How to Force Mount External Hard Drive on a Mac with Step-Step Tutorial

If you've confirmed the connection is still intact and have restarted your Mac to no avail, the issue might be rooted in something else, such as an “com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter error 0” unmount problem on the external drive.

This article will introduce two effective ways to force mount external hard drive on Mac. Before diving into fixing unmountable disk issues, it's recommended to try force mounting on Mac first for better efficiency. Also, we'll guide you on how to recover files from an external drive that refuses to mount on your Mac.

Use Software to Unmount External Hard Drive for Recovery

tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a powerful software solution that can help you recover data from an unmountable hard drive. When force mounting is not enough to solve the issue, and you've lost data due to an unmountable external hard drive, the tools data recovery software can be a valuable assistant.

This software is designed to efficiently recover lost files; it can even retrieve data from an external hard drive not showing on Mac, an issue that could occur due to unmounting. Follow the steps below to perform unmounted external hard drive recovery on your Mac:

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to your Mac. Launch the tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, select the external hard drive and then click "Search for lost files" to look for lost or deleted files on your external device.

Select the external hard drive from the Tools software.

When the scan is over, all file types are displayed in the left panel.

Step 2. Choose the type of files you want to look for on the external device.

Step 3: Preview the files and select the ones you want to recover. Click on the "Recover" button to save the data to your local drive or cloud storage.

# Preparing to Force Mount an External Hard Drive

Before you install a disk on your Mac, consider the following:

• Eject the mounted disk: Eject it and reconnect it to the system to resolve the issue.
• Check for disk errors: Make sure to verify if there are any errors on the external drive to ensure smooth operation. A damaged disk can affect your entire system; therefore, use the First Aid feature in Disk Utility to check for disk issues before proceeding.
• Connect and mount the disk: The final step is to connect the external disk to your Mac and mount it.

If the First Aid process fails, don't worry! You can use the tools external hard drive recovery software to retrieve data from an unmountable disk.

Share this article on social media to help others learn how to force mount an external hard drive on their Mac.

Fix 1: Force Mount External Hard Drive with Disk Utility If your external hard drive fails to mount properly, you can try force mounting it using Disk Utility. Here's how: 1. Open "Disk Utility." You can find it in the "Applications" folder > "Utilities." 2. In the left-hand window of Disk Utility, locate your external hard drive. It should appear as a device name or volume name. 3. Select your external hard drive and click the "Mount" button on the right side. If this option is grayed out, you might need to select "Eject" first to safely disconnect it before attempting to mount it again. 4. If the "Mount" button still doesn't work, try selecting the hard drive and clicking "First Aid." This will run a disk check and repair process. Make sure to back up important data before performing this step. 5. After completing these steps, attempt to mount your external hard drive again. If the issue persists, further troubleshooting or professional support may be required. Please note that this method applies to macOS. If you're using another operating system like Windows or Linux, the steps might differ.

In Disk Utility, there's an option called “Mount” that allows you to manually force an external hard drive to mount.

Keep in mind that this method only works if the unmounted drive is visible in Disk Utility. Follow the steps in the article linked below to mount a disk on Mac:

Step 1. Open “Finder” > “Applications” > “Utilities” > “Disk Utility.”

Step 2. In the sidebar, find and select your external volume, then click the “Mount” tab at the top center.

When the installation is complete, your hard drive will appear on the Desktop or in Finder.

Fix 2: Force Mount External Hard Drive via Terminal If you're unable to mount the external hard drive through normal methods, you can try doing so using the Terminal. Here's how: 1. Open "Terminal" (found in "Applications" > "Utilities" > "Terminal"). 2. In the Terminal, type the following command and press Enter. Replace `/dev/diskX` with the actual device identifier of your external hard drive. You can use the `diskutil list` command to find the correct device ID. ``` sudo mount -t apfs -o nobrowse /dev/diskX /Volumes/ExternalDrive ``` Note: If your external hard drive uses the HFS+ format instead of APFS, change `apfs` to `hfs` in the above command. 3. Enter your administrator password and press Enter. The password won't be displayed on the screen, so type it and hit Enter. 4. If everything goes well, your external hard drive should now be mounted. Check if it appears by going to "Finder" > "Volumes." 5. To unmount the drive when you're done, use this command: ``` sudo umount /Volumes/ExternalDrive ``` Be cautious when using Terminal commands, as incorrect actions can lead to data loss. Back up important data beforehand if you're unsure.

When the Mount function in Disk Utility is ineffective, alternative solutions can be offered through specific command lines in the Terminal.

These commands will remove files that might be preventing the external drive from mounting properly.

It's worth noting that Terminal may not detect an unrecognized disk in all cases, but try the following instructions anyway:

Step 1: Connect the external drive to your Mac.

Step 2. Launch the Terminal using Spotlight search.

Step 3: Type the command line: diskutil list, and then press "Return."

Step 4: Look through the list of devices to identify any unmounted external disks. The disk might appear as something like "disk1" within macOS.

Step 5: Type the command sudo mkdir /Volumes/usb, replacing "usb" with the name of your unmounted disk. If prompted, enter your administrator password to execute the command.

Step 6. Type in and run the following: sudo mount -t hfs /dev/disk1 /Volumes/usb. Note that “disk1” is an example – use the correct number that corresponds to your drive.

Step 7: Check to see if your external drive appears on the Desktop or in Finder on your Mac.

Conclusions

In conclusion, troubleshooting the issue of mounting external hard drives on a Mac requires considering various possible causes, such as drive malfunction, connection issues, file system corruption, and hardware problems.

As noted above, the manual approaches, via either Disk Utility or terminal commands, offer valuable solutions.

If you encounter data loss issues due to an external hard drive unmounting, we recommend using tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac as a solution. This powerful software is specifically designed to recover lost or inaccessible files, offering a user-friendly interface and advanced scanning features.

FAQ: Troubleshooting External Hard Drive Mounting Issues on a Mac

For more detailed information about how to force-mount an external drive on a Mac, see this question and its answers.

1. Why won't my external hard drive mount on my Mac?

This could be due to several factors, such as:

• Drive Corruption: If your external hard drive is damaged due to a virus attack or interruption during read-write processes, this could be the reason behind the mounting issue.
• Connection Problems: Another possible reason for a hard drive not mounting on your Mac could be dirty or loose cables, issues with USB-C adapters, Thunderbolt 3, or other connection ports. Ensuring a secure, clean, and tight connection is crucial for successful mounting of an external hard drive.
• File System Corruption: A virus attack or sudden disconnection of the external drive might cause file system damage or corruption. As a result, the operating system may fail to recognize the external hard drive due to disk errors, leading to unmountable or unreadable drive issues on macOS.
• Hardware Issues: Problems related to hardware, especially if the external hard drive has a significant number of bad sectors or physical damage, can also lead to the drive not mounting.

2. How can I get my Mac to recognize an external hard drive?

There are two ways to force your Mac to read an external hard drive:

• Mount an external hard drive forcefully using Disk Utility
• Forcefully mount an external hard drive via Terminal

3. How to manually mount an external hard drive on a Mac? To manually mount an external hard drive on your Mac, follow these steps: 1. Ensure that your external hard drive is properly connected to your Mac. This can be done via USB, Thunderbolt, or any other applicable interface. 2. Open Finder. It's typically located in the Dock and represented by an icon with a smiling face. 3. In the left sidebar of Finder, click on the "Devices" section. You should see the name of your connected external hard drive listed there. 4. If your external hard drive doesn't automatically mount, it may display a locked icon. To access it, click on the disk icon, then enter your Mac's administrator password in the prompt that appears. 5. After entering the password, the hard drive should mount and appear in the Finder window. You can now browse and access files on the drive. 6. If you want to set the external hard drive as the default backup disk for Time Machine, open "System Preferences" (click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen and choose "System Preferences"), then select "Time Machine." From there, you can choose your external hard drive as the backup destination. Please note that if the drive is formatted in NTFS or FAT, macOS might only mount it in read-only mode. In such cases, you might need third-party software like Paragon NTFS or Tuxera NTFS to gain read and write permissions.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Open the "Finder" and go to "Go."

Step 2: Select "Applications" from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Click “Utilities.”

Step 4: Open "Disk Utility"

Step 5: Choose the external drive you want to mount.

Step 6: Click the "Load" button.