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chasg · Apr 22, 2004, 10:51 AM

Hi All,

I took a LaCie PocketDrive full of files to be archived to another Mac today in order to make use of it's 4x DVD-R drive. I burned 3 full DVD-Rs, trashing the files after each set was burned to disc (but I didn't empty the trash).

I'm back at my own machine now, and I expected to attach the external drive to my Mac and find the trash to be full. There is nothing in there, so I can't delete those files.

I realise that, when on the other machine, the external drive was under the control of the logged in user on that machine. I thought I'd taken care of that by checking "ignore ownership on this volume" (found in the get info box for the drive). Looks like that didn't work, and I've now got 12 gigs on this drive that I can't access (and that I need to delete!).

Yes, one solution would be for me to return to the machine with the burner, remount the external drive and _then_ delete these files, but that machine is many hours away and I won't be able to return for several days (if then).

Can anyone help me out with this problem?

Chas

chasg · Apr 22, 2004, 05:14 PM

a follow-up:

I wanted to see if I could find these files, or at least the folder that contained them. So, I did a search on invisible files, and yep, found 'em (in a folder titled "504" inside an invisible ".trashes" file.

My first reaction was relief that I was at least able to see them, but, "of course", still wouldn't be able to trash them. Why "of course"? Well, they "belonged" to another user, on another machine, right?

Funnily enough, I was able to open the 504 folder and see the files. I could trash them from the 504 folder, and I could even drag the entire 504 folder (using the toolbar icon) into the trash. Empty the trash, and my lost space is mine again <phew>

Took an hour or so to come up with the idea, and to sort through the over 40,000 invisible files that my search found. I wonder if there is a quicker way (and one that's less risky too, I was afraid of deleting something important by mistake).

Let's see if my machine works ok in the next few days :-)