How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac: 8 Solutions

If you're dealing with an external hard drive not showing up on Mac, you're certainly frustrated. Many people report that their Mac fails to recognize external hard drives, including Seagate external hard drive not showing up on Mac and WD external hard drive not detected or readable on iMac or MacBook.

This guide encompasses all troubleshooting techniques, teaching you how to resolve the issue. We'll delve into the causes and provide solutions. You can quickly scan the eight methods listed below:

• Solution 1: Restart your Mac
• Solution 2: Edit Finder Preferences
• Solution 3: Use First Aid to Repair External Hard Drive
• Solution 4: Mount the External Hard Drive to Display on Mac
• Solution 5: Format the External Hard Drive with Disk Utility
• Solution 6: Reset NVRAM
• Solution 7: Troubleshoot with Terminal
• Solution 8: Contact Data Recovery Service to Fix External Hard Drive

Firstly, if your external hard drive is damaged or you accidentally lose important data, we'll provide tips on how to recover it.

How to Recover Data from a Damaged External Hard Drive on a Mac

If the external hard drive is confirmed to be damaged or you have formatted the external hard drive, then you need to recover data from external hard drive on Mac.

The easiest way to recover data from a formatted or damaged hard drive is by using the reliable tool, Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro. Download this 100% secure Mac data recovery software right away.

This powerful tool is designed to help users recover lost data on macOS, including the latest macOS Sonoma. It is a professional data recovery software that offers progressive and intelligent data recovery solutions under any status or condition of the storage drive. It also enables users to recover data from an unmounted external hard drive on Mac.

In fact, with the high-efficient data recovery algorithm of Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, it only takes seconds to recover deleted files from Mac Trash. After the scan is finished, you can choose the files you want to save and the ones you don't. Here are the simple steps:

Step 1. Connect the external drive to your Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey Mac and choose “Search for Lost Files.”

Step 2: You can choose a specific file type from the left side. For instance, you can select “Photos” to recover lost pictures from the external hard drive.

Click to filter files on the external hard drive.

Step 3: Double click on the file to open the preview window. After checking the details of the file, click “Recover” to retrieve the file.

If the tutorial was helpful, don't forget to share this external hard drive recovery product with your family and friends!

Solutions to External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac (8 Effective Fixes)

Now that you know how to recover data from a damaged or formatted external hard drive on Mac, it's time to address the issue at hand. Read on for a detailed look at different repair methods.

Fix 1: Restart your Mac

Restarting your Mac is one of the simplest ways to fix minor data corruption and get your Mac to display the hard drive. This method has a fairly high success rate for resolving such initial issues. If you're having trouble with an external drive not showing up on your Mac, try restarting your computer with these steps.

Click the Apple logo, then click “Restart” to restart your MacBook Pro or Air. Hold down the power button for a few seconds, then press R when the dialog appears. This will clear out any unnecessary data from macOS's memory and give it a fresh start. Once your Mac boots up, check if the external drive is visible in Finder. If not, you'll need to edit Finder preferences with the following fix.

Fix 2: Edit Finder Preferences

When you connect an external hard drive, check if it shows up in Finder. If it doesn't, you'll need to edit Finder's preferences to display external drives on the desktop. Let's look at how to do that and more to find your external hard drive on Mac.

Step 1. At the top of the screen, go to the “Finder” menu and click “Preferences.” (In macOS Ventura or later, you might see “Preferences” instead.)

2. Click “General,” and then check “External disks” and “Hard disks” under “Show these items on the desktop.”

Select your external drive in the Finder window, like the one shown below:

Step 3: The Sidebar tab lets you configure which folders and devices appear in the left column of Finder windows.

This solution should fix the issue of an external hard drive not showing up on Mac. Feel free to share this method on social media if it helps. If not, proceed to the next solution.

Fix 3: Repair External Hard Drive with First Aid

If your Mac isn't recognizing an external drive, the disk might have errors. You can use the "First Aid" tool to check and repair the disk without losing data. It's a built-in Mac utility designed to detect issues with the disk and attempt necessary repairs. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Type "Disk Utility" into the Spotlight search bar.

Open Disk Utility from Spotlight search

Step 2: Tap on the app icon, shown below, to open it.

Step 3: Click on the sidebar in Disk Utility to browse.

Step 6: Select “First Aid” and click “Run.” If the system finds errors on the drive, it will tell you.

If the issue persists, run First Aid again and wait for the process to complete.

If you still can't find any errors, save your data to another drive, and then format the disk as described below. You can also run First Aid from Recovery Mode:

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Run First Aid from Recovery Mode on Mac | 3 Basic Steps

In this article, we share how to run First Aid from Recovery Mode on your Mac when you can't access the system. Read More >>

Solution 4: Mount the External Hard Drive So It Shows Up on Your Mac

If your new external hard drive isn't mounted, it won't show up on your Mac. You can learn how to do this by reading our article on how to mount a disk on a Mac.

Step 1: Press Command + Space to open the Spotlight search menu.

Step 2: Type Disk Utility, then press Return.

Step 3: Click on the external drive in the left-hand menu, then click “Mount” in the top right corner.

The external drive should then appear on your desktop.

Method 5: Format the External Hard Drive with Disk Utility

If the external hard drive was formatted on a different device, macOS might not recognize it. Formatting the hard drive so that it's compatible with macOS will allow your computer to read it without any issues.

You can also use the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to back up an external hard drive to a local disk:

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Backup Your Mac and Never Lose Data

Back up and restore your MacBook/iMac without using Time Machine, iCloud, or an external hard drive.

Here are the steps to format an external drive on your Mac:

Step 1: Connect the hard drive, then open Disk Utility from the Launchpad. Or press ⌘ and Space together, type Disk Utility, and press Enter.

Step 2: Select the external drive you want to format from the left panel.

Step 3: Click the “Erase” tab.

Step 4: Choose any macOS-compatible format from the dropdown. Select a drive format that's compatible with your Mac.

Step 5: Choose “Erase,” and macOS will format the disk you selected.

Fix 6: Reset the NVRAM

If successful, this should resolve the issue with the external hard drive not showing up. If it doesn't, the problem might lie with the Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM). The local settings on a Mac are stored in NVRAM, which can become corrupted and cause issues with the system recognizing external hard drives. Follow these steps to reset these settings, which should help resolve the problem.

Step one: Click the Apple icon in the top right corner of your screen, and select “Restart.”

<Step 2> Press and hold the Command, Option, P, and R keys while turning on your Mac.

Step 3: This will restart your Mac. Release all keys when you see the Apple logo appear onscreen, or hear the startup sound.

Step 4: Wait for it to start up.

Note: If you have a newer Mac, you won't need to restart. Hold all the keys for 30 seconds, and the NVRAM will reset automatically. You can learn how to reset NVRAM/PRAM on your MacBook Pro or Air here.

Fix 7: Use the Terminal for Troubleshooting

For those not very tech-savvy, using the Terminal app might seem like a last resort, as it can appear quite complicated. Besides, most users feel a bit uneasy using it. However, it does get the job done, and using the app isn't that difficult. You can resolve the issue of an external hard drive not showing up on Mac by executing the following command and carefully following the steps. Let's take a look:

Step 1: Launch Terminal using Spotlight.

Open Terminal from Spotlight

Step 2: Type diskutil list, and press Return to execute the command.

Step 3: You'll see a list of storage devices connected to your system. Look for the external drive that your Mac isn't recognizing, or type /dev/disk* (external, physical) and press Enter. (Note: The * is the disk's identifier number.)

4. Type "diskutil info disk*" and replace the asterisk (*) with the disk's identifier. If the system recognizes the drive, it will display information about it on the screen.

Step 5: Eject the disk with the diskutil eject disk* command to avoid data loss.

If the disk disappears from the list, unplug it from your Mac's USB port.

Step 7: Close the terminal and then unplug and replug in your external drive to establish a new connection.

Solution 8: Contact Data Recovery Services to Repair the External Hard Drive

If the methods above seem too complicated for you, or don't perfectly resolve the issue of an external hard drive not showing up (sometimes the external hard drive won't show in Disk Utility on Mac), you can try reaching out to our Data Recovery Service. Our experts will help you fix your external hard drive without losing any data. Start with a free online diagnosis right now!

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• Repair damaged RAID structures, unbootable macOS, and corrupted virtual disk files
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• Undelete external hard drives and fix raw drives (including Bitlocker encrypted drives)
• Fix disks converted to GPT protective partition

Reasons Why an External Hard Drive Won't Show Up on a Mac

The reasons for an unidentified external drive can vary depending on the situation. This section will help you understand some of the most common causes that users encounter with this issue.

• Improper connection: If your external device isn't connected correctly, your Mac won't recognize it. Make sure the drive is connected and check that the USB port is functioning.
• The issue might be due to a damaged or faulty hard drive.
• ⚡ Faulty USB or HDMI cable: A damaged cable can cause a disconnection. If the cable appears undamaged but you're still having issues, try using a different cable, as there could be internal damage that's not visible.
• ❌ Temporary Mac issue: In many cases, if your Mac hasn't been restarted in a while, macOS can develop temporary problems. Sometimes, restarting your Mac can resolve the operating system and clear the error.
• File system issues: The external hard drive might not be mounted or readable on macOS.

It's also helpful to know the reasons why an external hard drive may not show up on a Mac, feel free to bookmark this page or share it on social media to help more readers!

Final Thoughts

This article has helped you fix the external hard drive not showing up issue on your Mac. In case you lost data during the fixing process, we recommend using the advanced features of professional Mac Data Recovery Software to restore your lost data on your Mac.

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More FAQs about External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac

This article covers all the likely culprits and solutions, but if you're still having problems, check out this troubleshooting guide.

1. Why doesn't my external hard drive show up in Disk Utility?

If the external drive doesn't show up in Disk Utility, go to the View menu and select Show All Devices. If it still doesn't appear, the drive may be physically damaged, and you'll need to replace it.

How to fix the issue of macOS Monterey not detecting an external hard drive?

From the Finder menu at the top of the screen, select “Preferences.” Click on “General.” Make sure the “External Disks” option is checked. Then, click “Sidebar” and make sure the “External disks” box is checked, as well.

What should I do if my external hard drive is not recognized by my Mac?

Type “System Preferences” in the search bar, then open “Disk Utility.” Click the sidebar and make sure your external drive is selected. Click the checkbox next to the hard drive, then choose “Mount.”

How do I fix a damaged hard drive?

Before attempting to recover a failed hard drive, ensure all cables and connections are checked thoroughly. Next, identify the reason for the failure. Depending on whether it's due to physical damage, logical damage, or malware, adopt the appropriate solution. For physical damage, professional assistance might be required, while logical issues can often be addressed with data recovery software. In the case of malware, antivirus tools should be used to eliminate the threat before attempting recovery.