
How to Fix the “External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac” Issue
- Update macOS.. You can update macOS by going to the System Preferences under the Apple menu . Choose Software Update...
- Erase the External HDD.. If your Mac doesn’t recognize an external hard drive, it may need to get erased to be seen.
- Enable External HDD Visibility.. You can go to Preferences,...
- Go to Applications and open Utilities.
- In the Utilities folder, select Disk Utility.
- In the View menu at the top of your screen, select Show All Devices.
- Select your external drive and click Unmount.
- Connect your external drive again.
How to fix Mac not recognizing external hard drive?
Click on the Mount option from the menu bar at the top. If your Mac is set to show only mountable drives, you should try to fix Mac not recognizing external hard drive by allowing Show All Devices. Open Finder -> select Applications -> select Utilities -> choose Disk Utility.
How to recover files from external hard drive on MacBook Air?
1 Connect your drive to the Mac. 2 Quit all other applications on the Mac, especially those that may be trying to access the external drive (e.g. ... 3 Launch Disk Drill. 4 Click on the external drive that you are trying to recover files from. ... More items...
What to do if my external hard drive is not there?
If the external drive is not there, make sure that the USB cable is properly plugged in. It is advised you can change another USB port to have a try. Sometimes, the drive is connected but not mounted. To mount a drive, open Disk Utility and look for the external hard drive in the list. If it is there, click on the Mounting button.
How to recover data from hard drive not recognized on Windows/Mac?
After fixing the hard drive that is not recognized on Windows and Mac, you might want to get your data back. Here We introduce a professional external hard drive data recovery software - Wondershare Recoverit to you. Also, its operation steps are clearly listed to help you recover your hard drive data effectively and efficiently.

How do you repair an external hard drive on a Mac?
Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on MacIn the Disk Utility app on your Mac, choose View > Show All Devices. ... In the sidebar, select a volume, then click the First Aid button .In the First Aid dialog, click Run, then follow the onscreen instructions.When the First Aid process is complete, click Done.More items...
What do I do if my external hard drive is not detected?
If the drive still isn't working, unplug it and try a different USB port. It's possible the port in question is failing, or just being finicky with your specific drive. If it's plugged into a USB 3.0 port, try a USB 2.0 port. If it's plugged into a USB hub, try plugging it directly into the PC instead.
How do I fix my external hard drive not mounted Mac?
FIX: External Hard Drive Not Mounting on macOSCheck Your Desktop Preferences.Relaunch Finder.Disconnect & Reconnect Drive.Restart Mac.Connect Directly to Mac.Switch USB Ports.Use a Different Cable.Check the System Information App.More items...•
How do I format my external hard drive not showing up on Mac?
3:167:26How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac? [6 Methods]YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFollow these steps to change the preference settings of finder start by opening finder. And clickMoreFollow these steps to change the preference settings of finder start by opening finder. And click the menu icon in the top left corner. Click preferences. And then go to the general tab. Now make sure
Can 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.
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.
How do I get my Mac to read an external hard drive?
Connect your hard drive and follow these instructions:Go to System Preferences > Disk Utility.Check that the external disk is listed in the left sidebar.Highlight your hard drive and select Mount. It should now appear under devices in the Finder.
Why is my USB drive not showing up Mac?
Sometimes your Mac detects the USB drive but doesn't show it on the desktop. Hence, you ought to go to Finder > Preferences > General and ensure the "External disks" option is ticked. At that point, you'll see the USB drive appearing on the Mac.
How do I fix my external hard drive not showing up or detected Windows 10?
If the external hard drive is not showing up in Windows 10, it may be caused by the incompatible file system format. If there is no data on the drive, you can right-click the partition on the drive in Disk Management and select Format to format the drive to NTFS.
How do I get my external hard drive to show up on my computer?
Click the folder icon on the Windows 10 taskbar. Click the arrow to the left of Quick Access. Click the external hard drive name to access it. For some users, you may need to press This PC from the menu that appears, and then follow that up with double-clicking the external hard drive.
What do I do if my external hard drive is not detected?
If your external hard drive is not detected, follow these steps to fix the issue: Go to Applications and open Utilities In the Utilities folder, se...
Why is my external hard drive not readable on Mac?
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 connecte...
How do 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 it). If your Mac has...
How do I revive a dead hard drive?
If you find your hard drive breaking down while it’s connected to your computer, it’s best to stop using it as soon as possible. To check if the pr...
How do I back up my hard drive?
You can back up all your valuable data on Mac by using Time Machine. It’s a handy tool that comes with each Mac device by default for data maintena...
Why does my Mac shut down when I connect a hard drive?
Just as some hard drives are not recognised because they don’t get enough power, some of them drain too much from your Mac. In this case, the syste...
Why is my computer not reading my external hard drive?
There are a lot of factors that could hinder your computer from reading your external hard drive. Some of these factors are: The USB port is having...
How do I fix Windows not recognized as an external hard drive?
There are many ways to fix windows not recognized by an external hard drive. This depends largely on the cause and nature of the problem. The use o...
How do I fix external hard drive not detected in disk management?
You can check for the external hard drive in the Disk Management Window by these simple steps. Click on Start. Next, click Run and type diskmgmt.ms...
Why is my Mac not reading my Seagate external hard drive?
When your Mac fails to read your Seagate external hard drive, you are most likely facing one or more of the following issues: macOS update issues,...
Why won't my external hard drive show up on my Mac?
However, sometimes, an external hard drive doesn't show up. It’s annoying, especially when you need to transfer something right then. And besides, there can be a risk that data on the external USB pen, hard, or flash drive is corrupt, which means you can’t transfer what you need between devices at all. Corrupt data can be one reason your Mac won't ...
How to run Fist Aid on external hard drive?
You can search for it using Spotlight or via Finder > Go > Utilities. Check on your external hard drive, click the First Aid tab and select Run to start running diagnostics.
Why is my Mac not recognizing my external hard drive?
Why your Mac does not recognize external hard drive. Let’s say you’ve encountered the problem of SSD not showing up. There could be a few reasons why SSD isn’ t making an appearance (just as any other external drive), the most common being: There’s something wrong with the cable. There’s a power supply problem.
How to access external drive on Mac?
There are two ways to access such external drives on your Mac — via Linux OS or FUSE system. The easiest would be installing Linux to a secondary drive or virtual machine. If you go with Linux installation, dual boot your Mac with Linux on another drive and use FAT32 as a transfer intermediary.
What to do if your Mac shuts down?
Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) if your Mac shuts down when you plug in an external hard drive. Then use a different port to connect the external hard drive. If you’ve got a battery that you can’t remove:
Where is the external hard drive on my Mac?
Most of the time, when you connect an external hard drive to your Mac’s USB port, you soon see it mount on the desktop. Apple likes to ensure these are easy to find, so they also appear in the Finder in the left-hand column under Locations. However, sometimes, an external hard drive doesn't show up.
How to avoid external drive being accessed during recovery?
To avoid the external drive being accessed during the recovery process, click Extras next to the drive or drive partition or file, then select Remount Volume As Read Only. A padlock will appear, protecting the drive during the process. Now click Rebuild (or Recover) next to the file (s) you are trying to recover.
What model is the Mac Pro?
The Mac Pro is the 2006 Intel Xeon model running 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. The System requirements for the external HDD are snow leopard or higher, so I don't know why it isn't working. P.S. When I plug in the USB cable into the computer, the HDD starts to spin, but it never shows up in the finder or on the desktop.
How to mount external hard drive on Mac?
How to mount external hard drive Mac? Select the target external hard drive from the left sidebar. Click on the Mount option from the menu bar at the top. If your Mac is set to show only mountable drives, you should try to fix Mac not recognizing external hard drive by allowing Show All Devices.
What is first aid on Mac?
First Aid is a tool built in Mac to check disk for errors (startup problems, corrupted files, corrupted file system, etc.) and then repair them. If your external hard drive appears but not shows up on desktop, please run First Aid.
How to recover deleted files from a hard drive?
Click on the Scan button in the lower right corner to start scanning the drive (you can turn on the Deep Scan feature in the lower left corner to show more scan results). Browse the found files and folders carefully and select all the ones you want to recover. Click on the Recover button in the lower right corner.
How to fix a hard drive that is not working?
Select the problematic external hard drive from the left panel. Click on the First Aid option in the top menu bar. Click Run in the pop-up confirmation dialog window. Follow the on-screen instructions to continue.
Why is my external hard drive not showing up on my Mac?
A lot of reasons should be blamed when you can't see external hard drive: the cable or port issue, corrupted system settings, improper file system, virus attack, etc. It’s important to figure out the causes of Mac not recognizing external hard drive (internal hard drive, ...
Can a Mac recognize a drive?
Your Mac can’t recognize a drive that’s been formatted with a file system that it cannot read. In this case, you need to reformat the drive (please backup at least the important files on target drive since the erase action will ruin them): Open Disk Utility. Select the target external disk from the left panel.
How to connect external hard drive to Mac?
Step 1 Look for Your External Hard Drive in "Finder" Interface. First of all, click on File, and then press the New Finder window. Now, look for the hard drive below the Remote Disk. Step 2 Make Sure the External Hard Drive Is Properly Connected to Mac.
How to recover data from external hard drive?
Step 1. Select The External Hard Drive. Connect your external hard drive to the computer, select it while the disk is detected on the program. Step 2.
How to check if external hard drive is recognized?
Connect it to another computer, and follow step 1 to step 3 to check the external drive is recognized or not. If the drive still not shows up on another Windows computer, there must be something wrong with the drive, otherwise follow step 4. Step 4 Find out The Problematic Hard Drive.
Part 1: Why My External Hard Drive Not Showing up on Mac?
You may ask why the external hard drive not showing up Mac. Some internal or external subjects can bring about this issue and make my external hard drive searchable on Mac:
Part 2: How to Fix External Hard Drive not showing up on Mac?
If you follow the accompanying steps, you will recognize the cause and fix the issue that is preventing your external hard drive not showing up Mac.
Part 3. Recover Data from External Hard Drive not showing up with 4DDiG
When nothing could resolve the external hard disk not detected Mac issue, you can select Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery to retrieve lost data from your hard drive. The Tenorshare 4DDiG Data Recovery for Mac can likewise detect devices that were unrecognizable by your Mac.
Part 4. FAQs about Hard Drive Not Showing up on Mac
Connecting the drive to your Mac is not a challenging task to pull off. Plug the hard drive into the Mac utilizing the cable that was provided with it. Most hard drives use USB for connection, so you will have to plug the USB cable into an open port on your Mac. You can always find one USB port along each side of the Mac.
Conclusion
It is sometimes very complex to look at why SSD or an external hard disk not detected Mac. If you are stressed over data loss in this situation, you can get your data back from the external hard drive by using Tenorshare 4DDiG Data Recovery for Mac.
What is disk utility?
Disk Utility can check external storage for directory structure and formatting errors. It also fixes particular problems, including file corruption. You must run First Aid on each volume and container before scanning the HDD. If it says that the disk is about to fail, you must back up the data with a tool like Disk Drill and replace it.
Why won't my Mac recognize my external hard drive?
This issue typically involves a formatting problem. You’ll want to transfer your files and folders to a secure location before taking this step.
1. Restart Mac
Click on Apple Logo in top-menu bar and select Restart option in the drop-down menu.
2. Change USB Port
Unplug the External Hard Drive and plug it into another USB Port and see if it shows up in the Finder window.
3. Change Finder Preferences
Open the Finder on your Mac > click on Finder tab in top-menu bar and select Preferences in the drop-down menu.
4. Manually Mount External Hard Drive on Mac
Press Command + Option (Alt) + Spacebar keys to open spotlight search > type Disk Utility in the search bar and double-click on Disk Utility in the search results.
5. Run First Aid
The built-in “First Aid” tool on Mac can be used to fix corrupted files and other issues, which might be preventing the External Drive from functioning properly on your Mac.
7. Reformat External Drive
As mentioned above, you won’t be able to use the External Drive, if it is in NTFS format. To fix this issue, you need to Format the External Drive to a macOS compatible File Format.
Part 1: Why Is External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Mac?
Many factors can lead to the problem of external hard drive not showing up in Windows or Mac like:
How to Recover Data from External Hard Drive Not Showing Up? (Useful)
Many users lose data from the external drive while trying to fix it or it may also crash unexpectedly on your Mac/Windows resulting in data loss.
Conclusion
To conclude, many times it happens that your external hard drive is not showing up in mac but with above-mentioned fixes, you can easily troubleshoot this issue by yourself. Also, if you have lost data from external drive, then you can easily recover it back using Tenorshare 4DDiG for Windows Data Recovery or Tenorshare 4DDiG for Mac Data Recovery.
How to find unallocated space on external hard drive?
This is for the case that your external hard disk not detecting in Windows Explorer but showing unallocated space in Disk Management. Step 1. Right-click on the unallocated space area on your external hard disk and choose "New Simple Volume...". Step 2. You'll be welcomed to the new simple volume wizard window, click Next.
How to recover a hard drive from a computer?
Step 1. Connect the external drive to PC for a scan. Connect the external hard disk to your PC and let Windows recognize the disk and assign it a drive letter. Now launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Windows. Find your drive you want to recover and click Scan.
What does wirelessness mean on a Seagate external hard drive?
Wirelessness means that you don't rely on Internet connection because a physical USB or eSATA connection will enable you to copy, transfer, exchange data across an external HDD and a running machine! External hard drive not responding Seagate external hard drive not working.
Why is my external hard drive not showing?
If it's one of the partitions on the external hard drive not normally showing or detected by Windows, it's probably because the file system is corrupted or missing. What's more, if you're using an Apple APFS hard drive on ...
Does formatting ease data?
Formatting will ease data on the selected drive. Any one who didn't create a backup before the problem arised, use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to export some critical files from the currently inaccessible drive before executing the formatting steps.
Is an external hard drive good for Mac?
External hard disk, regarding its large capacity but low price nowadays, is still a popular choice for Windows and Mac users to store massive data, save backups and wirelessly transfer files from one computer to the other. Wirelessness means that you don't rely on Internet connection because a physical USB or eSATA connection will enable you to copy, transfer, exchange data across an external HDD and a running machine!
