My WD Passport not showing up on Mac or stuck on Read-Only? Discover 3 ways to fix how to change permission on WD password on Mac. Use PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac to enable full write access without formatting.
Western Digital’s "My Passport" series is a staple in the world of external storage, offering robust capacity and portability. However, for Apple users, the experience isn't always plug-and-play. A common scenario involves connecting the drive, seeing your files, but being unable to edit, delete, or add new ones. You are essentially locked out with "Read-Only" access. This leads many users to search for how to change permission on WD Passport on Mac to regain control over their data.
This guide will explore the reasons behind these restrictions and provide three authoritative methods to address them. Whether you are struggling with a corrupted drive, a file system mismatch, or wondering how to use WD Passport on Mac seamlessly across different operating systems, we have the solutions you need.
Before fixing the issue, it is crucial to understand the root cause. If you are facing a situation where the WD Passport is not showing up on Mac desktop, or it shows up but you cannot write to it, the issue usually stems from one of three areas:
NTFS File System (The Most Common Culprit): Most WD Passport drives come pre-formatted with NTFS for Windows. macOS can read NTFS but it cannot write to it natively. This "Read-Only" state is often mistaken for a permission error.
Corrupted File System: If the drive was unplugged without "Safe Ejection," the file structure might be damaged, causing macOS to mount it as read-only to protect the data, or worse, resulting in the WD passport not showing up on Mac at all.
User Privilege Settings: If the drive is formatted for Mac (APFS/HFS+), specific user account settings might be restricting access.
If you are wondering why WD Passport is not showing up on Mac, check your USB cable and port first. If the hardware is fine, proceed with the software solutions below.
Now, let’s see 3 ways to fix WD Passport not showing up on Mac.
If your drive is mounting intermittently or you suspect corruption is causing the permission lock, macOS provides built-in tools to handle this.
Step 1. Open Disk Utility (Command + Space > type "Disk Utility"). Select your WD Passport from the sidebar.
Step 2. Click "First Aid" and then "Run". MacOS will attempt to repair directory errors. If successful, the drive may remount with correct permissions.
If you want to know how to use WD Passport on Mac natively and don't care about existing data, formatting is an option.
Step 1. In Disk Utility, select the WD drive. Click "Erase".
Step 2. Choose APFS (for Mac only) or exFAT (for Windows/Mac).
Step 3. Click Erase. This gives you a fresh drive with full read/write permissions, but it deletes all your files.
If your drive is already formatted with a Mac-compatible file system (APFS or Mac OS Extended) but you still can't write to it, the issue is likely a user ownership conflict. You can force the system to bypass this.
Step 1. Right-click (or Control-click) the WD Passport icon on your desktop or Finder. Select "Get Info".
Step 2. Scroll to the bottom "Sharing & Permissions" section.
Step 3. Click the Lock icon and enter your administrator password.
Step 4. Check the box labeled "Ignore ownership on this volume".
Note: If this option is missing, your drive is likely NTFS, and you must use Way 3.
If you check "Get Info" and see "You can only read" with no option to change it, your drive is formatted as NTFS. In this case, you cannot change permission on WD Passport on Mac using native settings. You need a professional driver to bridge the gap without formatting the drive.
PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac is the authoritative solution for this scenario. It acts as a seamless bridge, instantly unlocking full Read-Write capabilities for Windows-formatted drives on macOS.
⭐Note: Don't forget to configure the Security Policy in iOS Recovery Mode. macOS can only read NTFS partitions by default, not write directly to them. To write data to an NTFS partition on macOS, you need to use a third-party NTFS driver.
Step 1. Run PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac and connect your WD Password hard drive. Then all devices will be mounted and listed.
Step 2. Now, click the three dots, and your WD Passport drive will show "Enable Writable", click it, and your WD Passportdrive can be read-write on your Mac.
Now you can write data to the WD Passport drive on Mac like copy, delete and rename files.
Navigating permission issues on external drives can be frustrating, especially when deadlines loom. While knowing how to change permissions on WD Passport on Mac via "Get Info" works for Apple-formatted drives, it fails to address the common NTFS incompatibility standard on most WD drives.
For a reliable, non-destructive solution that keeps your data intact, PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac is the superior choice. By enabling full read-write access on the latest macOS versions and Apple Silicon chips, it ensures that you can use WD Passport on Mac seamlessly, bridging the gap between Windows and Mac environments without the need for reformatting.
1. Why is the "Ignore ownership" option missing on my WD Passport?
If the "Ignore ownership on this volume" checkbox is missing in the "Get Info" window, it confirms that your drive is formatted with a file system that macOS does not natively control permissions for, such as NTFS or exFAT. In this case, you need third-party software like PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac to enable write access.
2. Why is my WD Passport not showing up on Mac even though the light is on?
A blinking light indicates power, but if the drive doesn't mount, it could be due to a faulty USB cable, insufficient power from a hub, or file system corruption. Try a different port first. If it still fails, use PartitionAssistant to try and force-mount the drive, or run Disk Utility's First Aid.
3. Can I use WD Passport on both Mac and Windows without formatting?
Yes. To do this, keep the drive formatted as NTFS (the Windows standard). On your Mac, install PartitionAssistant NTFS for Mac. This allows you to read and write to the drive on your Mac while maintaining full native compatibility with any Windows computer you plug it into.
4. How do I fix "Read Only" error on WD Passport without software?
The only way to fix "Read Only" on an NTFS WD Passport without third-party software is to reformat the drive to exFAT or APFS using Disk Utility. However, this will erase all data on the drive. If you need to keep your files, software is the only option.