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User profile for user: phatmatt3000
phatmatt3000 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Custom Access Permissions/Write Protection on External Drives

I'm at my wits end. I've been trying to move files from my MBP to my Windows laptop with an external hard drive for weeks now with no success. Initially the drive was formatted as ExFAT. Access to read/write on the MBP was fine, no issues. Moved it over to the Windows laptop and was immediately notified that the drive was "write protected." Moved the drive back over to the MBP and attempted to remove write protections and/or permissions to no avail. In the "Get Info" box of the drive, under "Sharing & Permissions", it says "You have custom access." No ability to change said permissions in the "Get Info" box. Cannot find anything under "System Preferences" to change these permissions either. Tried some Terminal tricks I found online that also didn't work.


Chatted with Apple Support, they said I will need to reformat to Fat32. Did that. Reloaded all files to reformatted drive on MBP, then moved it over to Windows laptop. STILL WRITE PROTECTED. Back on MBP, "Get Info" box still says custom access...


WTH is going on???


MacBook Pro (2020 and later)

Posted on Apr 30, 2022 6:11 PM

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,602 points

May 6, 2022 6:58 PM in response to phatmatt3000

phatmatt3000 wrote:

Update: I borrowed another hard drive from a friend, reformatted it to Fat32, copied & pasted the files over, and attempted to use this new drive to move the files. Everything is still write protected on this new drive.

I'm wondering if its the drive that's write-protected or the files on the drive?

It is beginning to sound like a possibility. Are you running any anti-virus apps, cleaning apps, or third party security software on the Mac? If so, then perhaps it is locking those files. You can try booting the Mac into Safe Mode which should disable those types of apps to see what happens when you erase the whole physical drive again and manually drag & drop those files to the external drive.


What version of macOS are you using and what type of Mac (Intel or M1)?

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,602 points

May 1, 2022 11:32 AM in response to phatmatt3000

When you erased the drive using Disk Utility, did you erase the whole physical drive or just the volume? I suggest erasing the whole physical drive as GUID partition and exFAT. Within Disk Utility you may need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" so that the physical drive appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.


How are you restoring files to the external drive? Try just dragging & dropping the files to the drive using the Finder.


Unless a recent macOS update changed something I don't see how a completely erased drive with manually transferred files would cause a problem with accessing them from Windows.


Make sure to uninstall any third party software from the drive manufacturer in case it is causing a problem. I know you are erasing the drive using a built-in native file system, but the drive manufacturer's software still may be doing something to the drive.


I did find this thread on the Microsoft forums about a similar issue. The recommended post describes using the Windows command line and "diskpart" command to remove a read-only flag from the drive:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/external-usb-hard-drive-is-write-protected-how-can/09e90ac9-2ae4-43ae-8909-98670bf3a56f

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Custom Access Permissions/Write Protection on External Drives

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