TL;DR
If your external hard drive not showing up on Mac:
- Check the cable and try different ports.
- Switch USB ports and test with other devices.
- Restart your Mac to fix glitches.
- Test the drive on another computer.
- Adjust Finder settings to show external drives.
Tried and Tested ✅: The methods and steps mentioned in this article have been tried and tested firsthand by Ojash Yadav on his MacBook Pro M3 and rechecked for errors on Hashir’s MacBook Air M2.
You know that moment when you need something important from your external drive, and it’s just not there? I’ve been there. After dealing with this a few times, I found a few easy ways to fix the problem.
How to Fix an External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac
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Here are 10 simple steps that you can take to fix the issue:
Did You Know? Some external hard drives have a power-saving feature that can cause them to sleep after inactivity, making them temporarily invisible to your Mac. Check your drive’s manual to disable this feature.
1. Check the Cable Connection
Sometimes the simplest issues are overlooked. Ensure the cable connecting your external hard drive to your Mac is secure. If it still doesn’t show up, the problem might be power-related. Different cables and USB ports provide varying power levels, so try using a more robust cable, a different USB port, or an external power source.
2. Try a Different USB Port
A faulty or underperforming USB port could be the issue. Unplug the cable and try another port on your Mac. Test the port by connecting another device, like a flash drive. After switching ports, restart your Mac and reconnect the external drive.
3. Reboot Your Mac
Rebooting your Mac can resolve minor glitches and potentially solve the issue of your external hard drive not showing up. Here’s how to reboot your Mac:
- If any other external devices are connected, properly eject them before rebooting to avoid data corruption.
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select Restart.
- Wait for your Mac to completely reboot.
- Reconnect the external hard drive once your Mac is up and running.
- Look for any signs that your Mac is recognizing the drive. This could be an icon on the desktop or a sound indicating a successful connection.
4. Try Another Mac or Windows PC
Sometimes, the best way to isolate the issue is to plug the external hard drive into a different computer. This will help you determine whether the problem is with your hard drive or specific to your Mac:
- Plug the external drive into a different Mac to check if it appears. If it does, the issue is likely with your Mac.
- Try it on a Windows PC to further isolate the problem (file system compatibility may limit access).
- If it doesn’t show up on any computer, the drive itself may be faulty.
5. Edit Your Settings
Sometimes, your external hard drive isn’t showing up because Mac settings prevent it from being recognized. To change this, please proceed with the following steps:
- Open Finder from your Dock.
- Click Finder in the menu bar and select Settings.
- In the General tab, check the boxes next to External disks and Hard disks to display these items on your desktop.
- Next, click the Sidebar tab and check the boxes next to Hard disks and External disks.
6. Change the Drive Format
Your external drive not showing on Mac may be due to an incompatible file system format. Here’s how to format a drive on your Mac:
- Before you proceed, back up any important data on the drive, as formatting will erase all content.
- Navigate to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- In Disk Utility, select the drive you want to format from the list on the left-hand side of the window.
- Click the Erase button at the top of the window.
- It will bring up a new window where you can choose the format for your drive. As mentioned earlier, choose the format that best suits your needs.
- In the same window, you can also give your drive a new name. This is optional but useful for multiple drives with the same format.
- Once you have selected the format and named the drive, click the Erase button. Depending on the drive size, the formatting process will begin, which may take several minutes.
7. Try a Different Hard Drive
If you’ve tried multiple ports and even different computers, but your external hard drive isn’t showing up still, it might be time to test another hard drive. Here’s how to go about it:
- Connect a different external hard drive to your Mac. If it shows up, the original drive is likely faulty.
- Make sure the new drive is compatible with your Mac.
- Test different USB ports to rule out port issues.
If the new drive works, it may indicate hardware failure in the original drive.
8. Boot Your Mac in Safe Mode
Booting your Mac in Safe Mode can help identify software issues preventing your external hard drive from showing up. For Intel Macs, restart and hold the Shift key until the login screen. For Apple Silicon Macs, hold the Power button, select your startup disk, and press Shift to continue in Safe Mode. If the drive appears in Safe Mode but not normally, a software conflict may be the issue.
For more details, check out our full guide on Safe Mode troubleshooting.
9. Repair Disk Permissions With Disk Utility
Disk permissions issues can prevent files and folders from behaving as expected and cause an external hard drive to not appear in Finder. Repairing disk permissions can be an effective way to troubleshoot this issue.
Here’s how to repair disk permissions on Mac using Disk Utility:
- Open Disk Utility by navigating to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- From the left-hand panel, choose your Mac’s internal hard drive.
- Click the First Aid button in the top tool bar.
- Click the Run button to initiate the repair process.
- Tap Continue to confirm your decision.
- Disk Utility will scan the disk and repair permissions if necessary.
This action repairs the disk on newer macOS versions, as permissions are automatically managed.
- Once the process is complete, reconnect your external hard drive to see if it shows up.
- If your external drive appears in Disk Utility, you can run First Aid to repair any issues.
10. Reset the SMC
The System Management Controller (SMC) is responsible for low-level hardware system management functions like thermal, LED indication, battery, and system performance. If your external hard drive isn’t showing up on Mac, resetting the SMC might help.
Here’s how to reset the SMC on your Mac:
For MacBooks with a Removable Battery
- Turn off your MacBook.
- Unplug the MagSafe adapter and remove the battery.
- Hold down the power button for 5 seconds.
- Insert the battery and connect the MagSafe adapter.
- Turn on your MacBook.
For MacBooks without a Removable Battery and with a T2 Chip
- Turn off your MacBook.
- Ensure your MacBook is connected to the MagSafe adapter and plugged into a power source.
- Press and hold the Shift ⇧ + Control ^ + Option ⌥, and Power keys on the keyboard for 10 seconds.
- Release the keys and then press the Power button to restart your MacBook.
Connect Your External Hard Drive to Your Mac
Dealing with an external hard drive that won’t appear on your Mac can be frustrating and worrisome, especially when important data is at stake. However, the issue is often solvable through straightforward troubleshooting steps.
Here are some more tips for you:
- If your Mac’s USB ports aren’t working, fix them first and then try again.
- If the hard drive may be failing, clone the hard drive to prevent data loss.
- Regularly update macOS to avoid connectivity issues.
