MacBook Pro - reading a desktop Mac's hard drive?

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rayonline

1730 posts

Uber Geek

#233674 27-Apr-2018 08:56

Hi all

Seeking help here as I have not used a Mac and person is not local.

iMac dies, takes to Apple center and too old to be repaired, they ask for the HDD to be taken out and dispose of the machine. Person goes and buys a USB3.0 HDD enclosure and the store installs the HDD into the enclosure for them. Daughter has a MacBook Pro, plugs the device in. They say, they can see the files but cannot open them.

Like to know your thoughts. Authorisation, access issue?

Thanks

Benjip

902 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2003309 27-Apr-2018 09:29

If they can see the files, can they drag them from the HDD onto their MacBook Pro's HDD?

The other thing would be to open Disk Utility – just do a Spotlight search to find it – and see what's happening there.

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Peppery

910 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#2003317 27-Apr-2018 09:43

This should work just fine, we do it all the time - can they elaborate on what they mean by 'can't open them'?

rayonline

1730 posts

Uber Geek

#2003322 27-Apr-2018 09:51

Peppery:

This should work just fine, we do it all the time - can they elaborate on what they mean by 'can't open them'?

I'll get back to you.

So you can just open the files as they are on the other HDD?

Could it be a passworded account issue with the iMac?

geocom

587 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2003391 27-Apr-2018 11:06

You should still be able to boot off the disk provided that the version of mac os on the hard drive is not older than the manufacture date of the MacBook Pro. Just hold down option during boot and select the drive.

From there the easiest option is to copy the stuff off it to another safe place, wipe and re-partition the drive and use as you like.

At least that way you wont need to worry about changing the permissions which on mac os is not as simple as it used to be.

Geoff E

rayonline

1730 posts

Uber Geek

#2003396 27-Apr-2018 11:16

They probably won't need to reuse the HDD. They really just want to get the music and photos off it.

The MacBook Pro is much newer. The iMac that got the HDD taken out, is so old they cannot repair it.

Edit - maybe the OS has been updated. Will give it a go anyway. Is it much work to get around the permission thing?

If is connecting a different Mac computer's HDD into another. Is there an issue with permissions?

geocom

587 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2003433 27-Apr-2018 12:04

Ok.

It's not sounding like it is an issue with encryption(such as Filevault or AFPS as you can see the contents of the folders) it does sound more like a permissions problem

Can they do a get info on the music folder on the MacBook Pro and take a look at who it lists in the permissions area and then do the same with the external drive(so in this case the music folder) take a screen shot(Command + Shift + 4 and then drag the cross hair over both of the windows) and report back with what is there.

Also do you know if the user account the daughter is using is an administrator account for the computer as any changes that will need to be made will need to be done from an administrator account. They can take a look in system preferences -> users and it should say admin underneath her name if that is the case.

Geoff E

rayonline

1730 posts

Uber Geek

#2003440 27-Apr-2018 12:16

I have have a try. They are not the most IT literate people.

I will report back. Maybe using video calling with WhatsApp. Someone here has a MacBook Pro as well so I asked him to show me around it. If the user listed - they can have read/write access and just read access. But both of them should be able read / open the file right. Can they also have no access as well? Ie - unable to read?

Behodar

9249 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2003454 27-Apr-2018 12:39

Click (once) on the drive's desktop icon and go to File/Get Info. Tick "Ignore ownership on this volume" if it's not already ticked, and see whether that helps.