# The operation can’t be completed because it isn’t supported.



## Quick_now1 (Dec 6, 2020)

I'm trying to format my Mac because it get stuck and lags and forces me to close the lid and restart. But before I format I need to put the important stuff in my external hard drive. When I was adding one of my essentials to the drive it gave me this message "The operation can’t be completed because it isn’t supported". Can you guys help me figure out how to get around it?


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Many ideas in this thread: Mac Thread


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

You can do a backup with Time Machine to your external HDD. After reinstalling the OS, it will ask you if you have a Time Machine Backup you would like to restore. Plug in your External HDD and Time Machine will find your backup and restore it, your full user profile, all of your User files, personalization's, password etc just as you had it before the format.


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## Quick_now1 (Dec 6, 2020)

spunk.funk said:


> You can do a backup with Time Machine to your external HDD. After reinstalling the OS, it will ask you if you have a Time Machine Backup you would like to restore. Plug in your External HDD and Time Machine will find your backup and restore it, your full user profile, all of your User files, personalization's, password etc just as you had it before the format.


I fixed my problem but thanks for your suggestion anyways.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Please let us know what the solution is so others may learn.


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## Quick_now1 (Dec 6, 2020)

spunk.funk said:


> Please let us know what the solution is so others may learn.


Since My HDD was a NTFS Microsoft Windows I used iBoysoft NTFS to Mac, while I was trying to put all my essential in the Hard drive it gave me this message "The operation can’t be completed because it isn’t supported." Then I got frustrated since the software (iBoysoft NTFS to Mac) wasn't operating well causing me to lost more brain cells. I then reinstalled it (the software) then it kinda worked but some files didn't work so I put them on google drive.
Now I've formatted and updated back to Big Sur.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Quick_now1 said:


> Since My HDD was a NTFS Microsoft Windows I used iBoysoft NTFS to Mac, while I was trying to put all my essential in the Hard drive it gave me this message "The operation can’t be completed because it isn’t supported." /


 That would have been good Intel to put in your OP to help you diagnose your problem. Next time, please give us all the facts.


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