Fix Seagate External Hard Drive Read-Only on Mac – 3 Methods and Detailed Steps
When a Seagate external hard drive is connected to a Mac, it may become read-only, preventing the users from performing write actions such as transferring files, deleting files, or creating new files. This issue may arise if the drive is formatted using the NTFS file system, which is not natively supported by Mac OS. In some cases, the issue may be caused by disk corruption on the Seagate drive.
To resolve the read-only issue on a Seagate external hard drive connected to a Mac, there are several possible solutions:
Use a free NTFS for Mac tool to enable write support for NTFS-formatted Seagate drives.
Change the permissions on the Seagate drive from read-only to read-write.
Repair any disk corruption that may be causing the drive to become read-only.
This tutorial provides detailed instructions for each of these solutions, allowing users to easily fix the issue with their Seagate external hard drive.
Why is the Seagate external hard drive read-only on your Mac computer?
A Seagate external hard drive may become read-only on a Mac if it is formatted using the NTFS file system, which is not natively supported by Mac OS. In some cases, the issue may be caused by disk corruption on the Seagate drive.
NTFS (New Technology File System) is a file system used by Windows operating systems. Mac OS does not natively support NTFS, so if a Seagate drive is formatted with this file system, it may become read-only when connected to a Mac.
Additionally, if your Seagate external hard drive is read-only on your Mac, it is likely because you don't have the correct permissions to access the drive. In order to access the drive and perform write actions, you will need to change the permissions on the drive from read-only to read-write.
Finally, if the Seagate drive has become corrupted, it may also become read-only on a Mac. Disk corruption can be caused by a number of factors, such as hardware failure or improper removal of the drive from the computer.
Due to the unique nature of each situation, it is important to have a range of solutions available to fix the issue of a Seagate external hard drive becoming read-only on a Mac.
Scenario 1: The external hard drive is NTFS formatted
If a Seagate external hard drive is formatted with the NTFS file system, it may become read-only on a Mac because macOS does not natively support NTFS. In this case, the user will not be able to perform write actions on the drive, such as adding, editing, or deleting files.
To determine whether a Seagate external hard drive is formatted with NTFS on a Mac, the user can follow these steps:
Open Finder and click on the "Go" menu at the top of the screen.
Choose "Utilities" from the menu.
Open the "Disk Utility" app.
Select the Seagate external hard drive in the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window.
If the drive is formatted with NTFS, it will be listed as "Windows NT File System" on the right.
The user can also click the "Info" icon at the top of the window to check if the drive is writable.
To enable write support for NTFS-formatted Seagate drives on a Mac, the user can use a NTFS for Mac driver such as iBoysoft NTFS for Mac. This software allows the user to mount the NTFS drive in read-write mode, allowing them to write to the drive without formatting it. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is compatible with Macs with M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M2 chips.
To use iBoysoft NTFS for Mac to enable write support for an NTFS-formatted Seagate drive on a Mac, the user can follow these steps:
Step 1. Download and install iBoysoft NTFS for Mac on the Mac.
Step 2. Connect the Seagate external hard drive to the Mac.
Step 3. Launch iBoysoft NTFS for Mac and wait for a notification that the drive has been successfully mounted in read-write mode.
If the drive is not mounted in read-write mode after installing the software, a pop-up window may appear asking the user to install an NTFS driver and enable System Extensions. Once these steps are completed, the NTFS volume will be mounted in read-write mode. In addition to providing write support for NTFS drives, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac also allows users to open, mount, repair, and erase NTFS drives on their Mac.
Scenario 2: You have no permission to access the Seagate external hard drive
If a Seagate hard drive is restricting the user to read-only actions, it is likely because of a permission issue. In macOS, access permissions are set up for all files and folders on the system, including external drives. To regain full access to a Seagate external hard drive that is read-only, the user can change the permissions on the drive.
To change permissions on a Seagate external hard drive on a Mac, the user can follow these steps:
Step 1. Select the Seagate external hard drive on the desktop or in the Finder sidebar.
Step 2. Press the "Command + I" keys on the keyboard to open the drive's information window.
Step 3. Scroll to the bottom of the window and click on the triangle to the left of the "Sharing & Permissions" tab.
Step 4. Click on the padlock icon and enter the administrator account password to unlock the tab. Step 5. Check the box next to "Ignore ownership on this volume" or toggle it on and off if it is already enabled. Step 6. Click on the gear button and choose "Apply to enclosed items..." to save the changes. (Alternatively, the user can control-click on the "Read-only" character in the "Sharing & Permissions" tab and change it to "Read & Write".)
If the drive is still locked after changing the permissions, it may be locked by a program, such as Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch. In this case, the user may need to unlock the password protection or hardware encryption using Seagate Secure software.
Scenario 3: There are disk errors on this Seagate external hard drive
If a Seagate external hard drive becomes read-only for reasons other than a permission issue or NTFS formatting, there may be a disk error. Formatting errors can cause an external hard drive to become read-only on a Mac. In this case, a warning may appear in the Disk Utility app stating that the drive is only being mounted in read-only mode.
Solution A. Use Disk Utility to fix the read-only error on the Seagate external hard drive
If a Seagate external hard drive becomes read-only on a Mac, it may be due to a disk error. In this case, the user can use the built-in Disk Utility app to repair the disk and fix the problem. To repair a Seagate external hard drive using Disk Utility, the user can follow these steps:
Open the Disk Utility app by going to the "Home Folder" on the Mac or using the "Spotlight Search" shortcut.
Select the read-only Seagate external hard drive on the left side of the Disk Utility window.
Click on the "First Aid" tab at the top of the window and choose "Run" to start the repair process.
Solution B. Fix the error by formatting the Seagate external hard drive
If the repair process is unable to fix the read-only issue, the user may need to reformat the drive. Reformatting will erase all the files on the drive, so it is important to make sure that the user has a backup of their data before proceeding. To reformat an external hard drive on a Mac, the user can follow these steps:
Open the Disk Utility app.
Select the read-only Seagate external hard drive in the left sidebar.
Click on the "Erase" button at the top of the window.
Enter a new name for the drive, choose "APFS" as the format, and "GUID Partition Map" as the scheme.
Click on the "Erase" button to confirm the operation.
After reformatting, the Seagate external hard drive will be formatted with the APFS file system and will be accessible for both reading and writing.
