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Thread: Unable to move files to external drive

  1. #1

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    Frenzied Member dolot's Avatar
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    Unable to move files to external drive


    I've never had problems with this external drive before, but today it won't let me drag and drop, or copy and paste, files from my c drive to any of the volumes on it. I can run windows backup and it will write to the external, but just not regular ol' windows explorer. I have it attached through a usb port. My system is Win7 64 bit.

    Anybody have any ideas what may be wrong? I haven't used this external drive in some months.
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    What happens when you try to coy as file??? An error or just nothing.

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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Quote Originally Posted by wes4dbt View Post
    What happens when you try to coy as file??? An error or just nothing.
    Ah - I didn't provide that detail, did I? Indeed, nothing happens. No error message - just nothing.
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    First, what I am not sure about. If windows backup works, maybe there is a reserved area for it that still work.
    Now. I would try the following, with this order:
    Dismount and try to plug the usb somewhere else , change the USB cable.
    Use my computer - manage - storage -disk management. See if the partitions look OK. If you don't know what is that you are looking then post a picture. *1
    Run a scandisk
    My newer externals are WD so i can only say this for WD, that they have a monitoring tool - diagnostic that could provide details. Also they have some programs that need to be installed to work perfect.
    If you have WD try using their tools - diagnostics. If this fixes the drive, remove the WD tool that start at startup. Can't recall the name but I have removed it as it was slowing down everything.
    If nothing of the above works
    open an administrative command prompt and do this:
    chkdsk C: /f /i Where C: is the external drive path
    if this does not work do:
    chkdsk C: /f
    Where C: is the external drive path

    Last resort before the below. Try to format (using *1)

    If this does not work also and you are about to through the disk out, the a final touch would be to carefully break the external plastic of the disk and have strip it out and connect it to a SATA to the motherboard. I had disks that where using a problematic on disk USB connection hardware and worked when I used a SATA. Caution as there is a slim chance to void the warranty
    Last edited by sapator; Mar 27th, 2018 at 03:25 AM.
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  5. #5

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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Thanks Sapator. Sorry for the late reply. This is my home unit and I've been distracted by other things around the house lately. I'll give some of these tips a try when I get home tonight.
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  6. #6
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    No problem.
    Was quite busty miself also so I wouldn't a have replied.
    I re read you initial post and I noticed that you said volumes. So I guess the external HD it is partitioned in several volumes.
    I was thinking that you can create a new healthy partition and try to see if data is copied to it successfully.
    There is an MS article here that might give an idea on how to do so although not exactly.
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...oying-the-data

    So in general, create a new partition and try to pass data over there. If it works out and none of the aforementioned options (except format and take the disk out of the plastic) work then you can guard the data someplace and re partition the disk, or better yet format it. This is to make sure that the disk is, at least working in it's current state, before doing a full format.
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    I actually did try that, since part of the disk was unallocated. So I built a new partition and formatted it, but it still gave me the error. Sorry, should have said that in my initial post.

    Still haven't tried any of the things you suggested - just haven't had time.
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    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Does the external drive show up in My Computer?

    Are the files on the main drive in the MY DOCS folder(s)? If so, try coping a file from the desktop and or a folder like C:\Temp.
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    PowerPoster PlausiblyDamp's Avatar
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    How big are the files you are moving and what file system is the drive formatted as? I

  10. #10

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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    I've tried copying large numbers of directories or just single files. I get the same results either way. I don't think I've tried the My Documents folder yet. The drive is formatted as NTFS.
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  11. #11
    King of sapila
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Have you tried my suggestions or not?
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  12. #12

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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Not yet - I had company visiting most of the weekend.
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  13. #13
    King of sapila
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    Re: Unable to move files to external drive

    Right.
    Will talk after then.

    Also try a DOS prompt. like

    xCopy file1.x E:\folder . (E is you external)

    If it does not copy then it is not windows explorer issue.
    If it does copy then there is something wrong(probably) with explorer. Try to copy small name files so you don't have to over-complicate the xcopy.

    Edit Also you may try to disable windows UAC, see if that helps.
    Also try to suspend any antivirus software you may have.

    P.S. I take it that you have shut down the PC and unplugged it for a while at least once?
    Last edited by sapator; Apr 2nd, 2018 at 03:51 PM.
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