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rr4406pakFlag for United States of America

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Sharing folder from external USB drive problems on Windows 7.

-Have a 2TB Seagate external USB drive (NTFS) connected to a Windows 7 workstation on a University network.
-Shared out a folder (and set permissions) off Seagate USB few weeks ago and it worked great for a week (even a Mac could see share no problem).
Today I came in and everyone (even me) is getting the following error: User generated imageWhat I tried:
-I checked the permissions and everything is perfect.
-I even tried sharing to "Everyone" and still nothing.
One thing I noticed is that the share keeps setting itself to "Read Only":
User generated imageIt does allow me to uncheck the "Read Only" box (it even shows a progress bar as it does the changes), but when I close and reopen the properties the "Read Only" checkbox is back on instantly!!! What the heck???

I also tried to share a folder from the C: drive on the workstation and that worked fine.
Only when I try to share from the USB drive is the problem showing.

What is going on here?
Why did it work for a while then stop?
Do I need to reformat the drive from NTFS to FAT32?
Avatar of Scott Thompson
Scott Thompson
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If the external is not saving your settings and suddenly started having issues, you may be have hard drive problems.

Run a full chkdsk (chkdsk (letter of drive:) /v /x /r) to see if you have any bad sectors.  Then, restart the computer and try your share again.
Replug in the usb drive and see if you are having connection problems. Permissions to connect to drive might not mean actual file permissions. Either o/s or hard ware issues with device would be my best guess.
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ASKER

Permissions to connect to drive might not mean actual file permissions.

Can you elaborate on this?
What I mean is that it could be more of an issue with the usb device than how the permissions is setup on it. Doesnt mean that is the issue, but its good to check everything.
Avatar of Merete
As I see it your HDD is still getting accessed ok just not this one folder
What is this Milcomeda Flowcap software?
I get little info on this other than some type of wand.
Flowcap: How To
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsdcAwWfzZo
So my line of thinking is if the Flowcap .exe is not running then maybe windows cannot detect it.
Is this a hardware device and this software runs it?

a 2 terrabyte shared drive on a USB would take a bit of time to load
Also is not the best way to share as windows any versions will not like USB as it is a plug and play device.
You are using drive letter J if you unplug and plug in again in a different drive letter then you need to reshare
It would be better to drag all files and folders to the public folder then it is automatically shared to anyone if you have set your networking for everyone.
a 2TB Seagate external USB drive (NTFS) connected to a Windows 7 workstation on a University network
If anyone can access check if this Flowcap is still there and functioning?
Set windows to always have the device on through power management.
@rschilke
could show us where that windows setting is as I have several 1 terrabyte WD USB drives connected and dont see anywhere in my windows 7 power settings to always on for a USB drive?
Nothing in the properties either
Only display /  power computer
cheers
User generated image
You're in the right area, just adjust your balanced plan setting.
Merete,
The problem is much simpler.
Milcomeda is just the name of the computer, and Flowcap is merely a folder name.

This question is just about simply sharing a folder from a USB drive and why I cannot access it.
rr4406pak,

Have you ran a chkdsk to verifiy the integrity of the drive?  If so, please post results.
I ran chksk (which took many hours).
I almost made it to the end when the user had to access files off the drive before she left and I had to cancel the process.
Everything looked fine up until then.
I'll try to run it again but i doubt it will show what the problem is. Just that the disk is fine.
Thanks for the heads-up  rr4406pak
So it is not actually windows accessing the USB drive but rather this one folder on the USB drive  which is what I was trying to clarify.
It used to open now it doesn't is the key and to find out why the folder is now nolonger accessable.
You mention even a MAC can access this folder including other windows desktops?

Access and permission errors can be misleading.
Possible causes, it is still open somewhere on the network especially if a MAc has been accessing it.
Someone has modified the folder and this has not been refreshed in the windows 7.
The Mac has accessed this folder and windows can nolonger access it
Could be a conflict here since there could be software included with the drive that is nolonger functioning.
Such as a backup was running?

Antivirus has flagged some files as a possible threat.
Have you rebooted the Windows 7 workstation on the University network?
Can you access the folder ok on the USB drive?
What are the files inside this folder?
Is space a problem on this Disc
Can you create a new folder and move the files to the new folder while it is off the network then share it again and check if accessable?
Have you seen this>
Access Denied Error or File/Folder Permission Issues on an External Drive
http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/203795en

What is the USB HDD disc type for this windows 7 workstation, the HDD brand? I know it is a seagate but which seagate

Will my drive work with Windows 7?
List of compatible devices with Windows 7 and related information.
http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/211931en
Seagate FAQ
http://www.seagate.com/au/en/support/external-hard-drives/
A few things to do
Back to you
Merete
The problem is really making me mad now.
I put the USB drive on my own workstation. Shared out the folder no problem.
It even remembered the permissions! (How is that possible???)
Went back to the user's office. Hooked it back up. Tried to access the share. ACCESS DENIED!
WTH???????
So you'd think it's obvious it is something to do with the user's computer right?
The user has two computers so I switched the USB to her other computer. That'll work for sure! NOPE! ACCESS DENIED! WTH????
How does the drive be selective between computers????
FYI the user (not me) was logged on to both of her computers.
When I used the USB on my workstation, I was the user (if that has anything to do with anything).
The user can access the folder locally no problem. But NOONE can access the share via a different computer.
This is impossible!
The Seagate drive is model number  SRD00F2.
What the heck is going on?????
Went back to the user's office. Hooked it back up
It has to do with whichever is the host computer  that everyone is connected to the network share on that host computer
You referred to it as the Windows 7 workstation on the University network?
That one.
Is this how you have it setup?
 User generated image
FYI the user (not me) was logged on to both of her computers.
Are they both windows7?
The workgroup name same or different
That diagram is not the way I have it hooked up.
I have the USB drive connected to one of the network computers. Then I share the folder out from the network computer.

All network computers but one are running Windows 7 the other network computer is a Mac with the latest operating system.

All network computers are in the University's Active Directory on same subnet.
How can it remember the permissions? The only difference between your pc and the other users is what? Both same domain permissions? Both same access? Any firewall or anti virus software running?

Also, are all the permissions pushing down to the folders and sub folders?
That's what I am confused about.
I have no clue how it is remembering permissions when I switch it from computer to computer. It's amazing!

There is no difference (other than the model of DELL computer) between my PC and others PCs here in the department.

All have the same domain permissions.

All have the same access.

We have Sophos anti-virus running on all computers. Generally no internal (local) firewalls on.

Yes, the permissions are pushing down to subfolders.

Even if I create and share a new folder on the USB drive it will give the "invalid access permissions denied" error.
If I create shares on their local computers, no problems at all. Just this USB drive has the problem that defies all logic.
Thanks.
Does sophos have some sort of restrictions on external media devices? Maybe something that's not enabled for you but for everyone else? Can you double check with whoever controls the main console?
I read the following about permissions on the Seagate website http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/202071en

Apparently permissions are set by default to administrator
How are the other computers connecting to the one with the USB connected if not through a router?
Do you have soem kind of switch?
Or are they all wireless?
The point where they are all connecting wireless or ethernet cables is where you need to look
The fact there is a user with two computers check that users name computer name is different.
Rightclick the folder on the USB drive properties security and check if that user is correctly authenticated for two computers.
User generated image
This is a huge University and the routers and switched are all in a locked closet that we do not have access to.

I think the issue is not related to the routers/switches though.

Is there a place I can download the Seagate Free Agent software? I'm thinking if I install this software it might get something to work.
There was some software on the drive but I could not run the .exe to install whatever it was they included with the drive.
The software is usually included with a disc in the box the Seagate came in?
What is on the disc in the folders?
Here's their home page on FAQ and guides if it helps.
www.seagate.com
There is so many to choose from.
Your Seagate is that a Netwrok attached or simply an external USB
The following chart lists which Seagate and Maxtor-brand drives are compatible with Windows 7, as well as the compatibility of software bundled with those drives
http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/211931en

I have 4 WD Buffallo and in my start menue all programs under Buffalo nothing to do with sharing only the turbo boost and backup stuff
User generated image
Is this a folder you created from within an administrative account?
you say>
Even if I create and share a new folder on the USB drive it will give the "invalid access permissions denied" error.
The difference here is that the shared folder is in a local directory>
If I create shares on their local computers, no problems at all.
 Just this USB drive has the problem that defies all logic.<< not to windows!!
USB is not something windows likes to share as it is plug and play device.
Are you sharing the USB drive or just this folder?
It maybe simpler if you add /copy this one folder to the public folder on your server.
SOLUTION
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rr4406pak
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With research on both sides we found sharing a folder from a external USB drive is not stable or reliable.