Re: USB stick read only
Update: This aburgh-Disk-Arbitrator doesn’t run on my Tiger machine... Maybe it’s better like that, because that forensic stuff somehow looks like dangerous to me. Thanks anyway; it fits to the thread title, so someone may find it and find it useful. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
Dan wrote: Messing around with the disk arbitration can be problematic. Start here: http://tinyapps.org/blog/mac/201008170700_mount_disks_read_only_or_disable_automounting.html Thanks, Dan, looks great! What problems can come up? In the docs I only found that DiskUtil doesn't work when that utility is active. I would typically start it before mounting a (Fat32) USB stick or HD that I only need to read from, and quit it right after. That seems better for the file system than the Clean up non-Mac disks util I am using so far, just before unmounting them. Geke -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
On Nov 24, 2010, at 5:07 AM, Geke wrote: I would typically start it before mounting a (Fat32) USB stick or HD that I only need to read from, and quit it right after. That seems better for the file system than the Clean up non-Mac disks util I am using so far, just before unmounting them. IMO this is a very cumbersome workaround for a rare issue. If you eject drives before removing them you will almost never have problems. Flash drives should be viewed as temporary or convenience storage ONLY. NEVER have the only copy of a file on one, because they do fail and fail unpredictably. follow those two rules and you can use them without worries. -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
At 9:50 AM -0700 11/24/2010, Bruce Johnson wrote: Flash drives should be viewed as temporary or convenience storage ONLY. NEVER have the only copy of a file on one, because they do fail and fail unpredictably. Unless you're doing a hollywood thing and your last-century lamo plot requires that there be one and only one copy of the data and that NOONE, even the uber geeko genius, has ever heard of making a backup. - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
Yes, that's a good point in this context. Remember what everyone told you about floppies?: Don't carry them in your shirt pocket! Always put them into their sleeve! Fortunately, my stick is not gone yet: I used a standing-around PC laptop to copy the data (3 GB or more, that would have taken ages on the G4, with USB 1.1) reformat the stick and move everything back. Now my G4 is happy to write on it again. But I'll be more careful in the future, i.e. don't rely as much on sticks keeping their data. Maybe I'll start write-protecting it when I only want to read from it -- again kind of like I did with floppies back then: use one for moving files from Mac to PC and another one for moving files from PC to Mac, write-protecting that one before inserting it into the Mac. Is there some way to make the Mac ask permission for writing on a volume when you mount it? I mean like this: I insert a stick or connect a HD and a dialog comes up asking: How to mount volume Backup? with options Readwrite (default) and Read only. Dan wrote: Anecdotal... but I'd venture that many usb sticks go bad because people can't be bothered to (or don't know to) wipe off / clean the contacts or anything. The sticks gets stashed in fairly hostile environments - pockets, purses, etc, collecting crud. Shove 'em into the socket, they short out, gersparken, poof. - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
At 6:01 AM -0800 11/23/2010, Geke wrote: Is there some way to make the Mac ask permission for writing on a volume when you mount it? I mean like this: I insert a stick or connect a HD and a dialog comes up asking: How to mount volume Backup? with options Readwrite (default) and Read only. Messing around with the disk arbitration can be problematic. Start here: http://tinyapps.org/blog/mac/201008170700_mount_disks_read_only_or_disable_automounting.html - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
At 5:29 AM -0800 11/21/2010, Geke wrote: I never knew USB sticks were so fragile. Also interesting how hot- swapping is really rather hot, and how the OS tries to cater for hardware issues. Anecdotal... but I'd venture that many usb sticks go bad because people can't be bothered to (or don't know to) wipe off / clean the contacts or anything. The sticks gets stashed in fairly hostile environments - pockets, purses, etc, collecting crud. Shove 'em into the socket, they short out, gersparken, poof. - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
I never knew USB sticks were so fragile. Also interesting how hot- swapping is really rather hot, and how the OS tries to cater for hardware issues. Great stuff, guys (i.e. guys and gals), I’m learning! -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
Flash drives have a limited number of times they can be written. When the controller on the drive detects that it cannot write anymore, it changes the drive to read only. It’s true, the stick is not the newest. But shouldn’t it last for quite some years if I use it only a couple of times a week? Anyway, this is my new checklist, thanks to all the input: - Is the write-protect switch set? (no) - Is it NTFS? (no) - Check the file system with Disk Utility and reformat if necessary - If it can’t be formatted, throw it away. Somehow, this reminds me of the trouble with MSDOS-formatted floppy disks: when they are written to on several computers, and especially on a mix of Macs and PCs, they get corrupted easily. That was because of the drive heads being aligned slightly differently, I thought. But some things seem to remain... Re. USB hub: This one has 7 ports, of which 2 are used by an Apple mouse and a non-Apple keyboard, so plugging in a stick as the third shouldn’t overload its power supply, one would assume. But they do seem to be sensitive, also from other threads mentioning that plugging in caused enough sparks to make the computer reboot, IIRC. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
On 2010/11/20 06:06, Geke so eloquently wrote: It’s true, the stick is not the newest. But shouldn’t it last for quite some years if I use it only a couple of times a week? I guess that depends on your definition of quite some years and exactly how much data you are writing those couple times a week. If it is an early generation flash drive it may not be as robust as today's models. Or it could be the bad apple in the bunch. Tina -- iMac 20 USB 2 1.25GHz G4 2GB RAM GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 64MB DDR Gnome/Ubuntu 10.10 Power Mac June 04 2GHz G5DP 8GB RAM GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL 256MB Leopard 10.5.8 PowerBook G4 15 HiRes DLSD 1.67GHz G4 2GB RAM Radeon 9700 128MB DDR Leopard 10.5.8 -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
At 5:06 AM -0800 11/20/2010, Geke wrote: Somehow, this reminds me of the trouble with MSDOS-formatted floppy disks: when they are written to on several computers, and especially on a mix of Macs and PCs, they get corrupted easily. That was because of the drive heads being aligned slightly differently, I thought. But some things seem to remain... Two issues: Cheap memory sticks are made from cheap flash chips. They tend to have a short life. Cheap vs Inexpensive. The market is flooded with crap nand memory these days. And the windows-compatible file systems used are *fragile*, very easy to corrupt. Re. USB hub: This one has 7 ports, of which 2 are used by an Apple mouse and a non-Apple keyboard, so plugging in a stick as the third shouldn't overload its power supply, one would assume. Never assume. I've seen a number of USB sticks die because their power handling circuitry was damaged. The resulting short was enough to destroy powered hubs and even the built-in USB interfaces in your Mac. The OS tries to protect you from this, a little - if it senses something amiss, it shuts down the interface quickly. - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
On Nov 20, 2010, at 10:29 AM, Dan wrote: At 5:06 AM -0800 11/20/2010, Geke wrote: Somehow, this reminds me of the trouble with MSDOS-formatted floppy disks: when they are written to on several computers, and especially on a mix of Macs and PCs, they get corrupted easily. That was because of the drive heads being aligned slightly differently, I thought. But some things seem to remain... Two issues: Cheap memory sticks are made from cheap flash chips. They tend to have a short life. Cheap vs Inexpensive. The market is flooded with crap nand memory these days. What Dan said. Even well made ones die. Happened to me with a Sandisk one just yesterday. Suddenly just won't mount, no lights nothin. Toss it and get another one. -- Bruce Johnson Wherever you go, there you are B. Banzai, PhD -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
On Nov 20, 2010, at 12:04 PM, Bruce Johnson wrote: What Dan said. Even well made ones die. Happened to me with a Sandisk one just yesterday. Suddenly just won't mount, no lights nothin. Toss it and get another one. Just like the SD card for my camera. Camera would act like it was taking (recording pictures) but when you went to download 'em, nothing there. New card fixed things up fine... JT BTW, Bruce, did you get my reply to your email about the car parts? Get Free Email with Video Mail Video Chat! http://www.netzero.net/freeemail?refcd=NZTAGOUT1FREM0210 -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
I have a little san disk that plugs into an adapter that I use on my usb to store data. On my san disk there is a little white tab that you can move up and down that write protects it. I don't know the specifics of your device, but it wouldn't surprise me that it didn't have a write protect switch on it as well. On Nov 19, 1:24 pm, Geke gevangaste...@googlemail.com wrote: What could be wrong -- and how do I fix it! -- if a USB stick is mounted as read only? I’m logged in with a non-limited account, and in the past, the stick could be written to just fine. I’m talking about a G4 digital audio here with 10.4.11, the USB stick is plugged into a powered hub, and I think it’s formatted FAT32. The feeling is that USB problems happen more often as my OS install becomes older; maybe some settings have been messed up? E.g. sometime, when I plug in a USB stick, the mouse suddenly stops working. Then I unplug the mouse and plug it into a different port (on the same hub) and it works again! Any insights? -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
At 11:24 AM -0800 11/19/2010, Geke wrote: G4 digital audio 10.4.11 the USB stick is plugged into a powered hub, and I think it's formatted FAT32. What could be wrong -- and how do I fix it! -- if a USB stick is mounted as read only? If the stick is actually formatted NTFS then it will be read-only. If the file system on the stick is corrupted, it will be mounted read-only. Give it a sniff with Disk Utility... The feeling is that USB problems happen more often as my OS install becomes older; maybe some settings have been messed up? E.g. sometime, when I plug in a USB stick, the mouse suddenly stops working. Then I unplug the mouse and plug it into a different port (on the same hub) and it works again! Check your system.log. When USB devices suck up too much power, they often kill each other off. There should be some i/o error messages in the log. - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: USB stick read only
Howdy, If you are real lucky, it will be the write protect switch mentioned earlier. I like drives with those switches. If you are less lucky, it may be a USB drive failure. Flash drives have a limited number of times they can be written. When the controller on the drive detects that it cannot write anymore, it changes the drive to read only. So, this is a frequent symptom of the drive failing. If this is the case, buy a new drive and copy the data off soon. And, consider yourself lucky to have had such a benign failure. This is how they are all supposed to die. It just does not always work out that way. Good luck, Ralph On Fri, 2010-11-19 at 11:24 -0800, Geke wrote: What could be wrong -- and how do I fix it! -- if a USB stick is mounted as read only? -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
