# Moving files from computer to external drive



## dovbaer (Oct 10, 2019)

I've done this before, but now I get an error message: 

Could not complete the folder move. Folder named "XYZ" could not be created.

Am using LR Classic on a Mac. Recent upgrades. I actually drag the folder from my internal drive to my external one, and get the above message.


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## Paul McFarlane (Oct 10, 2019)

Is there a folder already existing on the destination drive with that name? That would cause it (need to look using Finder to check)


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## dovbaer (Oct 10, 2019)

No folder of that name exists on the destination drive. to double-check, I changed the name of the folder I was moving. Same result, same message.


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## dovbaer (Oct 11, 2019)

Any other suggestions out there?


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 11, 2019)

Could be a permissions issue, although that is rare for an external drive. This isn't an external drive used by Time Machine as well?


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## dovbaer (Oct 11, 2019)

Permissions are not a problem to my knowledge. Have been doing this for years with no changes to settings of EHD.


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 11, 2019)

This isn't an external drive used by Time Machine as well?


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## dovbaer (Oct 12, 2019)

No. Just a regular external hard drive. Only use it to back up and store photos. Any other thoughts?


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## Hal P Anderson (Oct 12, 2019)

Can you drag a test folder to the destination drive using Finder?


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## dovbaer (Oct 13, 2019)

Hal P Anderson said:


> Can you drag a test folder to the destination drive using Finder?
> 
> 
> Hal P Anderson said:
> ...


If no one can help me solve my problem, I'll do what you suggest.


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 13, 2019)

dovbaer said:


> If no one can help me solve my problem, I'll do what you suggest.


Hall asks if you can do that, because that may tell us something about permissions.


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## dovbaer (Oct 13, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Hall asks if you can do that, because that may tell us something about permissions.


I'll be reunited with my external hard drive tomorrow. On the road now. I'll try,


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## dovbaer (Oct 14, 2019)

Ok. I'm back. I just moved a folder from my internal hd to the external one in question. No problem moving it. But it doesn't show up in LR on my files listed under the EHD. So, I tried "adding" the folder without moving it. LR couldn't find any photos, much less folders, in the external hard drive. So I'm beginning to think there's a setting in LR that I must have changed. When I try to work on a file that's on the EHD I can edit it just fine. All the files show up bright, not dimmed out like when the EHD isn't attached.


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 14, 2019)

How did you try to add it? Lightroom does not show folders it does not know, so it is normal that a manually copied or moved folder does not show in Lightroom, until you import that folder.

Can you do the following. Select the disk icon in the Finder and then choose ‘Get Info’ (Cmd-i). Make a screenshot of the window that comes up, making sure the bottom of that window is visible.


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## dovbaer (Oct 15, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> How did you try to add it? Lightroom does not show folders it does not know, so it is normal that a manually copied or moved folder does not show in Lightroom, until you import that folder.
> 
> Can you do the following. Select the disk icon in the Finder and then choose ‘Get Info’ (Cmd-i). Make a screenshot of the window that comes up, making sure the bottom of that window is visible.


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## dovbaer (Oct 15, 2019)

And here's the message I get when I try to drag a folder from my internal HD to my external HD


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## clee01l (Oct 16, 2019)

dovbaer said:


> And here's the message I get when I try to drag a folder from my internal HD to my external HD
> View attachment 13194



Either the EHD does not have write permissions or there is already a folder by that name on the EHD.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 16, 2019)

dovbaer said:


> View attachment 13193


Click on the little lock (you will be asked for your login password), then check the ‘Ignore ownership on this volume’ checkbox. That should solve it. You could also change the permissions of ‘everyone’ to Read & Write, just to make sure.


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## dovbaer (Oct 17, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Click on the little lock (you will be asked for your login password), then check the ‘Ignore ownership on this volume’ checkbox. That should solve it. You could also change the permissions of ‘everyone’ to Read & Write, just to make sure.


Didn't work


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## dovbaer (Oct 17, 2019)

As the original poster, thanks for the help, but the problem was not solved. My workaround was to drag the folders from the IHD to the EHD. Then, one by one, I clicked on "Find Missing Folder" and redirected it to the EHD. I like it much better when it works as it's supposed to.


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 18, 2019)

dovbaer said:


> My workaround was to drag the folders from the IHD to the EHD


I‘m not sure I understand this. In message 16 you say you *cannot* drag a folder from the IHD to this EHD, and you show a screenshot of the error message you get when you try...


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## Jim Wilde (Oct 18, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> I‘m not sure I understand this. In message 16 you say you *cannot* drag a folder from the IHD to this EHD, and you show a screenshot of the error message you get when you try...


Johan, I think what @dovbaer means is that the error occurs when doing the drag and drop using Lightroom, but the workaround of doing the drag and drop using Finder (then relinking in Lightroom) does work. If that's the case, it still feels like a permissions problem somewhere, but I'm no expert in that area.


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## Johan Elzenga (Oct 18, 2019)

Ah, yes, I think you're right. This is definitely a permissions problem. Lightroom runs with different privileges than the user has when he uses the Finder, but setting 'Everyone' to 'Read & Write' and checking the 'Ignore ownership on this volume' should solve that. 

To the OP: Maybe you need to do one more thing. Unlock the disk again and click on the Wheel icon. Choose 'Apply to enclosed items'.


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