MacOS -1309: Fixing “The operation can’t be completed” on External Drives

The -1309 error in macOS typically occurs when attempting to perform an action on external drives, such as copying, moving, or deleting files.

The error message generally reads, The operation can’t be completed because one or more required items can’t be found. This problem often arises due to corruption in the file system of the external drive or incompatible file formats.

To resolve this error, first ensure that the drive is connected correctly and is powered on if it requires an external power source.

If possible, try connecting the drive to a different USB port or another computer to determine whether the issue is with the drive or your Mac.

If the drive is functioning properly on other devices, the next step is to run Disk Utility on macOS to check for disk errors.

Open Disk Utility, select the external drive, and click “First Aid.” This will attempt to repair any file system errors on the drive.

If the repair fails, the issue may be due to an incompatible file system, particularly if the drive is formatted in NTFS, which macOS can only read but not write to by default.

If this is the case, consider reformatting the drive to a more compatible format, such as exFAT or HFS+, but note that this will erase all data on the drive, so backup the contents first.

Another cause of this error could be a malfunctioning Finder, which sometimes cannot properly handle external storage.

You can try restarting your Mac and then reconnecting the drive.

If the issue persists after trying all of the above solutions, consider reaching out to Apple support or visiting an authorized service provider for further assistance.