External HD Permissions

**MakersTeleMark** · 05-29-2013, 03:11 PM

I have a Seagate 1T external HD. I was trying to transfer some files from it to a friend's computer yesterday and it said that I did not have permission to copy them or even open them from the HD. Perhaps that was b/c it was an .exe? Music transferred and played fine. I was logged onto his computer as an admin and still couldn't transfer it.

I went to the permissions for the drive (didn't have any) and added his computer to allow full control. Still couldn't get the files moved.

Now, I can't open my own drive on my machine (Win 7). It asks if I want to format it. Hell no! My life is on there. I can tell the files are still there because I did a virus scan on it, but I can't open the drive at all.

At no point in time did I ever encrypt or password protect the drive.

Help please!

**stfu&gbtw** · 05-29-2013, 03:30 PM

NTFS strikes again! Can you browse the disk contents at all? Top level folders?

jgb@etree · 05-29-2013, 03:33 PM

My brain isn't fully functioning right now (very long lunch) but was the source of the files before they were copied? Some sort of read only media? Files may have the read only flag checked (but that doesn't really make sense based on what you are describing). That said, what type of filesystem is the external formatted to use? FAT32 or NTFS? If NTFS already, give full permission to the user 'Everyone'. If FAT32, and you have the files somewhere else already, I'd recommend reformatting NTFS and starting over. Check (and adjust if needed) the permissions of the source files before you start over to save yourself some time. If you majorly fuck up ntfs permissions somehow, use cacls to fix it.

G'luck

**MakersTeleMark** · 05-29-2013, 04:37 PM

It says access is denied. I have no idea what format it was originally formatted in, but under disk management it says healthy NTFS 900 something Gigs. Ahhhh! I cannot re-format this drive.

**Flyoverland Captive** · 05-29-2013, 04:56 PM

Lots of suggestions here; one may work for you?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...-cc0d1b278448/

jgb@etree · 05-29-2013, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

It says access is denied. I have no idea what format it was originally formatted in, but under disk management it says healthy NTFS 900 something Gigs. Ahhhh! I cannot re-format this drive.

try something along these lines (do a directory or two first before you try all of the folders/files on the drive):

cacls x:\folder_to_change /t /e /g "YOURCOMPUTERNAME\youraccountname":F "system":F

If you're running Vista or 7, I think cacls has been deprecated and replaced by icacls. Just update the syntax and use icacls if that is the case.

Edit: Actually, if running windows 7, just do this instead:

http://www.preyerplanning.com/take-o...-windows-7.pdf