Copying files to Windows without properties

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Copying files to Windows without properties

As part of my job I create movies on my MacBook Pro and have to distribute them on USB thumb drives for playing on a variety of TVs. The TVs loop the video automatically. Unfortunately when I copy the mp4 file across it also copies a hidden properties file that starts with a 'dot-underscore', which I believe contains information for Finder and Spotlight. On a Fat32 drive (necessary for TVs to play the files), these 'hidden' files are no longer hidden, and the TV tries to play them. That means the originals movie will play, then the playback stops, because the hidden file (with the .mp4 extension) is not a movie file.

I have tried for some time to find a key combination that will allow me to copy the file without it's associated properties file, but to no avail. I've tried copy/paste, still the hidden file copies across. There's no 'Paste Special' or 'Copy Without Properties' option. I've been a Mac user since 1989 and this is making me tear what remains of my hair out.

My current solution is to reboot my MacBook Pro into Bootcamp and load Windows 7, then re-insert every drive and delete the ._hiddenfile.mp4 manually. As I no longer have any other use for Windows I can't delete this 60gb partition, UNLESS I can find a simple solution.

Please, somebody help!

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), Mac OS X (10.7.5), 2010 27 inch imac + 2010 Macbook Pr

Posted on Jul 30, 2018 1:54 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

leroydouglas

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198,966 points

Jul 31, 2018 1:41 PM in response to DGaryC

dot underbar files, more specifically the format is called AppleDouble and is where the macOS puts the Resource Fork of a file if that the file system is not Apple's file system format.

From the terminal copy and paste (this includes the space afterwards):

dot_clean -m

Drag the thumb drive icon into the Terminal, It will complete the path and clean the dot underbar files.

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Answer 2

DGaryC Author

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81 points

Jul 31, 2018 1:25 PM in response to leroydouglas

No. It's the second file that is stored within the system on HFS drives but is created as a separate file on Windows formatted drives. Back in the day it was a Resource Fork, but on Macs it is impossible to pick up or see. I couldn't get a screenshot on my MacBook because there's no 'print screen' button, so I photographed the file that I have to manually delete.

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Answer 3

Jul 31, 2018 1:24 PM in response to DGaryC

Hmm.. are you talking about extended attributes?

macos - How do I remove the "extended attributes" on a file in Mac OS X? - Stack Overflow

From the terminal you can see more:

man removexattr | more

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Answer 4

DGaryC Author

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81 points

Jul 31, 2018 1:07 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks Leroy, but these aren't hidden files. I can show/hide hidden files and consequently see all of the Library and spotlight files etc. and these don't show. I believe they used to be called Resource Fork files, don't know if they still are. Every file created on a Mac is in fact two files, one that is completely invisible on the Mac, but which is visible on a PC, and that's been the case since Macs could first write to FAT32 formatted drives.

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Answer 5

DGaryC Author

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81 points

Jul 31, 2018 1:53 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks for that Leroy, but it didn't work. I booted in Windows and deleted every file from the drive, including the spotlight files and trashes etc. Went back to Mac OS and copied the video file. Opened Terminal and pasted the command, then dragged the drive to Terminal. Pressed RETURN. There was a line of response text (no errors). I rebooted in Windows and all of the Mac hidden files and folders were back, including the ._ file.

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Answer 6

DGaryC Author

Level 1

81 points

Jul 31, 2018 2:04 PM in response to DGaryC

Hold the phone! I just did it again, to get a copy of the message that Terminal returned, and this time there was no message. So I checked the drive and it worked!

Thank you so much.

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