View Read-Only Hard Drive on Mac in One Click

We all use Macs, laptops, and PCs in the workplace or for educational purposes. External devices, such as USB flash drives and external hard drives, are frequently used. They are mostly used to transfer files, photos, and necessary data.

In most cases, the procedure goes without a hitch. We may, however, encounter errors from time to time. The most common error is that your Mac is unable to write to your hard drive. It is only available in read-only mode. Read-only lets you open and view the file. If you want a modification like copying, deleting, and saving a document you require permission to write. Fortunately, this is a simple problem to fix. You can solve it right away.

This article will explain why your Mac's hard drive is set to read-only mode. It will also provide an easy-to-use tool that will explain the tools and methods for correcting this issue. So, let's get right to the point.

Why Is Hard Drive Read-Only on Mac? 

When you placed the USB drive into your Mac, the documents appeared in read-only mode. The possibility is you do not know how to fix the problem. First and foremost, you must resolve the issue that has arisen in your system. You must comprehend all of the possible causes.

The two most likely causes are listed below:

1. Mac permission error

We often set up access permission for our important files and documents. When moving the external hard drive between different Mac systems, sometimes it also happens that we either forget to change or remove them. Eventually, whenever you try to copy or move files and folders to other systems, the file will start to appear in read-only format. It is due to the Mac permission error. You have not been granted permission to write or edit on file.

2. The hard drive is with NTFS Format

When hard drives are formatted in NTFS format it is incompatible with Mac. It only enables the read-only view. Though it works perfectly fine on Windows PCs, it does not work on Mac. Mac users can read on the files only they are unable to write on them. If it is in NTFS Format then it will not work with Mac. To identify the format of the hard drive, right-click the hard drive and select Get info.

How to View Read-Only Hard drive on Mac?

Now that we have recognized the problems and their causes, let's go on to the next step. We will now have a look at the step-by-step solution:

Method 1. Ignore Permission on Mac

You may have encountered an issue when transferring external hard drives between Macs. If the drive is properly formatted, but you are unable to write to it. The problem may be due to a lack of permission. The procedures to resolve the permissions issue on Mac are as follows:

Step 1. Open Finder and select the drive.

Step 2. Click on "Get Info" from the menu.

Step 3. Go to Sharing and Location tab. At the bottom of the tab click on the check box.

 Once you have ticked the check-box you have been permitted to write. Both read and write operations on the hard drive will work.

Method 2. Click to View Read-Only NTFS Hard Drive on Mac

If your hard drive uses the NTFS file system, you must enable the write option. Mac can only read and write natively on NTFS devices formatted on Windows. EaseUS NTFS for Mac is an option for this reason. This software lets you read and write to hard drives, SSDs, and USB drives. With NTFS-formatted devices, EaseUS NTFS instantly resolves the issue. It is ideal for use as an external drive. You can use this software to mount, unmount, and provide full access to NTFS files. It is simple to read, write, delete, copy, and transfer data.

The following are some of the useful features of EaseUS NTFS software that make it a preferred tool among the available options.

• NTFS can be mounted and unmounted quickly on a Mac.
• Compatible with Macs with the M1 processor.
• Gives complete read-write access to NTFS drive in Mac.
• NTFS, HFS+, APFS, FAR, and exFAT file systems are supported.
• Hard drive, external hard drive, SSD, USB flash drive, SD card, CF card, etc are all supported.
• Both Mac and Windows versions are available.
• A minimum of 100 MB of free disc space is required.

Steps of how to enable writable to NTFS drive on Mac are listed below:

Step 1. Launch and activate EaseUS NTFS for Mac. Click "I already have a license" to unlock this software.

Step 2. Connect an NTFS drive to Mac, EaseUS NTFS for Mac will automatically detect the device. Select your drive and you'll see it's now marked as 'Read-only". Click "Enable Writable" to add read and write rights to the drive.

Step 3. When the state of NTFS drives turns into "Writable".

Step 4. EaseUS NTFS for Mac will pops up a window to help Mac get access to the NTFS drive:

1. 1. Select "Full Disk Access", click the Lock icon and enter admin password to unlock it.
2. 2. Select the two icons of NTFS for Mac.
3. 3. Drag them to the "Full Disk Access" list.
4. 4. Click " Quit & Restore" to re-launch EaseUS NTFS for Mac.

Step 5. When EaseUS NTFS for Mac restarts, you can then open to check, read, write, and even modify saved data on the NTFS device.

Bonus Tip to Fix Read-Only Hard Drive on Mac

As of right now, we have found the issue and a possible quick fix. When you have a read-only problem, there are a few extra factors to consider. There is a chance that the external drive has a virus that prevents the device from formatting properly. Aside from that, an internal disc error could happen. The following is a tip for Mac users that may be useful in resolving the problem:

1. Clear virus on Malware on Mac and read-only hard drive

A virus or malware on your Mac or hard drive could be the cause of your inability to read and write. Try to eliminate the virus. If you do not do it promptly, the drive will not only become unrecognizable but will also infect your computer. Before transferring data, format the external disc. It will save your data and keep it safe from malware.

2. Run First Aid on Mac

Even though disc utility checks your startup volume at first, it is unable to correct the errors. Try running First Aid on Mac to correct an error that is causing you problems. It will fix the issues and make the hard disc work properly on a Mac.

3. Erase hard drive on Mac

Before deleting the hard disc, make a backup of your data. Once the disc has been correctly formatted and is virus-free, it will begin to function normally.

Conclusion

To summarise, we have figured out all of the possible reasons for read-only formats on Mac. If the problem is simple to solve, you can proceed with the methods listed above. If you still have trouble writing, try EaseUS NTFS. This software enables you to read and write to any hard disc in a matter of seconds. It is preferable software because it can support both Mac and Windows. So, why not fix the problem quickly?