# New thumb drives not working on MacBook. Need answer fast. Please help.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874 "2016-07-01T17:04:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/1 "2016-07-01T17:04:50Z")

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I am trying to transfer some files to a thumb drive on my MacBook. When I plug the thumb drive in to the USB port, an icon appears on my laptop screen. Whenever I try to transfer a file, however, a circle with a line through it appears and nothing happens. Clicking on the icon to get the info reveals an area at the bottom of the menu that says the thumb drive is read only. The thumb drive has no switches, and is brand new out of the package. Is there a way of changing this setting? P,ease help. Thank you!

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/2 "2016-07-01T17:06:18Z")

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The files are around 100 mega, the thumb drive has a 16 GB capacity, so I don’t think file size is the issue. A simple one page document won’t transfer.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/3 "2016-07-01T17:09:57Z")

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Try formatting it with Disk Utility.  
HFS Extended, Journeled.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/4 "2016-07-01T17:11:01Z")

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Also, are you sure it’s not a fake?

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/5 "2016-07-02T03:08:35Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Try formatting it with Disk Utility.  
> HFS Extended, Journeled.

Or DOS if you’re going to be transferring files to Windows machines.

But Disk Utility should do it. Don’t be afraid to click on “Erase”, because you are erasing and reformatting the drive.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/6 "2016-07-02T03:36:38Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Also, are you sure it’s not a fake?

I’m assuming it’s probably just formatted as NTFS, which would make it read-only on a Mac, as you know. So reformat, like you said, should do the trick.

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-thumb-drives-not-working-on-macbook-need-answer-fast-please-help/758874/7 "2016-07-02T03:41:05Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> I’m assuming it’s probably just formatted as NTFS, which would make it read-only on a Mac, as you know. So reformat, like you said, should do the trick.

I think this was the problem. Thank you 😃