I can't copy a folder from an external drive to the hard drive!
A message comes up: "The operation can't be completed because an item with the
name ".DS_Store" already exists."
What does this mean and what do I have to in order to be able copy the folder?
Have been using Macs for many years and have never come across this issue before.
Thanks,
iHope
Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), 3.2 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Is this a known bug? Is there a fix?
A Mac unable to do something as basic as make a copy a folder?
Really??
iHope
Is this a known bug? Is there a fix?
A Mac unable to do something as basic as make a copy a folder?
Really??
iHope
Looks like Wikipedia discusses this file:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.DS_Store
Perhaps you are logged in as a regular user and some permissions on that file are preventing you from over writing it. Maybe a different account has full permissions over the existing .DS_Store file.
You could try creating a new Top level Folder and copy into this new folder.
Or you could log into an Administrator account and using the Terminal App delete the .DS_Store file at the comand prompt.
You could also try deleting the .DS_Store file from the Folder on the external drive,
using the Terminal App would be the easiest
to delete a file that is invisible to the Finder App.
example:
prompt> cd /Volumes/System/Drop/
prompt> ls -al .DS_Store
-rw-r--r--@ 1 user wheel 12292 Dec 27 16:12 .DS_Store
prompt> rm .DS_Store
Hello Camino fan 2010,
I'm the Administrator. And I'm aware ".DS_Store" files exist invisibly in every folder. They can be made visible. If you delete one the System will automatically recreate it. I don't think that's the issue.
I've just done a bit more research and discovered others are having the same problem, for example here's someone using OS X Mavericks (10.9)
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5524683
TheMusicRogue
Nov 4, 2013 9:30 AM
Why is this even an issue!!! Everytime I try to copy anything and paste it to another drive I get this .DS_store error and it stops copying/pasting leaving me unsure of what has actually made it to the drive. I have tried unhiding files to delete the .dS_store crap but it doesn't work either.
Is there a solution to this? It is by far the stupidest thing ever!
iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9)
So far none of the experts on this list have offered an answer. Why is that?
iHope
Do you have your Finder preferences set to show all hidden files?
Did you try deleting one using the Terminal App ?
When the system Finder recreates the file, it should create it
with permissions that allow you to overwrite it..
I think I've had the same problem once or twice
and just deleted the file using Terminal App...
then the problem went away..
Rename the Folder and Drag and Drop it to the Hard Drive.
nbar,
Where can Finder preferences be set to show all hidden files?
And even if all the ".DS_Store" files could be seen I don't think it would help because
the message says:"The operation can't be completed because an item with the
name ".DS_Store" already exists."
As soon as you delete it the System creates another one.
Do you understand the problem?
iHope
Camino fan 2010,
I'll try it and report back tomorrow.
iHope
Donald Morgan,
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll try it and report back tomorrow.
iHope
Hello Camino fan 2010,
I've been doing some digging and think I've found the answer. Please see the new thread I've started " Why doesn't Apple fix the ".DS_Store" bug?
iHope
How to Delete All DS_Store Files from a Mac
sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" -depth -exec rm {} \;Hello Bromine24,
Thanks for your post. However, deleting all the ".DS_Store" files isn't the solution, because their existence isn't the problem!
Please see my previous posting above and the new thread Why doesn't Apple fix the ".DS_Store" bug?
Thanks,
iHope
Yes, I understand the problem. And as I suspected, finder preferences are set to show all hidden files (that is what the "Tinker Tool" function does, which you mentioned in the other thread). These files are like placement markers for the file system and are automatically generated. They are not meant to be seen/noticed by the user. If you change whatever Tinker Tool preference back to its default state, you will notice that this 'bug' dissapears.
Btw, I've reported the bug formally to Apple, but even that was a problem! The space provided is severely limited. I did my best but was unable to describe the issue adequately. The word limit meant the important message: "The operation can't be completed because an item with the name ".DS_Store" already exists" couldn't be included.
iHope
nbar, do you really think you understand the issue here? Seeing or not seeing the ".DS_Store" files is not the issue. Making them disappear isn't the solution. Deleting them isn't the solution either, because their existence isn't the problem!
Please see the new thread Why doesn't Apple fix the ".DS_Store" bug?
iHope
Can't copy folder to hard drive. Why?