Can't Transfer Data from BitLocker-encrypted LaCie HDD to iMac

bitlocker
1

My two PCs (from different companies) have mandatory BitLocker encryption enabled. I backed up data on their internal HDD into a 2TB LaCie HDD, which is also BitLocker-encrypted; it works well on both PCs.

Now, I want to transfer data on the LaCie HDD to my iMac, to my surprise, the HDD is not recognized. What could be the problem?

2

macOS can’t read BitLocker-encrypted drives natively, as BitLocker is exclusive to Windows. To copy files from the BitLocker HDD on a Mac, you can use a third-party BitLocker reader like iBoysoft Bitlocker for Mac.

3

You can also decrypt the LaCie HDD on your Windows PC first.
On Windows:

  1. Connect the external drive.
  2. Enter the BitLocker password or recovery key to unlock it.
  3. Open File Explorer → right-click the drive.
  4. Select Manage BitLocker.
  5. Click Turn off BitLocker.
  6. Confirm.

Now, your drive is not encrypted. If it’s formatted in exFAT, you can use it freely on a Mac. However, if it’s formatted in NTFS, it’s read-only on Mac. In this case, you can still copy files from it to your iMac but can’t write to it without a third-party NTFS for Mac driver.