An issue such as ‘external hard drive not showing up on Mac’ immediately generates worry in one’s heart. Your first thought would revolve around the health of your drive and the safety of your data. Though drive failure stands as a legitimate problem it does not account for every instance of an external drive’s disappearance from your Mac.
The underlying issues mostly turn out to be fixable problems. This post will analyze the main causes that make your external storage device invisible on your Mac system as well as demonstrate how to regain data and revive your drive.
Part 1: Why Is My External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac?
If you’re deliberating over “Why is my external hard drive not showing up Mac,” the answer is it could be due to connection issues. For instance, the drive might not be properly connected. But most often this is not the only reason. There can be countless causes for Mac not recognizing external hard drive like the following:
- External disks may not be visible in Finder due to settings.
- Problems with NVRAM can affect drive recognition.
- The drive is detected in Disk Utility but not accessible.
- If the drive’s format isn’t compatible with macOS e.g. NTFS, it won’t show up.
- The drive might be damaged or corrupted, causing recognition issues.
Part 2: Recover Data From an Inaccessible Drive on Mac
When your MacBook Pro is not showing connected to an external hard drive, drop everything you’re doing and go straight to extracting data from it. This is because if you make a beeline to fix the ‘external hard drive not showing up on Mac’ issue first, you might have to reformat the drive and this will cause data loss.
As your drive is inaccessible you’ll need a specialized Mac data recovery tool to reclaim your crucial files from it. Consider 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery as it can retrieve data from inaccessible/unreadable/unbootable storage devices with a high recovery rate. Here’s more to know about this tool:
- It can retrieve 2000+ data types from inaccessible external devices.
- It supports the latest macOS versions (Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura, etc.).
- It offers deep scan and quick scan modes for better results.
- This recovery tool supports various storage devices e.g. internal.external hard drives, USBs, SD cards, etc.
- It’s compatible with APFS, HFS+, exFAT, NTFS, and FAT file systems.
- Simple and intuitive UI, even for non-tech users.
Following are instructions to use this app to extract files from your external disk that’s displaying error:
Step 1: Execute the Mac recovery app on your Mac. Then, plug in the error-ridden external disk into your Mac. Pick it on the app’s interface after its detected.
Step 2: Select the file types to scan. Then, hit “Scan.” Afterward, stop the scan once you find the files you were looking for. Examine them.
Step 3: Hit “Recover” to export the files you’ve reclaimed from your error-ridden external disk to your computer or cloud drive.
Part 3: Quick Fixes for External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac Issue
More often than not, some quick fixes that don’t require a lot of effort can resolve the ‘Seagate/Western Digital external hard drive not showing up on Mac’ issue.
Fix 1: Check the Hard Drive Connection
To fix the ‘external hard drive not showing up on Mac Disk Utility’ problem, first, make sure your drive is plugged in properly. If it is the issue could be with the wire or power supply. In case your drive uses a USB-A cable, check if it’s receiving enough power. Therefore, try a different cable to rule out a faulty one, and if you’re using a USB hub, check if that’s causing the issue. Also, test different ports on your Mac, or try another device in the same port.
Fix 2: Check Your Finder Preferences
Your external devices might be disabled in the Finder settings. This is another reason for Mac not recognizing external hard drive. Therefore, you’ll need to enable your external drive. Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Open Finder. Then, tap “Finder” in the above menu.
Step 2: Select “Settings” or “Preferences.” Next, head to “General.”
Step 3: Tick mark “External disks” so it can be displayed on the desktop.
Step 4: In the “Sidebar” tab also tick mark the files or folders you want to be shown on the left side of the Finder window.
Fix 3: Try Another Computer
Plug in your drive to another computer to identify whether the ‘MacBook Pro not showing connected to an external hard drive’ issue is with your computer. If your drive functions fine on another Mac, there’s no problem with your external disk. Testing on another computer will also determine if software conflicts on your Mac are preventing the drive from being recognized.
Fix 4: Update macOS
An outdated macOS will also cause the Seagate/Western Digital external hard drive not showing up on Mac’ glitch. This is because it will lack the drivers or software required to identify your external disk. Here’s how to update your macOS:
Step 1: Open the “Apple menu.” Then, choose “System Settings” or “System Preferences.”
Step 2: Head to “General.” Then, choose “Software Update.”
Step 3: Your Mac will check for updates automatically. Hit “Update Now” if they are available.
Part 4: Advanced Solutions for External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac Issue
In a situation, where quick fixes are not capable of resolving the ‘external hard drive not showing up on Mac Disk Utility’ glitch, proceed to advanced solutions. However, these methods require you to have a bit of technical knowledge.
Method 1: Use Terminal to Mount the Drive
Terminal can force your drive to appear if your external hard drive is not showing up on Mac Disk Utility. It offers direct control for mounting the drive, bypassing GUI limitations, and troubleshooting issues not visible in Disk Utility. Commands like “diskutil mount” can manually mount the drive, especially if it’s detected but not accessible. Here’s how to use Terminal to mount the drive:
Step 1: First, enable Terminal access. To do this, head to “System Settings.” Then, choose “Privacy & Security.”
Step 2: Tap “Full Disk Access.” Find Terminal. Toggle it on, and enter your password if prompted.
Step 3: Next, plug in your external drive that’s displaying error to your Mac. Then, open “Applications.”
Step 4: After this, choose “Utilities.” After this, execute “Terminal.” Type the following command to reveal all connected devices to your Mac:
- diskutil list
Step 5: Look for “/dev/disk_ (external, physical)” to find your drive’s identifier.
Step 6: Type the following command to examine info about your external drive:
- diskutil info disk_ (Here replace _ with your drive’s number).
Step 7: Type the following command. Then, unplug the external drive and reconnect it afterward:
- diskutil eject disk_
Method 2: Reset SMC/NVRAM
Resetting the SMC can fix power and USB port issues that might be the leading cause of your MacBook Pro not showing connected to an external hard drive. It also restores hardware functions like sleep and wake settings. On the other hand, resetting NVRAM clears stored settings related to connected devices, which can fix external device detection problems.
Method 3: Run First Aid
Execute “First Aid” in Disk Utility if you’re unable to fix the ‘Seagate/Western Digital external hard drive not showing up on Mac’ issue. It checks for file system errors, repairs disk permissions, and helps mount unrecognized drives. But unlike Terminal, it’s a simple, user-friendly tool that doesn’t require technical expertise. Follow the instructions below to execute First Aid:
Step 1: Open “Applications.” Then, choose “Utilities.” After this, execute “Disk Utility.”
Step 2: Pick your external drive from the left side. Next, choose “First Aid.”
Step 3: Then, hit “Run.” Tap “Done” when the repair process if finished.
Method 4: Reformat the Drive
Still wondering, “Why is my external hard drive not showing up Mac?” It could be that your disk’s file system is not compatible with your Mac’s. So, you’ll need to reformat it to a supporting one. To do so:
Step 1: Open “Applications.” Then, choose “Utilities.” After this, execute “Disk Utility.”
Step 2: Pick your external drive from the left side. Next, hit “Erase.”
Step 3: Choose a compatible file system for your external drive. Then, tap “Erase” again.
Final Words
The cause of your external hard drive not showing up on Mac can stem from connection problems, Finder configuration settings, and file system errors. We’ve presented both elementary solutions which include cable inspection and macOS upgrade and complex troubleshooting with Terminal, an SMC/NVRAM reset, and repair with First Aid.
However, conduct a data recovery operation before taking any steps that might lead to data loss. Consider utilizing 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery in this case because it can extract files from various data loss scenarios including inaccessible drives with high success.
Also Read: A Guide to Addressing a Clicking Hard Drive and Recovering Your Data
