connect with MBP Desktop. I can see correctly what is on the MBP Desktop.

I can drag a file, via the MBP Finder, from the iMAC Desktop to the MBP Desktop directly, correctly and with no hassle.

I can drag a file, via the iMAC Finder, from the MBP Desktop to the iMAC Desktop directly, correctly and with no hassle.

I cannot drag any file from the MBP Desktop into the Finder window connected to the iMAC Desktop without getting the response that my password is required, and simultaneously the icon for that specific file appears on the iMAC Desktop, but is empty (zero bytes and different appearance): as mentioned in my first problem description.

Exactly likewise when I try to drag any file from the iMAC Desktop into the Finder window connected with the MBP Desktop.

So I am only permitted to drag from and not permitted to drag into the respective Finder windows when connected to the other machine. This is still not an issue with the Macbook OS X 10.6.8 and the MBP or the iMAC as here all is fine and in all directions.

I should, perhaps, also mention that I have just replaced a dead hard drive in the iMAC and reinstalled Lion from a DVD that I had made during the first installation of Lion, and then copied everything over to the iMAC from the MBP. All went smoothly except for this peculiar problem.

Only File sharing.

Cheers Linc,

Here are 3 screen shots, I named 1,2 and 3:

1. Taken from MBP when trying to copy the file "Conch Shell.jpeg" onto Desktop of iMac, and the ensuing Password request window, the progress bar and the actual file "Conch Shell.jpg" (268 x 188)

2. Also taken from MBP showing the result after I canceled the request to submit my password. It shows the file "Conch Shell.jpeg" (268 x 188), that has been added simultaneously to iMac automatically, but containing zero bytes. Also showing the original file "Conch Shell.jpeg (same as in screen shot 1), plus a copy of the Screen Shot 2013....50.01 that I named as 1 (above).

3. Screenshot 3 taken from iMac, showing the MBP (called Anse). Showing in the MBP Finder window the original file "Conch Shell.jpeg" of 13 KB from the desktop of MBP and which I have been trying to copy to iMac. The 2 screen shots 1 & 2 (above) which I had just transferred to the iMac from MBP in order to add to this discussion. To the right of the Finder window is the file "Conch Shell.jpeg", which is only an icon and has zero bytes, and as it appears in Screenshot 2 (above). Plus 2 'Get Info' shots of the 2 files "Conch Shell.jpeg", one is the original file (13 KB) that I have been trying to copy from MBP to iMac and as seen in Screenshots 1 and 2 (outside of the Finder window) and the other is the "Conch Shell.jpeg" file (actually only an icon with zero bytes) that was copied over to iMac automatically when I cancelled the password submission, and as seen in the Finder window in Screenshot 2.

It is all quite convoluted but I hope it becomes more understandable with these Screenshots.

By directly I simply mean that the file is copied immediately onto the Desktop when dragging from Finder to Desktop, and without the intervention of the Submit Password message that I get when dragging from Desktop to Finder.

So I have to always go to the target machine to drag the copy from the source machine. If I try to "send" or "push" the copy from the source machine to the taget machine I get the Submit Password message and all the problems that follow in it's wake.

Sorry about my use of language but I'm no computer expert and I am merely trying to be specific. I have little doubt that it could be stated more succinctly by a computer wise person.

Yes that is what I am saying, and thanks for your patience and assistance.

To simplify:

I have my MBP and my IMAC next to each other on my table.

Both are turned on.

Both are running OS X 10.7.5.

Both are connected over the same Wireless network.

Both show the Finder window open on their screeens.

Working at my IMAC.

On the Finder window of the IMAC I go to it's Sidebar and find my MBP icon under SHARED. I connect to my MBP as Registered User Anse. I choose Anse then Desktop and can now see what is on the Desktop of my MBP, which is nothing.

I create a jpeg file of a seashell on the desktop of my IMAC and which I want to copy to my MBP. That is all I have on my IMAC desktop, apart from this Text Edit application that I am using to write this explanation to you. You will see this on Screen Shot 1.

I now drag the jpeg file "seashell" into the desktop column of the open Finder window with my mouse. A copy of "seashell" (a green + sign with the icon) is held by my curser and dragged to the desktop column but fails to appear in the desktop column when I release the mouse button. Instead 2 new windows open: 1 stating that, "Finder wants to make changes. Type your password to allow this." and the other is a Copy window stating "Preparing to copy to "Desktop" "Preparing to copy "seashell.jpeg" and the progress bar rotates. This is shown in Screen Shot 2.

I do not understand why this happens. The copy should just appear in the desktop column where I dragged it.

However I have to respond to the 2 new windows. If I do not type in my password, but instead Cancel, then spontaneously and automatically an icon of "seashell.jpeg" appears in the desktop column. I left-click the "seashell.jpeg" icon and it shows me that the file is empty, that is that the file contains Zero bytes. This is shown in Screen Shot 3.

If I 'Get Info' for the "seashell.jpeg" file on the IMAC desktop, I can see that it has a size of 12,793 bytes (16 KB on disk).

When I 'Get Info' for the "seashell.jpeg" file that appears now in the Finder window that shows the contents of the MBP desktop the file has a size of Zero bytes and mentions the Server: afp:// Rons Macbook Pro etc. This is shown by Screen Shot 4.

So I cannot copy a file in this way anymore, and which I have done so for years, and cannot understand what is wrong.

Working at my MBP.

I now go over to my MBP where the Finder window is open and connected to my IMAC as Registered User Ron. I choose Ron and I navigate to the IMAC desktop and there I can see "Screen Shots 1-4" and "seashell.jpeg". This is shown in Screen Shot 5.

I then drag a copy of "seashell.jpeg" from the Finder window onto the desktop of my MBP and it works perfectly with no intervention asking for passwords etc. Just the way it should do. This is shown in Screen Shot 6.

So to sum up I can drag from a Finder winow to a desktop but not from a desktop to a Finder window. Or as you write, "you seem to be saying that there is (a) one way in which you can copy files from one computer to the other, and (b) another way in which you can't. I'm pretty sure I understand what (b) is, but I have no idea what (a) is. Maybe another set of screenshots would help."

Have I made it clear this time and have you any solution?

This person, Steffen K, seems to be having a very similar problem but offers no actual fix. The person lights4munny also has a similar issue. Both on this page:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5107414 and https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5107416

here are others too https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4815835

and again https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5253305?answerId=22783659022#22783659022

This problem has only arisen since I replaced the hard drive (the original hard drive had died) on my iMAC. Re-installed Lion from a DVD that I had created at the first Lion installation. Then used Migration Assistant to copy everything from my MBP over to my iMac. I suspect it might have something to do with the Migration Assistant but cannot figure it out. I have only one User account on each machine.

As I have mentioned before I also have a Black Macbook running OS X 10.6.8 and I have no issues with copying, or moving, files between Macbook and Macbook Pro, nor between Macbook and iMac.

I decided to do a clean installation of Lion again to see if that helped the issue. I wiped the hard drive clean and then reinstalled from my DVD. I then transferred all my stuff over to the iMac from the MBP using Migration Assistant and a Firewire connection. All seemed to go smoothly.

I retried copying from iMac to MBP (and vice versa). Both directions failed as before: I can drag a file from the Finder window (connected via network to the other machine) to the desktop, but cannot drag a file to the Finder window (connected via network to the other machine) from the desktop, without having to "type in my password to allow Finder to make changes".

I can copy in both directions (to and from), without any problem, between my Black Macbook (OS X 10.6.8) and my Macbook Pro, and between my Black Macbook and my iMac, both running OS X 10.7.5.

I cleared the Console window as you requested, and here are the messages that appeared after I attempted to copy the files. One set of messages is from the MBP when copying to the iMac, and the second set is from the iMac when copying to the MBP. The network connection fell out a couple of times during all these procedures and I had to turn Airport off and on again to establish the connection between MBP and iMac.

Console messages from MBP

23/10/2013 18:54:09.000 kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/Anse, pid 535

23/10/2013 18:59:56.439 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501: (com.apple.KerberosHelper.LKDCHelper[538]) Exited with code: 1

23/10/2013 19:02:09.041 sandboxd: ([68]) kdc(68) deny file-read-metadata /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security.plist

23/10/2013 19:02:09.044 sandboxd: ([68]) kdc(68) deny file-read-data /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security.plist

23/10/2013 19:02:09.347 AppleFileServer: received message with invalid client_id 34

23/10/2013 19:25:45.536 AppleFileServer: received message with invalid client_id 45

23/10/2013 19:27:12.000 kernel: CODE SIGNING: cs_invalid_page(0x1000): p=634[GoogleSoftwareUp] clearing CS_VALID

23/10/2013 19:32:31.426 com.apple.security.pboxd: kCGErrorIllegalArgument: CGSGetWindowTags: Invalid window 0x14d

23/10/2013 19:32:31.426 com.apple.security.pboxd: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.

23/10/2013 19:32:31.426 com.apple.security.pboxd: kCGErrorIllegalArgument: CGSSetHideOnDeact: error getting window tags

23/10/2013 19:32:31.516 com.apple.security.pboxd: kCGErrorIllegalArgument: CGSCopyWindowColorSpace: Invalid window 0x14d

Console messages from iMAC

23/10/2013 19:02:13.000 kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/Anse, pid 1146

23/10/2013 19:08:15.987 Finder: SharePointBrowser::handleOpenCallBack returned 64

23/10/2013 19:09:53.000 kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/Anse, flags 0, pid 1209

23/10/2013 19:10:13.000 kernel: AirPort: Link Down on en1. Reason 8 (Disassociated because station leaving).

23/10/2013 19:10:13.817 UserEventAgent: CaptiveNetworkSupport:CaptivePublishState:1211 en1 - PreProbe

23/10/2013 19:10:13.820 configd: network configuration changed.

23/10/2013 19:13:20.459 AppleFileServer: received message with invalid client_id 16

23/10/2013 19:14:36.000 kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/Anse, pid 1263

23/10/2013 19:14:42.185 com.apple.launchd.peruser.502: (com.apple.KerberosHelper.LKDCHelper[1153]) Exited with code: 1

23/10/2013 19:25:53.000 kernel: AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/Anse, pid 1263

Hoping this helps find a solution.