filetransfer using an external hard drive..what is going on ?!

Ok, I am getting really irritated here because seemingly my mac ' just won't work' !!

here is the situation..

1. I copied a load of RAW photo files from my windows PC onto an external western digital wallet hard disk

2. I attached the disk to my imac, no problems and then the pics into my mac, again, no problems

3. I deleted some pics I didn't want to keep etc and then imported the ones I liked ( after editing in lightroom on my mac) to iphoto

4. Now, for some reason, I cannot enter the same folder back into the hard disk I used to import it to the mac...it's driving me nuts as I don't need this folder on my desktop eating my mac's hard disk space.

Why won't this folder of pics, about 3gb refuse to copy onto an attached external hard disk with 300gb free memory space?


all responses welcome, I am using a quadcore 27'' imac and learning as I go...

It sounds to me as if you are trying to move a folder off your Mac that already exists on the external HD. If your really want two copies on your external HD, change the name of the folder on your Mac then drag it over to your External HD. If you don't want two copies, then confirm that one in fact exists on your external HD, then just delete the one on your Mac.

hi..i deleted the original folder off the removable hard drive then tried to copy it across, even with a different name it won't copy :-(

Is that external formatted with NTFS?

well, i got the drive out of the box, and attached it to my windows PC and copied over folders , music and pictures I wanted to put on my mac...I didn't format it in anyway, but it has incredibly irritating software that keeps haggling me to do a back up

Right click and do a Get Info on the drive. Then look under the General section and see what it says next to Format.