How to Fix Hard Drive Showing Wrong Capacity on Mac [No Data Loss]

How to fix the issue of "Wrong Capacity on Mac Hard Drive"? Many users have found that their hard drive shows wrong capacity when connected to a Mac.

This is a typical issue caused by an old HDD driver that might be infected with malware or has some interrupted formatting processes. Thus, in this article, we will discuss in detail the best ways to fix the Hard Drive Shows Wrong Capacity Error on your Mac. Let's get started!

Use Software to Recover a Hard Drive with Capacity Issues

If your hard drive is showing wrong capacity, you might need a professional hard drive data recovery tool like Disk Utility for Mac to recover the data stored on it in case of data loss.

If you're looking for the easiest way to recover deleted files from Mac Trash or get back lost data from hard drive, this free Mac data recovery software can help you with just a few clicks.

Follow the below-given steps to fix the issue of internal or external hard drive not showing up on Mac and recover it without losing data:

Step 1: Search for the Missing File

Connect your external hard drive to your Mac correctly. Launch the Disk Drill for Mac data recovery tool, select the external hard drive, and then click “Search for lost files” to find deleted or lost files on the external device.

Note: Before you recover data, it is recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of the external hard drive to prevent further data loss. After backing up the external hard drive, the software can recover data from the backup of the external hard drive. You can then remove the external hard drive and use it again.

Step 2: Filter and search for the missing file

When the scan is finished, all file types will be displayed in the left-hand pane. Select a file type to look for the needed files on your external device.

Step 3: Preview and Recover

Preview the files and select the ones you want to restore, then hit the “Restore” button. You can save your data to both local and cloud drives.

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Solution 1: Restart Your Mac and Reinsert the Drive

If the wrong storage issue pops up suddenly, the first troubleshooting step might help. To restart your MacBook, click the Apple menu and select Restart. Wait for your MacBook to shut down, and then power it back on.

Solution 2: Run First Aid to Fix the Hard Drive

Regardless if you want to fix a damaged external HDD on your Mac, you can use the Mac First Aid. Here are the steps to run First Aid and repair an HDD:

Step 1: Click on “Finder” > “Applications” > “Utilities,” and then open “Disk Utility.”

Step 2: Click on “View” in the top left corner, and then select “Show All Devices” to list all recognized volumes and hard drives.

Step 3: Select the target disk or volume on the left sidebar.

Step 4: Click “First Aid,” and then select “Run” in the pop-up window. Wait for a while until the process is complete.

If the recovery process fails, don't worry! This article will guide you through fixing that error as well.

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Solution 3: Format the Hard Drive with Disk Utility

Bear in mind that formatting the HDD will erase all stored data. Therefore, before formatting, you need to install tools like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to retrieve all the data.

Note: Erasing the hard drive will remove all data from it, so be sure to back up your data beforehand, or use data recovery software to recover an erased hard drive.

Once done, use Disk Utility to reformat the HDD as described below to resolve the issue where Mac Disk Utility shows wrong available space:

Step 1: Connect the external drive to your Mac.

Step 2: Open “Applications” and launch “Disk Utility.”

Step 3: Select your external drive from the sidebar.

Step 4: Click the “Erase” button in the toolbar.

Step 5: Give your external drive a new name, and choose a disk format from the dropdown menu that appears.

Step 6: Tap “Erase” again to complete the process.

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Method 4: Start Your Mac in Safe Mode

If none of the above fixes work, your HDD might have a damaged sector or be corrupted. It's crucial to start your Mac in Safe Mode. Before you proceed, make sure to use a recovery tool to safely retrieve any lost information.

Follow these steps to start your Mac in Safe Mode:

Step 1: Turn off your Mac.

Step 2: Press the power button to turn your Mac on, then quickly press and hold the Shift key to start up in Safe Mode.

Step 3: You'll see a progress bar and the Apple logo.

Step 4: The login screen should appear as normal, but with the words “Secure Boot” in the top-right corner of the display.

If you have FileVault turned on, you might be asked for your login information twice.

Why does my Mac show incorrect hard drive capacity?

Partition deletion often leads to the removal of its drive letter, making the OS recognize it as unoccupied free space. This could be one of the main reasons why your external HDD shows incorrect capacity. However, if the data is not overwritten, the information stored on the HDD can be quickly recovered.

There are several reasons why an external hard drive may show the wrong capacity. Some possible causes include:

• ❌ Damaged EFI partition or Master Boot Record (MBR) sector

An unexpected removal or insertion of the EFI details location might result in incorrect capacity being displayed. In addition, if the EFI area is corrupted, it might also result in incorrect capacity being displayed.

• Legacy hard disk drives (HDD)

If your HDD is outdated, it might start to fail. After extended use, many factors can contribute to a hard drive failure. Because older hard drives are more prone to issues, it's a good idea to check on them regularly.

• The original partition table on the hard drive is incorrect.

If incorrectly configured with the wrong partition table, your drive will show the wrong capacity when inserted. If the storage is over 2TB and configured as MBR, Disk Management will show the extra space as “Unallocated”; File Explorer won't show it at all. This is because the MBR partition table can't manage storage beyond 2TB.

The bottom line?

Hard disk drives are robust hardware components with a lengthy lifespan, facilitating the swift transfer of large files. It is essential to take extra precautions and regularly check for viruses and other malicious software that could compromise their security. Additionally, handling the hard drive with care is crucial to prevent damage, especially when dealing with intricate tasks.

This article has outlined some common reasons for incorrect external hard drive size and their solutions. If you lost data while fixing the error, it's crucial to install a Mac Data Recovery Wizard tool. We sincerely hope you've learned a lot and are now prepared to take action when the issue arises.

"Frequently Asked Questions about 'Hard Drive Shows Wrong Capacity'"

Here are some frequently asked questions that help shed more light on the subject:

< b > 1. Why is the capacity of my hard drive incorrect?

The incorrect display of the hard drive's capacity might be due to an incomplete or faulty formatting process. If formatting was interrupted or didn't finish properly, the drive might show an incorrect size. It's advisable to ensure that the formatting process is completed successfully in a secure environment.

2. Why does my 500GB hard drive only show 465GB? This discrepancy mainly arises due to the difference in the way storage capacity is calculated by manufacturers, who use the binary system, and our everyday understanding, which often relies on the decimal system. Here's an explanation: In the binary system, 1 GB equals 2^30 bytes (which is 1,073,741,824 bytes). In contrast, in the decimal system, 1 GB equals 1,000,000,000 bytes. Thus, when a hard drive manufacturer states that their product is 500 GB, they mean 500 * 1,000,000,000 bytes. However, operating systems like Windows, macOS, or Linux report storage space based on binary units. Therefore, they convert the 500 GB to binary, which amounts to approximately 465.66 GB (precisely, 500,000,000,000 bytes divided by 1,073,741,824 bytes per GB). Additionally, some space on the hard drive is utilized by the operating system and file system for storing metadata and other system files, further reducing the user-accessible storage space. Hence, it is normal for your 500GB hard drive to display around 465GB in the operating system, and this does not indicate a problem with the drive.

For example, because of the way storage is calculated, Windows might show a 500 GB drive as having 465 GB of space. To be labeled as 500 GB, a drive must have a total capacity of 500,000,000,000 bytes. Memory manufacturers use the metric system, where 1,000 bytes equals one kilobyte (kilo means 1,000).