Can't copy to new 4TB SSD

[geb724]

I recently installed a Western Digital 4TB WD Blue SA510 SATA Internal Solid State Drive SSD to my 2019 21.5" 4K retina. I also have a couple of external drives connected via USB. All drives are formatted in APFS. I am unable to copy files from any external to the internal SSD drive. The internal SSD drive has 3.5TB available. Sharing and permissions is "read Only" and when I try to change permissions I get the error message The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have the necessary permission. Any ideas as to what I need to do to be able to copy to SSD?

 

[MacBiter]

I recently installed a Western Digital 4TB WD Blue SA510 SATA Internal Solid State Drive SSD to my 2019 21.5" 4K retina. I also have a couple of external drives connected via USB. All drives are formatted in APFS. I am unable to copy files from any external to the internal SSD drive. The internal SSD drive has 3.5TB available. Sharing and permissions is "read Only" and when I try to change permissions I get the error message The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have the necessary permission. Any ideas as to what I need to do to be able to copy to SSD?

That picture is too small for me to see the permissions clearly - however, whichever user you're getting that error message, you should change its permissions to be 'Read & Write'. You'll need an admin name and password to do that.

By the way, the Owner of your main internal drive should be 'root', and the Group should be 'wheel'.

One other thing - with a more modern OS the internal drive has two volumes : one for the System which is Read-only, and one for Data which should be Read-write. You're not trying to write to the System volume are you?.

 

[IWT]

I presume you've tried this suggestion from Apple:

Change permissions for files, folders or disks on Mac

On your Mac, assign permissions that allow users and groups to see or change a file, folder or disk.

support.apple.com

Another, possibly irrelevant, point - are your External Drives connected directly to your Mac or through a Hub? If the latter, is the Hub powered externally (not directly to the Mac)?

Ian

 

[geb724]

thanks for the reply. the issue is when I get info on 4tb ssd I cannot add myself under sharing and permissions nor make any other changes.The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have the necessary permission.
the choices are system- read and write, wheel- read only and everyone- read only. external drives are connected to Mac usb ports.

 

[MacBiter]

thanks for the reply. the issue is when I get info on 4tb ssd I cannot add myself under sharing and permissions nor make any other changes.The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have the necessary permission.
the choices are system- read and write, wheel- read only and everyone- read only. external drives are connected to Mac usb ports.

That could be the answer - if the Owner is 'system' are you trying to write to the System volume rather than the Data volume? (On my much older OS the Owner is 'root' but that may have changed in recent systems?).

 

[IWT]

thanks for the reply. the issue is when I get info on 4tb ssd I cannot add myself under sharing and permissions nor make any other changes.The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have the necessary permission.
the choices are system- read and write, wheel- read only and everyone- read only. external drives are connected to Mac usb ports.

I presume then that my Link to Support Apple in Post #3 didn't offer any help?

Ian

 

[geb724]

That could be the answer - if the Owner is 'system' are you trying to write to the System volume rather than the Data volume? (On my much older OS the Owner is 'root' but that may have changed in recent systems?).

no the link did not work. I tried it many times yesterday. I don't see a "data" volume in finder as I have in the past but it does appear in disk utility.

 

[geb724]

 

[MacBiter]

View attachment 40148

Can you repost the picture? It's too small to read anything..

 

[IWT]

no the link did not work.

I don't follow? The Link works fine - just tested it from within the Forum, ie from Post #3.

Or did you mean it wasn't helpful? Just wondered.

Ian

 

[geb724]

I don't follow? The Link works fine - just tested it from within the Forum, ie from Post #3.

Or did you mean it wasn't helpful? Just wondered.

Ian

the link you posted did not solve the problem. I found the same link days ago and tried it. attaching photo again.

 

[IWT]

I found the same link days ago and tried it.

I wish you had told us that. It would have stopped me researching the issue

Not to worry.

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

I don't see a "data" volume in finder as I have in the past but it does appear in disk utility.

Yes, Data only appears in DU, not in Finder. You have the permissions set properly. So if you can not edit them, Apple doesn't want you to.

Gere is what mine look like;