# Database won't copy

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Created:** [April 14, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693 "2021-04-14T01:23:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/dcg2308)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 1:23am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/1 "2021-04-14T01:23:02Z")

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I have a Devonthink 3 database on an external drive. It works fine. I want to move it however and each time I try to copy to my Mac it gets stuck at the same point – 17.15gb through copying 17.7 gb. I have verified and rebuilt the database but still the same result. Is there anything else I can try?

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 5:51am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/2 "2021-04-14T05:51:10Z")

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It could be any number of things unrelated to DEVONthink, that I can think of–but few of those are debuggable from here. However, I’d first try with that database to File/Export the database to an archive (a zip file), copy that zip file to your Mac, then restore it in place. A single Zip (vs. thousands of files in teh database) file may overcome some of these other issues with copying across a wire. Full instructions for doing his are in the DEVONthink Manual (and in Help, which holds same content).

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**Author:** ![dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/dcg2308)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 6:50am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/3 "2021-04-14T06:50:44Z")

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Thank you and sorry I should have mentioned – I did try that (Export the archived database) but had the same problem: it gets most of the way there and then just hangs.

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 7:04am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/4 "2021-04-14T07:04:56Z")

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Just feels you have a hardware/software problem with big transfers. Of course I could be, and probably am, wrong. What if you connect the external device to a different computer? Or you sync it to another computer/device, then copy from that device?

Or the database and/or archive file is corrupted in some unknown way (but you said you had done a DEVONthink verify).

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 7:21am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/5 "2021-04-14T07:21:17Z")

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May not make a difference, but I’d try it anyway. In Finder, use the “Compress” feature to compress the database package to a zip, then copy that zip and use Finder to uncompress the package.

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**Author:** ![dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/dcg2308)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 7:44am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/6 "2021-04-14T07:44:04Z")

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I’m nervous about messing round with the one good copy I have. I did just now try to duplicate it where it is in order to try what you suggest (compress then move) – but duplication runs into exactly the same problem as moving – it gets most of the way and then just keep spinning - never completes the duplication.

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**Author:** ![chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/chrillek/32/29340_2.png) [@chrillek](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/chrillek)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 7:53am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/7 "2021-04-14T07:53:32Z")

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Stupid question: Does your Mac have enough space for the roughly 18 GB?

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/8 "2021-04-14T07:57:27Z")

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Compressing it won’t modify the source.

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/9 "2021-04-14T08:03:14Z")

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Another idea that I’d do: do a Repair on both disks (external and your Mac) with your Mac’s Disk Utility.

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**Author:** ![dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/dcg2308)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 8:40am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/10 "2021-04-14T08:40:17Z")

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Yes - 147gb available.

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**Author:** ![rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@rmschne](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/rmschne)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 10:17am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/11 "2021-04-14T10:17:40Z")

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Last idea I have: On your Mac, create a new empty database. Open that new data base and the database on the external drive (you say you can). Drag and drop, a group or two at a time, from the database open on the external drive to the empty database on the Mac.

Hopefully everything comes across. But by doing it by one or two groups at a time, you might find the offending files. Or it might just go all ok.

After done, then run a Repair on the external drive (if not done already). [External drives are sometimes prone to corruption–real or perceived–due to the Mac thinking they were disconnected improperly].

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dcg2308](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/dcg2308)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 10:40am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/database-wont-copy/63693/12 "2021-04-14T10:40:04Z")

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OK I’m so grateful for your help! I ran the First Aid on Disk Utility and yes on the external drive it said it found problems it could not repair. Then I saw your latest message. I created a new Devonthink database on the main computer and transferred the folders in small groups – and it worked, all are now safely across. Thank you for that brilliant solution!