5 Best Ways to Fix a USB Flash Drive That Won't Show Up on a Mac. Let's take a look at some of the causes of a flash drive not showing up on a Mac to determine if you can resolve your particular issue. Some of these fixes are very simple while others may involve performing data recovery on a corrupted or damaged drive. In this tutorial, I will show you how to quickly format or erase an external hard disk drive or flash drive (memory stick) on your Apple computer. The easiest way to permanently delete files from your flash drive is to: 1) Plug the USB drive into your Mac 2) Delete the files you no longer need, using Finder 3) Clear the trash. Note: If your drive is an SSD, you won't be able to click 'Security Options' as this option will be grayed out. It's because SSDs don't have to go through this process due to the way it manages files. Wipe External Hard Drive on Mac via Terminal (Command Line) If for any reason Disk Utility fails to wipe your drive.
- Find Flash Drive On Mac
- How To Empty A Flash Drive On Mac
- Access Flash Drive On Mac
- How To Download To A Flash Drive
Oct 16, 2020 • Filed to: USB Recovery • Proven solutions
Type cd nameoffolder replacing nameoffolder with the appropriate name. When inside of the hidden folder, type ls -a to see what's there. You can move all of the files out of the hidden folder by doing mv./ (move all files to parent directory) or do it one by one by typing mv name-of-file./.
How do I remove write protection from a SanDisk flash drive?
What Is a Read-Only Flash Drive?
Once you get similar messages like the following ones when using the SanDisk flash drive, it means the pen drive becomes read-only and write-protected. You're unable to edit data, delete files, or save information on this drive, unless you find the fixes.
- The common error of 'The disk is write-protected' will occur when you trying to format an external disk such as (USB flash drive, SD memory card, or pen drive).
- If you start to copy or modify the files on the drive, the pop-up window show you 'The disk is write-protected. Remove this write-protection or use another disk'.
- A read-only flash drive won't allow you to copy the file. When you want to do that, a message might appear - 'You cannot copy files to the volume'.
Why Is My USB Drive Read Only?
Formating the file system of the flash drive can cause the write protection. Usually, a pen drive uses the NTFS file system on a Windows computer. You can keep writing and reading data stored inside it. However, sometimes you might want to use it on a Mac computer. So you format the flash memory stick to make it compatible with the Mac computer. The file system is indeed readable and the stored data is accessible on a Mac computer due to the Mac feature. However, writing data is not available. The write protection is added on the USB flash drive by default.
How do I disable write protection on a flash drive? Here, we offer both Windows and Mac solutions to help you fix write-protected flash drives easily and quickly.
How to Remove Write Protection from USB Flash Drive on Windows
If your USB disk gets this error on Windows computer, you may think the USB drive is broken and unable to use. The flash drive becomes a read-only situation, and you cannot manage data on it, like copying, deleting or writing the files on the disk. How to remove the write protection from a read-only flash drive? On the next guide, we will show you how to disable write protection from flash drive, SD card or pen drive in Windows 10/8/7.
Solution 1: Diskpart Command
- Step 1. Connect your flash drive to the computer, and launch a command prompt by searching for cmd.exe or 'Command Prompt' in the Start menu.
- Step 2. Type the following and press Enter after each command: diskpart, list disk, select disk #(# means the name of your write-protected disk), attributes disk clear readonly, clean, create partition primary, format fs=ntfs.
- Step 3. Exit the Command Prompt.
After this, your USB flash drive should now work well. If it doesn't work, you can also follow the next steps to fix write-protected USB drive with Regedit.exe.
Solution 2: Regedit.exe
- Step 1. Press key of Windows Key + R and type regedit in Run dislog box and Enter.
- Step 2. On the pop-up window Registry Editor, go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies.
- Step 3. Double click the WriteProtect value in the right pane.
- Step 4. You can change the value data from 1 to 0, then click OK to save the change, and close the Regedit window.
- Step 5. Restart your computer and connect the USB drive to it. Check if the drive is working well and no longer write-protected. If it isn't read-only now, you can continue using the USB flash drive.
Solution 3: Open Windows Explorer
- Step 1. Plug in the write-protected disk.
- Step 2. Press 'Windows+E' and right-click on the drive.
- Step 3. By right-clicking on the disk, you can choose 'Properties', and then select 'Security'.
- Step 4. To Edit the permissions, you should now select 'Everyone' from 'Group or user names'.
- Step 5. Select 'Edit' and go to 'Permissions'
- Step 6. Check all the boxes labeled as 'Allow'
- Step 7. Click 'Apply' and exit. Your disk's write protection has now been removed.
Solution 4. Check and Unlock USB Flash Drive
- Check the switch on the drive: some external USB flash drives and pen drives have a mechanical switch which is used to lock or unlock the drive. If your drive gets the switch, check whether the switch is locked or not. If yes, move it.
- You also can check the USB flash drive if it got the virus-infected and attacked. You need to download anti-virus software and scan your flash drive. Once the virus is found, and kill it at once to remove write protection from a read-only flash drive.
How to Remove Write Protection from USB Pen Drive on Mac
If you're working on a Mac computer, you also will receive the 'Read Only' error on the external drive. On the following steps, we will show you how to disable write protection disk on Mac.
Solution 1: Format Write-Protected Pen Drive on Mac
To disable the write-protected disk on Mac, you can follow the next steps to format the drive on macOS:
- Step 1. Open the Disk Utility, and the application window will open.
- Step 2. Click on your USB flash drive on the left pane of Disk Utility.
- Step 3. Click on the Erase tab, then select the format type. Select either 'MS-DOS File System' or 'exFAT' both working well on Windows and Mac.
- Step 4. Then click on the 'Erase' option to start formatting the USB flash drive.
Solution 2: Fix and Repair Permissions
Check if the drive's permissions are corrupted or not. You can fix the error using Disk Utility. Follow the steps below to remove write protection from Read-only USB drive on Mac.
- Step 1. Go to the Disk Utility in the Utilities folder.
- Step 2. Select the device which is ready-only need to remove write protection.
- Step 3. Click on the First Aid and the OS will start to scan your drive.
We hope those solutions could help you fix and remove write protection from USB drive on Windows and Mac. If it still fails to fix out the problem, you should buy a new USB flash drive. Also, if you need to get all USB data back, you can download Recoverit Data Recovery, powerful USB data recovery software, to help you out. Follow the guide to recover files from USB drive easily.
USB Topic
- Recover USB Drive
- Format USB Drive
- Fix/Repair USB Drive
- Know USB Drive
- 1. Recover Mac Data
- 2. Recover Data from Dead Mac
- 3. Recover Documents from Mac
- 4. Recover Data from External Devices on Mac
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2019-11-16 / Update for Mac OS
'I have a few video files on my USB drive but I can't delete files from flash drive on Mac. I am a Windows user but recently I did transition to a Mac. But it seems there are a few new things I need to know. So, do you have any idea how can I change the permissions of the files in order to delete them?'
Well, being one of the most advanced Operating Systems on the planet, Apple designed the macOS quite differently in order to make it stand apart. But being different didn't always helped the users, there are quite a few things that are unnecessarily complicated. Although, users wish to change them but sadly, there is no way around. Android emulator bluestacks mac.
So, how to delete files off a flash drive on a Mac? It is a bit complicated task, you are required to use specific steps. So, read the article below in order to learn all the tricks and tips to delete files off of a Mac USB drive.
Part 1. Why You Can't Delete Files from Flash Drive on Mac
One of the widely asked question among the Mac users is how to delete hidden files off a flash on a Mac?
It is very frustrating if you are unable to delete files from an external drive as you are trying to clean it. Well, on Mac it is basically the issue of permission. You simply have to change a few things and then you will be able to erase the files successfully. They are discussed below. Autodesk 3ds max mac.
Part 2. How to Erase Files from Flash Drive on Mac
Well, the question how to delete files off a flash drive on Mac? On a Mac, users are capable of removing frills from a flash drive, multiple ways.
https://bestgfil850.weebly.com/ati-radeon-hd-7850-for-mac.html. So, take a look at all the methods one at a time, in details.
1. Directly Delete Files from Flash Drive to Empty Trash on Mac
Check if the drive's permissions are corrupted or not. You can fix the error using Disk Utility. Follow the steps below to remove write protection from Read-only USB drive on Mac.
- Step 1. Go to the Disk Utility in the Utilities folder.
- Step 2. Select the device which is ready-only need to remove write protection.
- Step 3. Click on the First Aid and the OS will start to scan your drive.
We hope those solutions could help you fix and remove write protection from USB drive on Windows and Mac. If it still fails to fix out the problem, you should buy a new USB flash drive. Also, if you need to get all USB data back, you can download Recoverit Data Recovery, powerful USB data recovery software, to help you out. Follow the guide to recover files from USB drive easily.
USB Topic
- Recover USB Drive
- Format USB Drive
- Fix/Repair USB Drive
- Know USB Drive
- 1. Recover Mac Data
- 2. Recover Data from Dead Mac
- 3. Recover Documents from Mac
- 4. Recover Data from External Devices on Mac
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2019-11-16 / Update for Mac OS
'I have a few video files on my USB drive but I can't delete files from flash drive on Mac. I am a Windows user but recently I did transition to a Mac. But it seems there are a few new things I need to know. So, do you have any idea how can I change the permissions of the files in order to delete them?'
Well, being one of the most advanced Operating Systems on the planet, Apple designed the macOS quite differently in order to make it stand apart. But being different didn't always helped the users, there are quite a few things that are unnecessarily complicated. Although, users wish to change them but sadly, there is no way around. Android emulator bluestacks mac.
So, how to delete files off a flash drive on a Mac? It is a bit complicated task, you are required to use specific steps. So, read the article below in order to learn all the tricks and tips to delete files off of a Mac USB drive.
Part 1. Why You Can't Delete Files from Flash Drive on Mac
One of the widely asked question among the Mac users is how to delete hidden files off a flash on a Mac?
It is very frustrating if you are unable to delete files from an external drive as you are trying to clean it. Well, on Mac it is basically the issue of permission. You simply have to change a few things and then you will be able to erase the files successfully. They are discussed below. Autodesk 3ds max mac.
Part 2. How to Erase Files from Flash Drive on Mac
Well, the question how to delete files off a flash drive on Mac? On a Mac, users are capable of removing frills from a flash drive, multiple ways.
https://bestgfil850.weebly.com/ati-radeon-hd-7850-for-mac.html. So, take a look at all the methods one at a time, in details.
1. Directly Delete Files from Flash Drive to Empty Trash on Mac
This is the easiest way to get rid of those files from your flash drive. Dragging the files into the trash is the most convenient way and almost all the macOS users prefers this method.
So, here's how to delete files from thumb drive on Mac,
Step 1: Simply, open your Mac and connect the flash drive.
Find Flash Drive On Mac
Step 2: Then, open it and drag the files and drop them into the ‘Trash' icon at the ‘Dock'.
You can also make a right-click on the selected files and choose ‘Move to Trash' from the drop menu. But dragging them to the trash is the most convenient for the users.
2. Erase Files from Flash Drive on Mac in Disk Utility
How To Empty A Flash Drive On Mac
Now, we have Mac's Disk Utility which can be used to erase files from a flash drive, effectively. The steps are pretty simple. Here's how to delete files from USB flash drive on Mac,
Step 1: So, connect the flash drive to the Mac. Then, run ‘Finder' from the Dock.
Step 2:Then, navigate to the ‘Applications' folder and click on ‘Applications' on the left side of the dock. Now, click on ‘Disk Utilities' under ‘Utilities'.
Step 3:In the Disk Utility, choose your flash drive from the left side of the panel. Then, click ‘Erase'. Then choose a format. The ‘OS X Extended (Journaled)' is the desired option. After that, click on the ‘Erase' button at bottom right corner of the panel.
After you click on the ‘Erase' button, all the files from the said USB drive will be erased completely. Microsoft excel 2019 16 20 – microsofts spreadsheet app. How to use mac os pdf.
3. Format The Flash Drive on A Mac
Just like there is an option to format the flash drives on the Windows platform, macOS is also equipped with a similar option. This procedure is pretty easy to execute. Here's how to erase files from flash drive on Mac,
Step 1: You have to execute this procedure via ‘Disk Utility. So, press ‘Command + Space' on the keyboard and launch ‘Spotlight'.
Step 2:Type ‘Disk Utility' on the dialog box and hit ‘Enter' to run the app.
Step 3:The connected USB drive will appear as ‘External'. Choose your flash drive by clicking on its name.
Step 4: Choose the drive and click ‘Erase'.
The flash drive will be erased completely and you will also be asked to provide a name for it. Mac os x 10 7 download full version.
Part 3: How to Recover Deleted Files from Flash Drive
Now, it is possible that you have deleted some important files accidentally while erasing files from the USB drive. If you have done that, don't worry.
Just stop using the drive immediately and use a professional data recovery software to recover those files successfully. Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery is one of the best options to recover deleted files from flash drive Mac free.
UltData- Mac Data Recovery is effective with close to 100% recovery rate. Take a look at the steps below,
Step 1Step 1: You are required to download and install the program and choose the USB drive, then click ‘Scan' to proceed.
Step 2Step 2: The scan will take a few minutes. After the scan, all the recoverable files will be listed categorically and displayed on the screen.
Access Flash Drive On Mac
Step 3Step 3: Now, choose the desired files from the preview and click ‘Recover' to restore those files, effectively.
Just be sure not to restore the files on the USB drive. Save them on the Mac's hard drive; otherwise due to permanent data loss those files will be lost forever.
Conclusion
How To Download To A Flash Drive
Therefore, Windows users will have difficulty to erase files from a USB drive that is effectively connected to the Mac. This is nothing more than a change to system. Mac operates is different way. But we have disclosed all the effective ways you can erase files on a Mac external drive, take a look. But for accidental deletion, you can make the recovery with Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery which is a very effective program.
