---
id: troubleshooting.destination-is-read-only
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/destination-is-read-only
category: "Troubleshooting & messages"
subcategory: "Moves and copies that didn't finish"
question: "What does \"The destination is read-only\" mean?"
alt_questions:
  - "the destination is read-only storage studio"
  - "can't copy to external drive read only"
  - "ntfs drive read only mac storage studio"
  - "drive won't accept files mac"
short_answer: "The drive can be read but not written — usually because it's formatted NTFS. Use an APFS or exFAT drive (reformatting erases it), or run First Aid in Disk Utility."
tags: ["read-only", "ntfs", "drive format"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/wasnt-allowed-to-read-or-write-some-files"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What does "The destination is read-only" mean?

The drive you chose can be read but not written to, so nothing could be copied there. Your original is safe and untouched.

The usual cause is a drive formatted for Windows (NTFS), which macOS can only read. Less often, the drive's write-protect switch is on, or macOS mounted it read-only after finding a problem.

### What to do
- Use a drive formatted as **APFS** (best for a Mac-only drive) or **exFAT**.
- If the drive should be writable, run **First Aid** on it in Disk Utility.
- Reformatting erases a drive — copy anything you need off it first.

See [choosing a drive format](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/).