Hard Drive Wont Read After Using on Mac

Before nosotros start

Fixing a problem with an external hard drive tin can be actually hard for non tech-savvy users. Only in that location'southward no need to panic! Just inquire for help from a existent pro, and they are piece of cake to find!

Download MacKeeper and admission your personal tech expert, bachelor 24/vii. Only tell them about your problem and receive quick and effective aid with almost any possible tech upshot.

However, if you lot're eager to fix this issues yourself, keep reading. We outline a range of straightforward solutions to an external hard bulldoze non showing up on Mac in the following sections.

Your external bulldoze not showing up on Mac? Hither'south what to do

When you plug in a difficult drive into your Mac, you lot look it to pop up in Locations in Finder — adjacent to your remote disk and the estimator itself. Merely what if it'southward not there? There can be many reasons for a Mac not reading a hard drive — poor connexion, faulty cable or, in the worst-instance scenario, decadent hard drive data. Whatsoever happens, there are always ways to bargain with it.

1. Edit your preferences

If this is not the starting time time you're using an external difficult drive and experiencing such a problem, it is not likely to be an outcome for you. Nonetheless, y'all could still check your preferences — just in case.

Your settings might non exist set to display external hard drives on your desktop. To fix that, go to Finder and click on the Finder push in the card bar at the top of the screen. Follow Preferences → General → Testify these items on the desktop. Make sure you tick the boxes next to External disks and Difficult disks. Then become to Sidebar and bank check Difficult disks and External disks there likewise.

2. Ensure your cablevision has sufficient power

Some hard drives require more than power supply than others, different types and brands of cables provide more or less energy. Normally, a device requires upward to 500 mA, which tin can be provided by a standard USB 1.0 or 2.0.

However, if your hard drive needs a stronger ability output, it may piece of work slower than expected or not connect at all. Check that your USB cablevision is delivering enough power to the hard drive and, if need exist, swap to a more powerful connector or to a different USB port on your Mac.

You could also employ an external power source or fifty-fifty a self-powered USB hub — adding its power to the power of your Mac might resolve the issue. Don't forget to accept your Mac continued to the charger.

iii. Endeavor Other Devices for Power Supply

If you find that no thing what type of cable y'all use, the hard bulldoze is still not showing upward, the problem might be in your Mac's hardware. Endeavour using another Mac or Windows device — if it merely works on a PC, it's likely that your hardware is non formatted to be launched on a MacOS device.

iv. Employ Terminal

For average users, the Terminal app is a terminal-resort solution because they tend to detect it complicated. However, it'south well-nigh e'er effective and isn't actually that bad if yous advisedly follow the steps:

1. Open Concluding by following Applications → Utilities → Terminal
2. Type in diskutil listing - a command that extracts data from the system to analyse whatever volumes and drives attached to your Mac
3. A list of your disks will appear — search for a line with /dev/disk_ (external, physical) — the underscore signifies a digit assigned to your disk's identifier
4. Type in another control — diskutil info disk_, with the digit of the external disk that you lot're interested in in place of the underscore
5. If your system recognises the drive, this action should reveal the information nearly your bulldoze. And then yous can eject it past typing in diskutil squirt disk_, with your bulldoze's assigned digit in place of the underscore
6. Yous can now type in the diskutil listing command again — if the bulldoze is gone from the list, y'all can remove it from the USB port and reconnect it. It should now be able to mount usually

If you lot're running MacOS Mojave or Catalina, you lot might come beyond the "Functioning not permitted" error when entering a Terminal command. This is not a software problems — it occurs due to additional System Integrity Protection security measures that Apple tree introduced in the newer versions of the operating arrangement. Information technology locks downward certain areas of the system and but relieves the lockdown during updates.

To prepare this error, you need to grant Final total disk access:

1. Quit Last and go to the Apple tree Menu → Arrangement Preferences → Security and Privacy → Privacy
2. Gyre down the menu on the left until you meet Full Disk Access
3. To make changes to the listing of apps that have the permission, click on the lock symbol in the bottom left corner of the window and enter your password when prompted;
4. Click on the Plus push to add a new utility to the list. Look for Terminal in Applications → Utilities
5. Once you've added Terminal, click on the padlock again to disable access to editing.

5. Engage Deejay Utility

Deejay Utility often becomes the ultimate fix for a lot of Mac problems, including those related to external drives. It tin assist to access and repair some disk bug by checking partition Macs and performing boosted checks across the system.

To use Disk Utility, follow these steps:

1. Go to Applications → Utilities → Deejay Utility → View → Bear witness All Devices
2. The sidebar on the left volition brandish any external drives — you should exist able to view your hard drive there
3. Click on the volume for a carte to appear. If the drive has been mounted, there will be an option to unmount the device. If you can't come across a volume list, your Mac can't access the bulldoze at all and you won't exist able to mount information technology

half dozen. Change the format of your Hard disk

Macs use HFS+ or APFS format, whereas Windows computers apply NTFS. FAT32 and exFAT are recognised by both Mac and Windows devices. You can check the formatting past going to the Apple carte du jour at the top of the screen and following About This Mac → Storage.

If yous come across that your device's format is non Mac friendly, you can change it through the post-obit steps:

1. Plug in the connector of your device slowly into the port of your Mac — this ensures proper initiation
2. Become to Applications → Utilities → Deejay Utility
3. You lot should be able to run into the external hard drive under the External heading in the sidebar on the left. Click on it to open up the drive's information
4. In the menu bar at the meridian of the window, click on Erase and choose the format uniform with your Mac device
5. Initiate reformatting. Carry in mind — all of your hard drive's contents will exist erased during the process

If yous can't sacrifice the data on the deejay, y'all tin can reformat information technology using a Windows device:

1. Connect your drive to a Windows PC
2. Locate the bulldoze in the sidebar in the File Explorer
3. Copy all of the drive's contents into a dissever folder on the PC
4. Right-click on the drive's icon and choose Format from the drib-downwardly carte du jour
5. Cull a format that's compatible with both Mac and Windows devices — exFAT is the most mod and preferred one
6. Name your hard drive in the Volume label window
7. Click Get-go to initiate formatting. It should only take a few seconds until information technology's done, and then you can apply your hard drive on a Mac device
8. Make sure to transfer the data back to the deejay from the folder y'all'd created

7. Run First Aid

Regardless, you tin can always run the Starting time Aid program. It checks the deejay for whatsoever errors that could potentially cause the external hard drive not mounting on your Mac. It will and so endeavour to repair them. If you right-click on the device'south icon, the Kickoff Aid bar will testify upwardly in a drib-down menu. You will also see the options Restore and Erase — they act to articulate whatsoever data from your hard bulldoze, so if you store important documents there you should refrain from choosing those.

Launch Kickoff Aid past сlicking Run and so Continue. As a outcome of the screening, you will exist advised on whatsoever errors that your Mac finds on the disk. If the program discovers an "Overlapped extent allocation" error, information technology's likely that some of your files are corrupted. The list of affected files volition exist displayed in the DamagedFiles folder in your drive — you should delete them. If, by chance, they contain important information, make certain they're not corrupted.

If the First Aid process fails, yous take two options: run the program again and repair the deejay, or to dorsum up all the information you possibly can, change the format of the disk and reinstall your current operating organization. After that you can recover the data you'd backed up.

8. Reset NVRAM

Nonvolatile random-admission memory (NVRAM) stores local settings such every bit volume, screen resolution, and hard drive information. Mac'south firmware can primarily admission this information, such equally before it starts booting when you restart it. It ensures such small details every bit keeping your time zone consistent or keeping the volume muted when restarting your Mac.

NVRAM bugs are the source of many glitches, including a USB flash drive non showing up. Resetting it is piece of cake and generally harmless, although it might mean that you lot'll have to reset any basic custom settings you have on your laptop.

1. Restart your reckoner
2. When you hear the startup sound, hold command + choice + P + R
3. This causes your Mac to restart again — when you hear the startup sound for the second time, you tin can let go of the keys

On newer Macs, there's no need to even restart the computer — just printing downward the combination for 20-xxx seconds and your NVRAM will exist reset.

9. Try Plugging Information technology In Slowly

A strange feature regarding all USB cables — sometimes it may connect and function ameliorate if you plug it in more slowly. This is due to a design flaw in the power-up sequence of some of the USB drives. The power contacts in your USB connector are designed to make contact with the USB port start. Plugging in slowly applies ability to the USB device and it gives the device extra time to initialise. This assists the proper order of events and hence mounting of your hard drive.

10. Try a Different Drive

If you've tried all the methods described higher up, isolate the problem past plugging in a different external hard drive. If another disk is recognised, the trouble might be in the drive itself. Take you recently dropped it or subjected information technology to h2o damage? Check for any hardware issues. In the worst-case scenario you'll have to supervene upon the drive.

Here are a few reliable hard drives and SSDs that yous could use with a Mac device:

1. WD My Passport Hd. 4TB chapters, USB iii.0 Interface — $120
2. Portable Samsung T5 SSD. 200GB - 2TB capacity, USB 3.1 (2 generation) interface — $220. USB-C/USB-A
3. G-Applied science G-RAID With Thunderbolt 3 HD. 8TB — 24TB chapters, USB iii.1, Thunderbolt 3 interface — $690. Also has a USB-C port
4. Adata SD700 External SSD. Upwards to 1TB chapters, USB iii.0 interface — $90

How to avoid external hard drive not mounting on Mac

You at present have a articulate idea of how to access an external difficult drive on Mac and what to do if it won't mount. To make certain that you don't face the same problem in the time to come, e'er check that the deejay is in the correct format for your operating system, that information technology has a strong plenty power supply, and that the connector of your USB cable is not damaged. Yet, there are several boosted things that you can practice to avoid future complications.

1. Make sure the USB port is clean and properly connected

Muddied or loosely connected USB ports can create curt currents, external hard bulldoze'south not showing upwards on Mac and struggling to read data. Information technology's common for a connector to get a bit wonky if you've used it for a while — the power contacts won't align correctly.

In this example, your only option would be to get a new cable or, if y'all're very persistent, get it stock-still. If the connector or the USB port is dusty, you lot tin clean it by blowing compressed air into the port and gently swabbing information technology with a cotton wool bud dipped in alcohol solution.

two. Ever properly eject the device

Removing the drive without safe ejection can decadent information on the device, which in the future tin make your Mac unable to recognise it. Any operating system employs write caching — files are not immediately written on your hard drive when you transfer information technology or dorsum it upwardly, merely are buried until all the side writing and reading operations are finished.

If the USB device is not safely ejected while the cache is in utilise, data tin become damaged. Contrastingly, removing information technology safely clears the enshroud and stops groundwork operations in the device, therefore protecting it.

iii. Keep your operating arrangement upward to date

An out-of-engagement operating organisation causes problems for all areas of your computer's operation. Updates improve stability and performance, too as ensuring your Mac'due south security and minimising the run a risk of your files getting corrupted.

To install the latest version of your operating system, get to the Apple carte at the peak of the screen and select Organisation Preferences → Software Update. If an Update button is available, make sure all of your of import work is saved earlier you click it as it restarts your reckoner.

4. Endeavour a data recovery app

If you lot've tried launching First Aid and reformatting your drive and information technology's withal non detected on your Mac, the device itself is most likely broken and needs to be repaired or replaced. Merely even if the drive is cleaved, information technology still stores some, if not all of the information that you've backed up on it. Check out some of the apps here.

FAQ

What do I do if my external hard drive is not detected?

If your external difficult drive is non detected, follow these steps to ready the consequence:

• Get to Applications and open up Utilities
• In the Utilities folder, select Deejay Utility
• In the View carte at the height of your screen, select Show All Devices
• Select your external drive and click Unmount
• Connect your external bulldoze once more

If your external Mac difficult drive is non detected, endeavor changing its format to APFS, Fatty 32, or exFAT. Annotation, yet, that this fix requires reformatting your drive, which will delete all its content in the procedure. Therefore, back up your drive before post-obit these steps:

• Plug the external drive into your Mac
• Get to Applications and open Utilities
• Launch Disk Utility and select your drive in the External section of the left sidebar
• At the pinnacle of your screen, click Erase and select a preferred format

Why is my external hard drive not readable on Mac?

Your external hard drive is not readable on Mac considering it is formatted in NTFS, HFS+, or some other format non supported by macOS. A loosely connected or frayed USB cable is another possible reason the external bulldoze is not recognized by your Mac. Alter the cable to gear up the event.

If your external hard bulldoze is non readable on Mac, try plugging it in slowly. USB 2.0 connectors, which can be establish on older external drives, have a blueprint flaw making the slow connection necessary.

How exercise you connect an external hard drive to a Mac?

Connect the hard drive with a clean USB port on your Mac via a suitable cable (preferably the one that came in a package with information technology). If your Mac has a different port, such as Thunderbolt or Firewire, make sure yous get an adaptor for it. The drive's icon should appear on your desktop or under the Devices heading in Finder. You can and then open up the deejay and employ it for backup or view its contents.

How do I revive a dead hard drive?

If y'all find your difficult drive breaking down while it's connected to your computer, it's best to finish using it as shortly as possible. To check if the problem is in the device itself, try connecting it to a unlike port or fifty-fifty a different computer. Try a different cable too.

If these simple operations don't piece of work, you'll accept to open and examine the disk. Pay attending to the sounds that it makes when activated. For instance, a clicking noise indicates a malfunctioning head assembly — the part of the hard drive that reads data off its platters. Most of the fourth dimension, the recommendation is to accept it stock-still by a professional person. You lot shouldn't endeavor to repair the drive at home as there is a depression chance of success and you're likely to damage the data stored on the deejay.

How practice I back up my difficult bulldoze?

Yous tin can back up all your valuable data on Mac by using Time Machine. Information technology'southward a handy tool that comes with each Mac device past default for information maintenance, recovery, and backup. It will exist useful if you demand to bring dorsum the files you lost after elimination the Trash or to exist more efficient with your storage space.

To launch Time Machine backup, connect your hard drive disk to your MaBook and go to the Apple menu at the meridian of the screen. Become to System Preferences and observe the Time Car icon. Click on Select Fill-in Disk. A window will announced where you can select your external hard drive for backup.

Why does my Mac close down when I connect a hard drive?

Merely equally some hard drives are not recognised considering they don't get enough power, some of them drain as well much from your Mac. In this case, the organization management controller will automatically shut the laptop down to protect it. If you think that that's the case, try connecting the disk to an external power source such equally a USB hub and reset your SMC.

If your Mac has a removable bombardment, use these steps to contempo the SMC:

1. Shut downward your Mac and disconnect it from all sources of power, including the battery
2. Hold the power button for 5 seconds
3. Reconnect your Mac to the power source and put the battery dorsum in
4. Turn the Mac back on

If your bombardment is unremovable:

1. Shut down your Mac and disconnect it from the charger
2. Hold Shift + Control + Option + Power button for 10 seconds
3. Release the keys and reconnect the Mac with the power source
4. Plough the Mac back on

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Source: https://mackeeper.com/blog/external-hard-drive-not-recognized-on-mac/

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