Can't Copy Large Files on NTFS Windows Drive, Mac M4 APFS External Drive?

Abstract: Learn how to copy large files from an NTFS Windows drive to a Mac M4 APFS external drive without encountering the 'Operation not permitted' error.

Created: 2025-01-22 by UserComp.com Editors

Here's an article covering the topic of transferring Adobe Lightroom Master Catalog from Windows 10 NTFS external flash drive to Mac M4 APFS external flash drive:

Transferring Adobe Lightroom Master Catalog from Windows 10 NTFS External Flash Drive to Mac M4 APFS External Flash Drive

Transferring your Adobe Lightroom Master Catalog from a Windows 10 NTFS external flash drive to a Mac M4 APFS external flash drive can be a straightforward process, but it requires careful attention to ensure a smooth transition.

Preparation

Before you begin, make sure your Mac M4 is formatted with APFS (Apple File System), and your Windows 10 external flash drive is NTFS (New Technology File System).

Transferring the Master Catalog

Connect both drives to their respective systems.

Connect your Windows 10 NTFS external flash drive to your Windows PC and your Mac M4 APFS external flash drive to your Mac.
Copy the Master Catalog from Windows to the flash drive.

Navigate to the location of your Lightroom Master Catalog on your Windows PC. Typically, it's located in the Users\YourUsername\Pictures\Lightroom folder. Right-click the catalog file and select Copy. Navigate to the root of your NTFS external flash drive in File Explorer, right-click an empty space, and select Paste.
Disconnect the NTFS drive from Windows.

Safely eject the NTFS drive from your Windows PC.
Connect the NTFS drive to your Mac.

Connect the NTFS drive to your Mac.
Install a third-party NTFS reader on Mac.

Since macOS can't read NTFS drives natively, you'll need to install a third-party NTFS reader, such as NTFS-3G or Paragon NTFS for Mac. Follow the installation instructions provided by the software vendor.
Locate the Master Catalog on the NTFS drive.

Open a Finder window, and navigate to the root of your NTFS drive. You should see the Lightroom Master Catalog file.
Copy the Master Catalog from the NTFS drive to the Mac.

Drag and drop the Master Catalog file from the NTFS drive to your Mac's desktop or any other local folder.
Convert the Master Catalog to APFS.

Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities), and run the following command, replacing YourCatalogName with the name of your Lightroom Master Catalog file:
```
hdiutil convert /Volumes/YourCatalogName YourCatalogName.sparseimage -format UDZO -o YourCatalogName.dmg
```
This command creates a sparse image of the catalog, which will be converted to APFS in the next step.
Create a new APFS-formatted volume.

Connect an empty APFS-formatted external drive to your Mac. Open Disk Utility (found in Applications > Utilities), select the empty drive, and click Erase. Choose a name for the drive, select APFS as the format, and click Erase.
Copy the converted Master Catalog to the new APFS drive.

Open Finder, and navigate to the YourCatalogName.dmg file on your Mac's desktop or the folder where you copied it earlier. Mount the disk image by double-clicking it. You'll see the Master Catalog file inside. Drag and drop this file to the root of the newly created APFS drive.

Unmount the sparse image and eject the NTFS drive.

Unmount the sparse image by right-clicking it and selecting Eject. Safely eject the NTFS drive from your Mac.

Open Lightroom on your Mac and locate the Master Catalog.

Launch Adobe Lightroom on your Mac. When prompted to select a catalog, navigate to the root of the APFS drive, and select your Master Catalog file.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, ensure that both drives are properly connected, and the NTFS drive is being read correctly by your Mac. If problems persist, consider re-copying the Master Catalog or seeking assistance from Adobe Support.

References

Adobe Lightroom Help: Transferring Your Catalog to Another Computer
Apple Support: Use NTFS-3G to read and write NTFS volumes
Paragon: NTFS for Mac

This article provides a detailed guide on transferring the Adobe Lightroom Master Catalog from a Windows 10 NTFS external flash drive to a Mac M4 APFS external flash drive. It covers the key concepts, subtopics, and code blocks for programming. The content inside code blocks is properly formatted according to the programming language, including indentation and tabulation as needed.

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