Usually once you plug in an exterior arduous drive to your Mac’s USB port you will note it seem on the desktop. You too can see it in a Finder window within the left column below Places (or Units in older variations of macOS). If the drive will not be exhibiting up in your Mac chances are high it has not been formatted appropriately, has been corrupted, or is defective. Alternatively, you will have set a password for the drive that it’s essential enter earlier than it’ll join.
We present you work out whether or not the rationale the exterior drive will not be mounting in your Mac up is because of an issue with the drive itself, the cable or the port, and resolve the issue and entry knowledge in your drive.
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This text assumes you’ve gotten an exterior drive that ought to connect with your Mac by way of the USB-A, USB-C, or a Thunderbolt port. If in case you have a NAS drive that connects over the community then you must learn our article about connecting to a NAS drive.
Why is your arduous drive not exhibiting up on Mac?
We’ll begin by making an attempt to determine the rationale why your arduous drive isn’t exhibiting up on the Mac earlier than explaining what it’s essential do to search out the arduous drive in your Mac. When you can determine the trigger your ought to be capable to repair the issue that’s stopping your exterior drive from opening in your Mac.
Broken cable, port or inadequate energy
The primary port of name is all the time to test that it’s plugged in, however we’re certain you’ve gotten performed that. The issue could be with the cable.
One of many predominant the explanation why drives fail to mount is that if the drive isn’t receiving sufficient energy. If the drive is powered by way of a USB-A cable it’s essential test that ample energy is being delivered to the drive. Very previous Macs could require a USB energy cable, a cable that splits into two USB connectors that have to each be plugged into your Mac, with a view to ship sufficient energy to the drive. Equally, guarantee that the drive doesn’t have an exterior energy provide it ought to be utilizing.
As regards to cables, guarantee that it’s not at fault. Strive utilizing a distinct cable with the drive to see if that fixes the issue. Equally, in case you are utilizing a USB port on a hub test that’s not what’s inflicting the issue.
Additionally test that the port in your Mac isn’t the issue. Strive utilizing a distinct port. Or for those who solely have one port, plug one other system in and see if that works.
The subsequent step is to attempt plugging the drive into one other Mac. If it additionally fails to mount there you’ll know that there’s a drawback with the drive whereas if it does mount then the issue is along with your Mac.
Drawback preferences
Hopefully, there’s a very easy repair to get the arduous drive to mount in your desktop. Strive the next to verify your Mac is ready to indicate mounted drives on the desktop.
- Open the Finder.
- Click on on Finder within the menu on the prime of your display.
- Click on on Settings (Preferences in older macOS variations).
- Click on on Common.
- Ensure that there’s a tick beside Exterior disks.
If it was already arrange in order that the exterior drive would seem on the desktop then proceed to observe the steps beneath.
Password protections
You may defend a drive with a password once you initially begin utilizing it, so test to see if the rationale your drive isn’t mounting is {that a} password request field has popped up and also you didn’t discover it.
Typically the password popup takes a couple of minutes to look as effectively, so it helps to be affected person.
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The drive is formatted for a PC
It’s attainable that the drive has been formatted utilizing a file system that your Mac can not learn.
- Home windows PCs use NTFS or ExFAT file codecs.
- Mac computer systems earlier than Sierra used the HFS+ file format.
- In Excessive Sierra, Apple launched a brand new file system known as Apple File System (APFS).
- There may be an previous FAT32 format might be learn by Window and Mac computer systems, however has limitation on what information might be saved.
A straightforward strategy to discover out if that is the issue could be to test on a PC. If the drive mounts on the PC it’s possible that you’ve found what the issue is: the drive is formatted for PCs and may’t be learn by your Mac. 
To ensure your drive might be learn by Macs and PCs it’s essential format it utilizing exFAT or the older FAT32. We’ll clarify how to do this beneath.
It’s a corrupted or defective drive
If not one of the above had been the rationale why you couldn’t see the exterior drive in your Mac, maybe the drive is defective. Whether it is, you need to use Apple’s Disk Utility program to entry the disk and probably repair no matter is inflicting the problem. We’ll talk about how to do this beneath. We’ll additionally have a look at methods you’ll be able to cease a drive failing sooner or later.
How repair an exterior drive that received’t present up on a Mac
If not one of the above solved your drawback, it’s possible the drive is both formatted incorrectly or broken.
Relying on the rationale why you’ll be able to’t see the drive, here’s what it’s essential do to get it working.
The best way to reformat a drive so you’ll be able to see it on a Mac
Hopefully, the drive is okay, however the format is unsuitable.
It’s attainable that the arduous drive has been formatted utilizing a distinct file system (i.e. on a Home windows PC). In that case, if it’s essential entry the info on the drive you’ll want to attach the drive to a Home windows PC that does acknowledge it and duplicate the info earlier than shifting on to the following step as a result of the method will contain reformatting the drive and deleting all the things on i).
- To ensure your drive might be learn by Macs and PCs it’s essential format it utilizing exFAT or the older FAT32.
- If you wish to format the drive to only be used on a Mac you need to use the HFS+ or Apple File System (APFS) file codecs.
Having received the info of the drive by way of a PC you’ll be able to reformat the drive as a way to add the info once more. Right here’s reformat your drive so it may be learn by a Mac or a PC.
- Open Disk Utility (as per the steps above).
- When you don’t require the info on the arduous drive, choose the disk and click on Erase.
- Earlier than Disk Utility begins to erase the disk it’ll decide a format for you. You may change this for those who click on on the Formatting choices. Select your format, ExFAT if you wish to ensure that it’s appropriate with PC and Mac, in any other case, Mac OS Prolonged (Journaled) might be the best choice.
- Click on on Erase and wait on your Mac to erase after which reformat the drive.
- Give the drive a reputation.
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Learn extra: The best way to format a drive on a Mac.
The best way to repair the defective drive with Disk Utility
If the varied checks above counsel that the disk is defective then you need to use Apple’s Disk Utility program to entry the disk and probably repair no matter is inflicting the problem. Right here’s what to do:
- Discover Disk Utility by opening Highlight (cmd+Area-bar) and begin typing Disk Utility, press enter to open this system.
- Look within the column on the left to see if the arduous drive seems there.
- When you can see the arduous drive in Disk Utility test beneath it for a quantity. Whether it is there click on on it and choose Mount. In case your Mac has already mounted the drive the choice Unmount might be displayed as an alternative. (If there isn’t a quantity listed your Mac will not be in a position to entry the drive. The Mount choice might be greyed out.)
- Your choices are First Help, Erase, and Restore. First Help will test the disk for errors after which restore the disk if obligatory and that is the choice to decide on. Restore means that you can erase the contents of the drive and change that with knowledge from some place else. Erase deletes all the info saved on the drive. When you want the info on the drive don’t select Erase or Restore!
- Click on the First Help tab and choose Run.
- If after operating First Help the Mac finds errors you might repair you might even see the choice to Restore Disk. When you do, go forward and run the repairs.
Finest apps to get well knowledge on a misplaced drive
In case your Mac is unable to restore the disk if is probably going that the drive is both formatted utilizing a file system that the Mac can not learn, or it’s effectively and really damaged. If it’s the latter we advise you observe this tutorial about recovering knowledge from a broken disk. You might also need to contemplate one of many knowledge restoration apps for Mac we suggest in our round-up of the Finest knowledge restoration apps for Macs.
Our suggestions embrace Recoverit from Wondershare, Information Rescue from Prosoft and Stella Information Restoration for Mac.
1. Wondershare Recoverit
Worth When Reviewed:
1 month/2 Macs: /£63.99 (often £93.97); 1 yr/2 Macs: £66.99 (often £113.97); perpetual license/2 Macs: £118.97 (often £144.97)
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Wondershare Recoverit overview
2. Information Rescue
Worth When Reviewed:
Normal license: £74.32 for a 30-day; Skilled license: £375.34 for one yr
Learn our full
Information Rescue overview
3. Stellar Information Restoration for Mac
Worth When Reviewed:
Normal version: £79.99 (at present £69.99) a yr, or £129.99 (at present £99.99) for a lifetime license. Skilled model: £129.99 (at present £99.99) a yr, or £199 (at present £149) for a lifetime license. Premium version: £209.99 (at present £99.99) a yr, or £319 (at present £199) for a lifetime license.
Learn our full
Stellar Information Restoration for Mac overview
The best way to forestall points with arduous drives on a Mac
We’ve got closing suggestion to make that’s extra of a guard in opposition to this error taking place once more.
Guarantee that your exterior drive doesn’t develop into broken sooner or later by all the time unmounting the disk correctly after utilizing it. Don’t simply unplug the USB cable.
To unmount your drive you’ll be able to right-click (control-click) on the icon on the Desktop or within the Finder and select Eject. Drive points can happen when the disk is eliminated with out ejecting it correctly.
Determined there isn’t a hope on your defective arduous drive? We’ve got a round-up of a few of the greatest we’ve seen right here: The very best Mac arduous drives.