How Can I Tell What is Wrong With These Files??

Hello all from Mali. I regret that I have an awful internet connection here so it's tough to search for solutions.

I am having some serious problems with files on my external hard drive. It started a while ago when I would try to play them in iTunes, and it would freeze up, then disconnect my external hard drive.

Now, I've been able to isolate a couple files (they are all mp3s). They are not new -- I've played them for several years with no problem. If I try to look at them in Finder, Finder often crashes. If I try to copy them to another external hard drive, it ejects my hard drive.

The HD is a WD 1TB Passport. It does this on both USB ports of my MBA. I am 99% sure it's the files, and not my hard drive, but I can't figure out how to fix this.

I've done "Get Info" on the files from Finder and compared to good files, and there appears to be no difference (permissions, for example).

Any ideas? It is getting REALLY annoying. For example, when I search in Spotlight, as soon as it flicks over to searching my hard drive, it must hit one of these files, and my computer freaks and ejects the HD.

Thanks VERY much for any help. I appreciate it.

Use Disk Utility to repair the hard drive (NOT repair permissions).

It sounds as if the files could be corrupt. In that case there is not a lot you can do.

Thanks guys. I just repaired permissions; disk utility seemed to think it was okay.

I'm cool if the files are corrupted -- I have backups. But the bigger issue is how do I know which ones are corrupted? What is it about the file that will let me identify it as so?

I've used terminal to back up drives that behave this way. One benefit of using terminal's cp command is if a file is hit that is unreadable, the system will attempt to read it for about a minute, and then give up and move to the next file. Finder, as you've already discovered, just quits once it hits a file it can't read.

Okay, digging this one up.

I finally was able to get back to the US to buy another drive. I am planning on taking the last poster's suggestion on using Terminal to copy to the new drive.

Does this make sense? I guess I can just google on how to do so?

So many files on this drive cause my machine to freak out. Finder spins forever trying to look at them, or if I pull them up in Spotlight or iTunes, it ejects my hard drive.

Hoping copying them over carries some solution, but wanted to check with the community before I did so.

Thanks!

If several files on the drive are doing that it's probably a good idea to get as much data off of it as possible as fast as possible. Even though no errors were found in Disk Utility it would not surprise me if the drive did not fail soon.

Slydude said:

If several files on the drive are doing that it's probably a good idea to get as much data off of it as possible as fast as possible. Even though no errors were found in Disk Utility it would not surprise me if the drive did not fail soon.

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Hey, thanks for the advice... problem is, is that if I use Finder for these files, it kills my computer. So Terminal is the way to go, is it?

Just double-checking - it sounds like you have repaired permissions, but NOT repaired the hard drive in Disk Utility? On the far right side of Disk Utility is Repair the drive.

Well bad news turns worse. I can't copy with Terminal either. Gets going then ejects the drive at some random point. Other ideas on how to get these files? Thanks.

Sorry to keep harping -- have you repaired the hard drive yet?
I Don't Mean Repair Permissions - I Mean Repair the Hard drive.

gsahli said:

Sorry to keep harping -- have you repaired the hard drive yet?
I Don't Mean Repair Permissions - I Mean Repair the Hard drive.

Click to expand...

Hey, no worries, thanks for the advice. Sorry for not responding.

Yes I ran a disk repair ("Repair Disk" under FIrst Aid in disk utility?), and it runs quite quickly and says my disk appears to be ok.

Lies, OS X!

You should copy all the files you can off this drive, and then reformat it.

gsahli said:

You should copy all the files you can off this drive, and then reformat it.

Click to expand...

Totally agree, but remember the problem I'm having is that I'll copy as much as I can, then OS X ejects the drive. It's a huge pain.

Ya, I'm sorry my answer was so simplistic. I'm saying I suspect the hard drive is failing, and that the files there are a lost cause. And the only way to confirm that the drive is bad is to re-format and try using it again.