How to Fix an External Hard Drive on a Mac (2024 Edition)

Choosing the best external hard drive for Mac is important because it can prevent your Mac from slowing down due to too much data. Alternatively, you can transfer everything from your Mac to an external storage device so you can access anything from anywhere.

However, the issue is that you might accidentally delete files from an external hard drive. Worse still, if the files on the external hard drive get corrupted, you would need to fix the external hard drive on Mac.

First Aid: Recover Lost Data from an External Hard Drive on a Mac

In this article, we have prepared seven methods to fix an external hard drive for Mac, some of which, like using the Mac Terminal, might result in data loss. To save the data from the damaged external hard drive and prevent further data loss, we highly recommend that you first recover data from a Mac external hard drive.

Don't worry if you're unable to view or access all your saved data on the hard drive. You can easily recover lost data from the drive with the help of the powerful Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool, which effectively retrieves data from inaccessible HDD, USB flash drives, SD cards, and other storage devices.

- It can recover Mac partitions from the original internal/external hard drive of a PC or Mac. - It supports various device types, allowing you to recover data from a deleted or formatted disk on a Mac, SSD, or HDD. - It facilitates hard drive data recovery in scenarios like accidental deletion, formatting, hardware malfunction, virus attacks, and system crashes.

Install a data recovery software, and then follow the 3-step guide to retrieve data from a corrupted external hard drive on Mac.

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your Mac properly. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool, select the external HDD, and then click “Search Lost Files” to look for the lost/deleted files on the external HDD.

Note: Before data recovery, it's better to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your 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: After the scan, all file types will be displayed on the left. Select the file type to find the required files from the external hard drive for Mac.

Step 3: Preview the files and check the ones you want to recover. Click on the “Recover” button to save the data to your Mac's local disk or cloud storage.

How to Fix an External Hard Drive on a Mac (7 Ways)

After data recovery from an external hard drive, you can try the 7 fixes for external hard drive not working on Mac in this section. One of them might resolve your issue if circumstances permit.

Solution 1: Restart your Mac in Safe Mode

You can start your Mac in Safe Mode, which is a great diagnostic step that can help resolve various issues without any additional software or services. In some cases, it can even allow you to access and fix a damaged hard drive on your Mac.

When you start your Mac in Safe Mode, the system performs several checks that prevent some software from opening automatically. Starting your Mac in Safe Mode causes the following:

• Solve issues with the Mac startup disk.
• Load only necessary kernel extensions.
• System and font caches should be cleared automatically.

Please perform the following steps:

For Intel-based Macs:

Step one: Power off the Mac, and leave it off for 10 seconds.

Step 2. Hold down the Shift key until you see the Apple logo.

Step 3: Release the key when the login screen appears.

For Macs with Apple chips:

Step one: Turn off the Mac for 10 seconds.

Step 2: Power on the device and hold down the power button.

Step 3: Select the right startup disk.

Step 4. Hold down the Shift key and click “Continue” to log in to macOS Safe Mode.

If your Mac disconnects from the external hard drive, macOS might not recognize or display the drive. There's a video tutorial that provides more details on how to fix an external hard drive on a Mac.

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 00:15 - Finder Settings
• 00:36 - Disk Utility
• 00:56 - Disabling Content Restrictions
• 01:19 - macOS Software Updates
• 01:41 - Troubleshooting Hardware Issues

Fix 2: Repair the External Hard Drive from the Mac Terminal

Fixing an external hard drive through the Mac Terminal is one of the most effective methods. This guide is intended for advanced users who are familiar with the Terminal and command-line interface. For most Mac users, it's better to just use the First Aid to repair an external hard drive, as the command line can be difficult to understand.

Step 1. Open Terminal on your Mac.

Step 2: Type cd /Volumes and press Return. Then type ls and press Return. A list of all your disks will appear on the screen.

Step 3. Select the problematic external drive at this point.

Step 4: Type diskutil verifyVolume /dev/diskX (where “diskX” is the name of your external drive) and press “Enter.”

Step 5: Type in diskutil repairvolume /Volumes/xxx (name of external drive).

After you complete these steps, the external hard drive should be fixed.

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Fix 3: Use the FSCK Command to Solve the Problem

The steps for checking whether your internal HDD has this issue, or if your external Mac drive is damaged, are the same.

Step 1: Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.

Step 2. Type diskutil list to get a list of all the drives connected, whether or not they're mounted. Find the identifier for the drive you want to work with.

Step 3. As your computer restarts, hold down the Command and S keys to boot into Single User Mode on your Mac.

Step 4: The white text will scroll quickly. When it stops, enter /sbin/fsck -fy.

Step 4: Enter /sbin/fsck_hfs -fy /dev/[disk identifier] in the terminal, replacing [disk identifier] with the actual name of your disk. For an external drive, FSCK will check the file system and attempt to fix any corruption.

4. Type the command reboot to restart your Mac after FSCK has finished checking and repairing your file system. Your Mac will then restart and return to the normal login screen.

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Fix 4: Check USB Connections on Your Mac

Remove any USB hubs or other expansion devices, and then try connecting the device directly to your computer. Check the USB connection:

1. Gently unplug the device and plug it back in.
2. Try using the external hard drive on another Mac, or plug it into a different USB port.
3. Connect the hard drive to your Mac with a different USB cable.
4. Check the App Store for any available software updates to ensure that outdated drivers aren't causing the issue.

Fix 5: First, try using Disk Utility's “First Aid” feature to repair the external HDD

Sometimes, you can use Disk Utility on Mac to fix a damaged hard drive. It may not work 100% of the time, but it's worth a shot before trying other potential solutions. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the Apple menu > Restart > Hold down Command + R.

Step 2: Choose Disk Utility > Continue > View > Show All Devices.

Step 3. Click on the damaged external hard drive that you want to fix.

If you see an "Overlapping Range Assignment" issue, choose First Aid > Run.

Step 5: Disk Utility will repair your external hard drive.

If any of these methods helped you fix your external hard drive on Mac, share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms!

Fix 6: Format the External Hard Drive on Mac

As a last resort, try formatting the drive. However, if you've used the external hard drive on another computer before, make sure to back up any files you want to keep first, as formatting will wipe the drive completely.

Step 1: Connect your Mac to the external hard drive. Some external hard drives need to be plugged into an outlet to work.

Step 2. Type “Disk Utility” in Spotlight search, and select the first result. This will open the Disk Utility app, which shows all internal and external drives connected to your Mac.

Step 3: In the upper-left corner of the window, click “View,” and then select “Show disconnected devices.”

4. Click your external hard drive to format it. You'll see it under “External Drives” on the left side of the screen. For best results, select the top option in the external drive's folder tree.

Erase Hard Drive

Click the “Erase” option at the top. A short pop-up will warn you that this will delete all of the data on your hard drive, and that the process cannot be undone.

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Fix 7: Check your Mac Finder settings

There's a setting that can make external drives invisible in the Finder. If this was accidentally enabled, it might give you the impression that your drive is damaged. If this fixes your problem, then your drive wasn't damaged in the first place. Try these steps to see if this is the issue:

Step 1. Open Finder on your Mac.

Step 2: Open Finder and select Preferences.

Step 3: Make sure “External disks” is checked under “Show these items on the desktop.”

Step 4: Quit and then relaunch the Finder.

Step 5: Check to see if the drive appears immediately.

Why Does an External Hard Drive Need Repair on a Mac?

There are two types of errors that can occur on a Mac external hard drive:

? Physically damaged hard drive

Unfortunately, such damage can be repaired only manually, in a clean room or shop by a specialist. For example, a hard disk's spinning parts can become misaligned if the device is dropped; essential components in the sealed unit can be damaged by dust; and scratches can mar the disk surface.

✔️ Logical Error

Most hard drive issues, including logical errors, can be fixed. Logical errors usually occur when the power is cut off while data is being written to the disk or due to a malware/virus attack. You can fix this issue with an external hard drive on your Mac using built-in programs or third-party software.

? Crash error

You can use the reporting options on the left to investigate for possible causes, such as crashes, corrupted files, or connectivity issues that might be preventing the external drive from working correctly.

You can identify the causes of hard drive damage like sharing the drive between different systems, improper connection, unsafe ejection, interrupted file transfer, hardware failure, virus attack, and many more while accessing an external hard drive on Mac.

Conclusions

All of the above methods can help you fix an external hard drive on your Mac. However, you may have to kiss your data goodbye. We offer the best software on the market – Disk Drill for Mac data recovery software, to recover data from an external hard drive for Mac and solve any issues with your Mac hard drive.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fixing External Hard Drives on a Mac

Here are four additional questions about fixing an external hard drive on a Mac. Click here for the answers.

How to fix an external hard drive that isn't working with your iMac?

Use Disk Utility to repair a storage device on your iMac

In Disk Utility on your iMac, choose View > Show All Devices. In the sidebar, select a volume, then click First Aid. Click Run in the First Aid dialog, then follow the onscreen instructions. When First Aid finishes, click Done.

How to recover an unreadable external hard drive on a Mac?

To repair a disk on your Mac, follow these steps.

1. Choose Go > Utilities. 2. Double-click Disk Utility. 3. In the left sidebar, select the volume for which you want to repair permissions. 4. Click the First Aid tab. 5. After selecting the volume on which you plan to install your Adobe application, click Run to begin the disk repair process.

3. How could my external hard drive have failed?

Data corruption on a hard drive can be caused by software errors, issues with mechanical components, or even power events. Larger files occupy more physical space on a hard disk than smaller ones, and are thus more likely to suffer severe data corruption.

4. Why isn't my external hard drive showing up in Disk Utility on Mac?

If your external hard drive is not showing up on Mac, try selecting Show All Devices in the View tab. If the hard drive is physically damaged and still won't show, you should replace the drive.