Can't move files to external drive

I have a WD Elements hard drive that I've just attached to my Mac (first-time user) for the first time. The Mac has access to the hard drive just fine. I can and open the files in it. However, when I try to move a file from a folder on the Mac to the hard drive, it bounces back.

I have read & write permissions for both the hard drive and the files.

I used to use the hard drive on a Windows laptop but since the Mac can perfectly access everything, I don't think that's the issue?

Thanks!

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 12.5

Posted on Sep 1, 2022 6:29 AM

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Niel

Community+ 2025

Level 10

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Posted on Sep 1, 2022 6:35 AM

This generally means that the volume is formatted as NTFS, in which case it either needs to be reformatted or software capable of writing to it installed onto the Mac. To check, select the volume in the Finder, choose Get Info, and look at the format.

In the event that this occurs for a FAT32 or exFAT volume, choose Utilities from the Finder's Go menu, open the Disk Utility, and try repairing it. If that isn't an option, the drive may have sensed that it's about to fail.

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Can't move files to external drive

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