Mac User with original images on an external hard drive access issue

I use a WD My Passport Ultra for backing up my original images. I was attempting to use a couple taken a few years back but when I either import them into my Mac Photos App or just select them so they open up in Preview they show as locked. Don't remember ever locking them but who knows. Any way or steps to unlock these images. One other thing I noticed is that when in Finder and desktop is selected the external hard drive does not show but it is visible on the desktop itself and can be accessed by doubling clicking on it. See screen grab of EHD info.

Drag the EHD from the desktop to the finder right side column of the finder column to devices.
Do a getinfo on the image that is locked what does it say about you just read? Then click on the lock lower left then your password if you have administer rights change read to read and right.
.Lou Cioccio

The individual images are locked? Right click on the image and choose "Get info"--it opens the panel. Under "General" if "locked" is checked, you should be able to click on it to "unckeck" it. I hope it is that simple of a fix for you.

I followed your steps and here are screen grabs as I went along. Was the external hard drive formatted correclty by me when intially setup?

Hmm try single user mode which will be a reboot and get you into terminal. Run the instructions fsck if it comes back with file system is modified hit the up arrow to repeat the fsck command. Run the last line mount -uw /
type exit
return after each line
Check to see if the file is locked
If so shutdown before a restart hold command plus R to get to restore but run disk utility from utility drop down run disk first aid. Then restart from menu.
Check to see if file is locked
louie

I didn't get a chance to try your last post but I ended going to Finder/Applications/Time Machine and restored the folder of photos I wanted to my desktop and they are all available as originals and unlocked.

Good. Thursday I got a warning SMART with Techtools saying one of my external drives were failing. This was a 3TB drive not sure how old but I immediately ordered a new on that was bigger and put that one into service on Sunday. I was able to use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy the files to a new drive.
If you haven't already these are the two tools I use:

Micromat Techtools and Alsoft Diskwarrior

Here is a link you might be interested in and any mac user that see this:Vendor Offers with Codes | Apple User Group Resources

The password is ugmemberdeals and is good until 10/17/2018

We send this out to members of our computer club. They have a 20% off Techtools v9.5

Lou Cioccio
Erie, PA on Lake Erie