Try using TransMac again. (You can right-click Windows Search and select Start once you are finished). Alternative Solutions
To avoid the error recurring:
If the partition map on the USB drive is corrupted, Windows may continually attempt to read it, creating a software lock loop. Clearing the drive's configuration via the command line resolves this issue.
TransMac requires elevated system privileges to override third-party software locks and write directly to disk sectors. Right-click the desktop icon. Select Run as administrator . Click Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Attempt to format or write your .dmg file again. 3. Clear and Clean the USB Drive via Diskpart
If the drive remains locked, you may need to force-clear it using the Windows command line: Use Diskpart to Clean the Drive Open the Start Menu, type , and run as administrator. and press Enter. and identify your USB drive's number (e.g., Disk 2). select disk X (replace X with your drive number). Double-check this number to avoid wiping the wrong drive transmac drive has been locked by another program hot
Ensure your USB or SD card doesn't have a physical write-protect switch toggled on. 5. Try a Dedicated Alternative
If using a Mac, ensure the drive is formatted correctly using Disk Utility, ideally as GPT. Summary of Fixes What it does Run as Admin Grants necessary permissions. Simple permission errors. Diskpart Clean Clears partition table and locks. "Drive in use" / cannot access disk. Disable Antivirus Stops security software locking drive. "Access denied" during write.
If the drive is stuck in a read-only state or has hidden partitions from a previous macOS attempt, you need to wipe it clean at the command level.
provides a straightforward way to write disk images to USB drives and has been used successfully by users who encountered problems with TransMac. Try using TransMac again
Hope this saves someone the hours I lost troubleshooting this. Feel free to ask if you need clarification on any step.
If basic steps don't work, Windows or another program is likely locking the drive. You need to find and stop the conflicting process. This is the core of solving this error.
Download and open (a free Microsoft utility). Click Find in the top menu, then select Find Handle or DLL .
Type cmd in the Start menu, right-click it, and . Type diskpart and hit Enter. Type list disk to see all drives. Clearing the drive's configuration via the command line
: Right-click the TransMac shortcut and select Run as administrator . Without elevated privileges, the program may not be able to override existing system locks on the disk.
Safely remove the USB drive, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in.
Saying the drive I want to use is locked? How do I fix this?