Security software often "hooks" into a USB drive the second it's plugged in to scan for malware, creating a lock.
Type list disk to find your USB (look at the size to identify it). Type select disk X (Replace with your USB's number). Type clean . Warning: This erases everything on the USB.
Move the USB to a rear port (if on a desktop) to ensure a more stable connection. 🛠️ Method 1: Use Diskpart to "Clean" the Drive Transmac Drive Has Been Locked By Another Program
TransMac has a built-in formatting tool that sometimes works better than the restoration tool when a lock is present. In TransMac, right-click your USB drive. Select . Give it a generic name and let it finish.
Temporarily disable Windows Defender or your 3rd party antivirus (McAfee, Avast, etc.). Security software often "hooks" into a USB drive
Windows might be trying to index the drive.
Windows often locks drives because it recognizes a corrupted partition. Clearing the partition table usually kills the lock. Press Win + R , type , and hit Enter. Type diskpart and hit Enter. Type clean
Go back to TransMac and try to again. 🔍 Method 2: Disable Anti-Virus and Indexing
Windows and macOS use different file systems (NTFS/FAT32 vs. APFS/HFS+). When you plug a Mac-formatted drive into Windows, the OS gets confused. It may try to "fix" the drive or repeatedly prompt you to format it, which keeps the drive "busy" and prevents TransMac from gaining exclusive access. If these steps didn't work, tell me: What are you using? Are you using a USB 2.0 or 3.0 drive? Did you get a specific error code ?
Right-click the TransMac icon and select Run as Administrator . Without elevated permissions, TransMac often fails to override system locks.