By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the "TransMac Drive Has Been Locked By Another Program" error and proceed with creating your bootable macOS USB.
Using TransMac:
If TransMac continues to fail, other free tools can write DMG files to USB on Windows without encountering the same locking bugs.
Once finished, return to TransMac and try formatting it again. transmac drive has been locked by another program hot
Press Win + R , type cmd , and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open as Administrator. Type diskpart and press Enter. Type list disk to view all drives.
Note: Remember to turn this back on after completing the task.
TransMac is an essential tool for Windows users who need to create bootable macOS USB drives, format Mac-formatted disks, or transfer files between Windows and Mac systems. However, a common and frustrating error encountered during these operations is: By following these steps, you should be able
This will erase all data on the USB drive. Make sure you select the correct drive number.
: In some versions, fixed disks (like external HDDs/SSDs) are treated as
Ensure your USB or SD card doesn't have a physical write-protect switch toggled on. 5. Try a Dedicated Alternative Press Win + R , type cmd ,
The error "drive has been locked by another program" in TransMac usually occurs because Windows or a background service (like Windows Defender or File Explorer) is actively monitoring or trying to mount the drive while TransMac is attempting to write to it. Core Fixes to Unlock the Drive
: This is the most common fix. Windows Defender often "locks" a drive when it detects a new volume or format being written.
⚠️ WARNING: This will completely erase all data on the target USB drive. Ensure you choose the correct disk number.