how to repair an external hard drive mac

• Go to Apple Menu > Restart. Restart Mac and hold "Command + R" keys.
• Click "Disk Utility" > "Continue" > "View" > "Show All Devices".
• Select the external hard drive you want to repair in the sidebar.
• Click "First Aid" > "Run" if you get "overlapped extent allocation."
• Disk Utility will repair your external hard drive on Mac usually.

Full Answer

How do you repair a hard drive on a Mac?

In that case, follow these steps:

• Shut down your Mac, then unplug all nonessential devices from your Mac.
• If you're repairing an external drive, make sure that it's connected directly to your Mac using a cable that you know is good. ...
• If your disk still doesn't appear in Disk Utility, your Mac might need service. If you need help, please contact Apple Support.

How do I repair an external hard drive?

How to Repair Corrupted External Hard Drive Without Losing Any Data

1. Repair Corrupted Drive via Windows Tools... Full steps
2. Update External Hard Drive Driver... Full steps
3. Run CMD to Repair External Hard Drive... Full steps

How to fix a corrupted and unreadable external hard drive?

Part 3: How To Fix Unreadable and Corrupted Hard Disk?

• Run the CHKDSK command through cmd prompt utility.
• Update the driver.
• Reformat the Disk to remedy the unreadable hard drive factor.

What is the best backup drive for Mac?

Top 5 Best External Hard Drives for Mac

• 1 Seagate Backup Plus. Seagate backup plus is an ideal mac external hard drive that is highly recommended by most websites.
• 2 Western Digital My Passport Ultra external hard drive for mac. ...
• 3 Toshiba Canvio Slim II. ...
• 4 G-Technology G-Drive Slim. ...
• 5 Transcend StoreJet. ...
• Top 5 Best Free Hard Drive Data Recovery Software in 2020. ...

How do I fix an unreadable external hard drive Mac?

Here's how to format an unreadable drive:In the error message, click Initialize.Once Disk Utility opens, choose the drive in the left pane.Click Erase, choose the right file system, and confirm you want to format the drive.Reconnect the drive — it should be readable now.

How do I restore an external hard drive on a Mac?

How do I restore my Mac from an external hard drive?Hold down Command + R while your Mac is restarting to bring up the startup options screen.Click on Disk Utility and then click Continue.Select Restore from the top options and select your external hard drive as a source.Click Restore.

How do I fix a corrupted external hard drive?

How to fix a corrupted external hard drive WITHOUT formattingOn the desktop, open This PC (My Computer) and select the desired external hard drive. Right-click it and select Properties -> Tools -> Click on Check. ... Use chkdsk.Use Disk Management. ... Use diskpart.

Can an external hard drive be repaired?

Generally speaking, the external hard drive errors can be repaired using CMD. What you should note is that regarding "chkdsk f: /f ", the first f should be replaced with the drive letter of the external hard drive.

Why is my Mac not reading my external hard drive?

Your external hard drive is not readable on Mac because it is formatted in NTFS, HFS+, or another format not supported by macOS. A loosely connected or frayed USB cable is another possible reason the external drive is not recognized by your Mac. Change the cable to fix the issue.

How do I recover files from a corrupted external hard drive Mac?

To recover lost files from an external hard drive on Mac:Download, install and launch Disk Drill Data Recovery Software for Mac.Connect the external drive to your computer.Select the external drive from the disk list.Click the Recover button to look for files.More items...•

How do I know if my external hard drive is damaged?

Common symptoms of external hard drive failure include:Failure to Mount or Recognize.Excessively Loud Operation.Clicking, Whirring or Grinding Sounds.Disappearing Files or Folders.File Corruption Error Messages.Extremely Slow Drive Access Times.

Can a failed hard drive be repaired?

Hard drive repair is possible, but they should NOT be reused after a recovery! Of course, HDDs can be repaired! However, a repaired HDD should not be reused, but rather, have its contents recovered immediately and then be discarded as it cannot be trusted to work into the future.

What command to use to fix corrupted external hard drive?

When Disk Utility’s First Aid can’t repair an external hard drive, use file system consistency check (fsck) command in Terminal or Single-User Mode to fix file system corruption issue. Corruption in the file system makes the stored data inaccessible, so follow the precautions and best practices to mitigate it.

How to prevent file system corruption?

The following precautions and best practices will lessen the chances of file system corruption: Always unmount your external hard drive safely. Do not eject or pull the cable of the drive abruptly. Don’t transfer files or manage external disk when your Mac is low in battery. Back up your external hard drive data.

Why won't my external hard drive show up on my Mac?

Sometimes the problem may be only due to a faulty USB connection or a damaged port etc. In any such case, your external hard drive will not show on your mac which can give an impression of a corrupted hard drive.

What is the best recovery tool for Mac?

4DDiG Data Recovery Mac is one of the best and most powerful tools to recover data on mac. With its powerful system, it can recover any type of data including pictures, videos, songs, etc.

How to repair an external drive on Mac?

If you're repairing an external drive, make sure that it's connected directly to your Mac using a cable that you know is good . Then turn the drive off and back on. If your disk still doesn't appear in Disk Utility, your Mac might need service. If you need help, please contact Apple Support. Published Date: November 17, 2020.

How to repair a Mac that won't start up?

However, if your Mac doesn't start up all the way, or you want to repair the disk your Mac starts up from, open Disk Utility from macOS Recovery: Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps: Apple silicon : Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see ...

How to repair disk if there is no run button?

If there is no Run button, click the Repair Disk button instead. If the button is dimmed and you can't click it, skip this step for the disk, container, or volume you selected. If you're asked for a password to unlock the disk, enter your administrator password. After Disk Utility is done checking the volume, select the next item above it in ...

What to do if disk utility found errors that it can't repair?

If Disk Utility found errors that it can't repair. If Disk Utility found errors that it could not repair, use Disk Utility to erase (format) your disk.

How to open disk utility on Mac?

In general, you can just open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. However, if your Mac doesn't start up all the way, or you want to repair the disk your Mac starts up from, open Disk Utility from macOS Recovery: 1 Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:#N#Apple silicon : Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window. Click the gear icon labeled Options, then click Continue.#N#Intel processor: Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys until you see an Apple logo or other image: Command (⌘) and R. 2 You may be asked to select a user you know the password for. Select the user, then click Next and enter their administrator password. 3 From the utilities window in macOS Recovery, select Disk Utility and click Continue.

How to enter administrator password on Mac?

You may be asked to select a user you know the password for. Select the user, then click Next and enter their administrator password.

How to recover data from external hard drive?

In this step, you can choose a specific location where the files get deleted or lost. To recover data from Mac external hard drive, please select the drive letter for your external hard drive and click "Start" to scan data. 2. Scan hard drive to search data.

What is the recovery mode on a Mac?

Recoverit will start an all-around scan. The "All-Around Recovery" mode will deep dig into your Mac external hard drive and piece the bits of your files together on it. It might take a little long time.

How to repair a disk on Mac?

To check and repair a disk, you need to run First Aid on each volume and container on the storage device in turn, then run it on the storage device itself. If Disk Utility tells you the disk is about to fail, back up your data and replace the disk—you can’t repair it. Open Disk Utility for me. In the Disk Utility app on your Mac, choose View > Show ...

What to do if Disk Utility can't repair your disk?

If Disk Utility can’t repair your disk, or you receive a report that the First Aid process failed, try to repair the disk or partition again. If that doesn’t work, back up as much of your data as possible, reformat the disk, reinstall macOS, then restore your backed-up data.

Can disk utility fix a disk?

Disk Utility can’t detect or repair all problems that a disk may have. To check and repair a disk, you need to run First Aid on each volume and container on ...

How to repair a corrupted hard drive on a Mac?

How to Fix a Corrupted Hard Drive on a Mac. 1. Repair the Corrupted Hard Drive Using Disk Utility. 2. Initiate the FSCK Command. 3. Try Free Software to Recover Mac Hard Drive Data. 4. Recover from a Time Machine backup drive.

How to recover information from a corrupted hard drive?

1. Repair the Corrupted Hard Drive Using Disk Utility. After discovering the corrupted hard drive, you can repair it through the Terminal. Once you open it, type in this command:

How to turn off Mac for the day?

When it is time to turn your Mac off for the day, go to the Apple menu at the top left to initiate the command. If you need the computer to sleep, you’ll find that option available in the same location.

Can you revert to a previous version of Time Machine?

If you use Time Machine on Mac, you can revert to a previous version to eliminate the corrupted files. This method works if you have a saved disk image that doesn’t contain the problem. Here’s what you need to do: Connect your Time Machine backup disk if it’s not already connected to your Mac.

Can malware cause a corrupted hard drive?

Malware can also create corruption problems on a Mac hard drive. These factors can adversely impact any external drives you have connected to the Mac, which means each one may need to be searched, scanned, and repaired before full functionality gets restored.

Can you use Time Machine to restore a Mac?

Whether you use Time Machine or a third-party tool to create an image of your drive, it is critical to keep at least one copy of your files and folders. If something happens, you can use this compressed storage medium to restore your Mac.

Can you use Disk Drill on Mac?

Software tools like Disk Drill for Mac are useful when First Aid and Time Machine won’t work or are unavailable. You can also use third-party free tools to get the results you want. A corrupted drive won’t fix itself. If you take these steps today, you can get your Mac running better faster than you might realize.

How to find external hard drive on Mac?

You should be able to see the external hard drive under the External heading in the sidebar on the left. Click on it to open the drive’s information. In the menu bar at the top of the window, click on Erase and choose the format compatible with your Mac device. Initiate reformatting.

Why is my external hard drive not showing up on my Mac?

Make sure the USB port is clean and properly connected. Dirty or loosely connected USB ports can create short currents, external hard drive's not showing up on Mac and struggling to read data. It’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.

What format does a Mac use?

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

What happens if you can't see volume list on Mac?

If you can’t see a volume list, your Mac can’t access the drive at all and you won’t be able to mount it . 6. Change the format of your HD. Macs use HFS+ or APFS format, whereas Windows computers employ NTFS.

How to format a hard drive for Mac?

Right-click on the drive’s icon and choose Format from the drop-down menu. Choose a format that’s compatible with both Mac and Windows devices — exFAT is the most modern and preferred one. Name your hard drive in the Volume label window. Click Start to initiate formatting.

What happens if you write a file on a USB drive?

If the USB device is not safely ejected while the cache is in use, data can become damaged.

Why is my external hard drive not readable?

Your external hard drive is not readable on Mac because it is formatted in NTFS, HFS+, or another format not supported by macOS. A loosely connected or frayed USB cable is another possible reason the external drive is not recognized by your Mac. Change the cable to fix the issue.