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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: JTV95 on October 29, 2019, 11:10:49 PM



Title: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 29, 2019, 11:10:49 PM
I was downloading bitcoin core onto my external hard drive.  My external hard drive was ejected. When I tried to open bitcoin core back up from my hard drive I get this error "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions." I'm assuming somehow I need to give permission to open it with some type of administration password or something? I'm not sure how to do that or even if that's what I need to be looking for. I'm using a mac book pro. External hard drive is an Xbox seagate 4tb hard drive.

Please help thanks!


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: jackg on October 29, 2019, 11:21:25 PM
Assuming it worked before and you didn't uninstall the drivers you need for the seagate drives on mac, can you tell your drive is connected and can you access that folder in your file explorer?


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 29, 2019, 11:32:20 PM
Assuming it worked before and you didn't uninstall the drivers you need for the seagate drives on mac, can you tell your drive is connected and can you access that folder in your file explorer?

It was downloading and was at 50%. I downloaded bitcoin core from bitcoin.org to my external hard drive. As of my knowledge I did not uninstall anything. I started the download and left it. I've used my computer since the download started but I didn't mess with bitcoin core or my hard drive. I've opened the hard drive. The only thing on it is bitcoin core and the files that came with it. When you say file explorer do you mean like the finder on my mac? I can access the drive to click on where it has the option to move bitcoin core to applications.


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 29, 2019, 11:48:50 PM
I think I figured it out. bitcoin core is starting. "verifying blocks press q to shut down 16%" I was going to the permissions on bitcoin core. I needed to be going to my external hard drive permissions. Which is super obvious but I wasn't thinking very well...

Thanks for the help!


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: jackg on October 30, 2019, 01:27:47 AM
@hardware, it might be different if he's using an external hard drive. Anything above 5% an hour is fine imo.


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 30, 2019, 01:56:43 AM
Actually for some reason the download is super slow! I tested my internet speed. It was about 120mbps down and upload. here are the specs on my hard drive. Here are the specs. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port (required for USB 3.0 transfer speeds or backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports at USB 2.0 transfer speeds)2
Seagate Game Drive for Xbox portable HDD 18-inch (45.72cm) USB 3.0 cable.

My download for Bitcoin Core has been running for over 50 hours. Do you know how I could speed that up? I have turned off automatic sleep.


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 30, 2019, 03:17:22 AM
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
Processor 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
memory 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3

Progress increase per hour right now is 0.14%


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: nc50lc on October 30, 2019, 04:20:53 AM
Processor 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
that is a 2013 chip
That depends on the generation of Intel's Core™ series chips.
If his PC was manufactured in 2015, then that i5 2.7GHz chip must be 6th gen (6400 (https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/88185/intel-core-i5-6400-processor-6m-cache-up-to-3-30-ghz.html)); Launch date 2015, same year.

And it's a pretty powerful processor to be the bottleneck (even Gen1 i5).


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: jackg on October 31, 2019, 12:01:36 AM
Are there markings on the cable? They ship with a 30V cable normally (afaik - that'll affect baud if it's lower) also how far are you through the sync?

I think my old laptop (running a pentium processor lol) manages to get 0.4%/hr but I put the harddrive in it and ran a linux os from it. It's possible the seagate drives are slower now (espeically if it's not slimtype) have you tried opening it (if not don't do it it'll void the warrenty) but if you have it might give us more info.


Title: Re: "Cannot write to data directory '/Volumes/Blockchain'; check permissions."
Post by: JTV95 on October 31, 2019, 02:00:10 AM
Are there markings on the cable? They ship with a 30V cable normally (afaik - that'll affect baud if it's lower) also how far are you through the sync?

I think my old laptop (running a pentium processor lol) manages to get 0.4%/hr but I put the harddrive in it and ran a linux os from it. It's possible the seagate drives are slower now (espeically if it's not slimtype) have you tried opening it (if not don't do it it'll void the warrenty) but if you have it might give us more info.

The markings on the cable is ss with a usb symbol on both sides of the cable. My current progress is 62.88%. Earlier today My progress increase per hour went to 1.79%. It's currently running 0.04%/hr.

I Have backed up up my computer to this same hard drive once before. To back up 210 gb it took several hours with time machine. I don't remember how many. might have been 4 could have been 8. I'd rather not open the hard drive. I just hope this isn't a problem after i've synced to the network.

Edit: Looking at my activity monitor. It seems to run Bitcoin Core about 5%-10%