How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac? [6 Methods]

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Hello everyone, when you try to use the 6th method in the video, ‼‼‼🤔please note that it can erase your data. So please carefully operate or skip this method.

[@soruzein2988]

pin this bro

[@zeitakulobusta]

@@soruzein2988 Can or WILL?

[@onmywaytogloryproductionz]

Wtf why you ain’t say that in video

[@BYang-fb2ff]

e.....why you didn't say in thevideo..now I erase my data...how to recover...omg...it is very important for me...

[@leticiasouzaphoto]

I was about to run the 6th method but I ran to the comments first cause I knew I could lose all my data. Thank god I didnt. Still trying to get it fixed tho

[@Fashion-Cybersecurity]

Please it is important and let the audience know that formatting a disk erases the content and they may not be able to recover them. Just a hint before erasing or formatting a disk.

[@minjipark1954]

ikr… a lot of videos do this.. they probabaly want to sell a software

[@GL-Red]

@@minjipark1954 generally, yes

[@Kateyeproductionz]

Exactly. because I just erased everything! very upset

[@Brendaho3]

@@Kateyeproductionz did you buy the software? and if it works?

[@DefaultName-ug5zo]

I've just done that exact thing, absolutely gutted.

[@adistidaramutia9903]

My hard drive suddenly undetected on my mac. Then I tried all your methods. It worked on the fifth method. THANK YOU SO MUCH! May God reward the kindness of those who share knowledge

[@C0NNT3NT]

I just lost years of work because I formatted my disk, thinking that my content would still be there. All while this guy has a smile on his face.

[@arshkhosa7204]

use common sense next time

[@bbreyette]

what do I do if my external hard drive doesn't even show up in the disc utility ? the light comes on and there is power to it but can't find it

[@Dizzy1989]

This is my issue, however this Recoverit has found a lot of files which I need to recover. However the software comes at a cost.

[@AnthonyJohnston1]

saaaaaame. none of this was useful for me. hard drive is spinning but not being recognized by ps4 or mac

[@limitededitionp5577]

same issue here, the drive seems to be running which makes me think the cord isnt the issue and i've tried it on multiple ports on different mac devices, no luck.

[@AnthonyJohnston1]

@@limitededitionp5577 I think the needle is stuck. The drive needs to be opened and the needle reset from what i found from other videos. I haven't bothered taking it to a shop to fix it but it seems to be the last possible answer.

[@limitededitionp5577]

@@AnthonyJohnston1 thanks for the answer! Guess I'll have to get mine looked at then

[@MLFilmss]

Thanks for the video. What happens if your external drive is not showing up at all in disk utility?

[@jamirmuzik7942]

exactly my issue

[@zulfadlizunaini8613]

any answer?🤭

[@davidleyes640]

me too

[@DarkandTwisted]

Same

[@Javier23gol]

They won’t answer that because if that’s happens, it’s a recovery mission that involves a technician.

[@RachelDesignsvideos]

You have brighten up my morning with suggesting we used the utilities disk to find our external hard drive.

[@LeonPhythian69]

right, so how do you actually fix one that actually isn't showing up, by not showing up I mean it isn't in any list, not in the disk utility, not in the list on something like Disk Drill, basically actually not showing up, even when multiple tested cables and ports aren't helping the drive appear in any utility programme? as in NOT SHOWING UP ?

[@33iDude]

I tried everything its not showing up on my Mac Even though the light is on and i hear the drive is running.

[@UnseenVoices]

Exactly

[@fabiandsouza8937]

Hi, love the video. I am still not able to view my External Drive even in the Disc utility. I took the drive over to a friend's Windows laptop and it show up with all the data on the drive. Please could you help find a way for the drive to show up on my MacBook

[@heatherchristensen70]

I have the same problem i can read my drive on Window laptop, but no longer on either my iMac or my macbook pro, my seagate external drive was formatted originally exfat. I am just trying to remove all the files without having to buy new hard drive, very frustrating

[@cybresaint]

My Seagate Freeagent is no longer showing up in my MacBook pro. The usb cable is good but the drive doesn't show up in disk utility either. The drive will run when I plug it into the usb port, but I wasn't able to get it to show up on the desk top using any of the tips in this video.

[@KNightRider504]

Have you found a solution yet?

[@captainavenger360]

Thank you so much. I almost lost some animation files, after my hard drive got slightly corrupted. Thing unplugged from my laptop when I wasn't looking. You're a life saver.

[@testimony1_]

Easy to understand... however in following these steps I have a 2tb Seagate backup plus slim and unfortunately my hard drive doesn't show up in disk utility... i did see it in my system information at one point but im not sure why it isn't presenting itself now. What are my options?

[@cindynoel4751]

Same thing happened to me. I've been using 2tb nmiicvts for 3 months. About an hour into moving files over to it it just died on me. The light is flashing on hard-drive, but Utilities will no longer recognize it.

[@kevinwalker5008]

Just a point, when you mention changing the format in Disk Utillity does that not wipe the drive of all the files?

[@palespectre4835]

Yes, I can't believe he didn't mention that.

[@tbut155]

@@palespectre4835 i almost did this then common sense kicked in, then I read this comment. so glad i caught myself

[@minjipark1954]

@@palespectre4835 yea lowkey angers me

[@norcalvandweller8401]

Erased everything, DAMN IT!!! I am so screwed!

[@Pt0118]

Yeah, and I’ve completely wiped out my hard drive thanks to him 🤬

[@adriannebenzion5078]

I never leave KZbin comments but this video was super helpful. FirstAid saved my hard drive. Thank you!!!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Most welcome. Please hit the subscribe button.

[@thecodebloodedpixe9085]

what to do if the external hard drive isn't getting detected in disk utility as well?

[@jackleach159]

Did you find a solution?

[@ljjclara]

+1

[@ShadrackBiwott-jh4dw]

Thank you so much for this video... has really helped me! Receive warm appreciation from Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 🇰🇪

[@emersonmartins]

This was the best video EVER to solve my problem. Extremely easy to watch and go straight to the point. It deserves millions of likes. Thanks a lot mate. You are a gem.

[@1x1HealthyEnergybyAndrew]

Was quick but my Disk fell once and can't be found or fixed in Utilities. Dam. This sucks. I had all my important data on my Wd My passport. Flimsy drives.

[@GabrielLigon]

In my experience (M1 Pro running macOS Ventura 13.5), when connecting an external storage device, a brief popup would appear and vanish too quickly to read. Minor investigating - I identified it as a Privacy & Security prompt seeking permission to grant access. The Solution (in my case): Navigate to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Allow accessories to connect > Adjust setting to Always. This adjustment appeared to effectively resolve the issue.

[@marir5972]

When you use the erase option on disk utility does it erase hard drive contents? Or does it just erase external hard drive from Mac?

[@janine7825]

This is my problem as well, I have so much of my portfolio on my external hard drive and I an afraid to press erase.

[@TensileMasculinity]

did you end up finding out? I have alot of playstation game data stored on it but its having this issue.

[@marir5972]

@@TensileMasculinity I was able to Mount device after hours of trying without deleting files. I unplugged it and plugged it a million times until it worked

[@santiagobydesign]

@@marir5972 same, this just worked for me...

[@Hairjourney_vlh]

Omg!!! I am so glad I found this video. I have been freaking out for months because my drive would not pop up on my Mac. After going through all the steps, the VERY LAST got the drive up and running. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad to it helped! Don't forget to subscribe to our channel!!

[@nudiaufia]

The 4'th method really work for me! Glad to know you share this kind of effective explanation. Big thanks!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad to hear that! Please subscribe our channel.

[@bepreparedforwhatscoming4975]

@@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware won't you lose all your files from formatting your SSD?

[@tyler05]

I can't tell you the relief of getting back what you thought was maybe gone forever. Thank you so much!!!!!!! so helpful!!!

[@EveryDayTrucker]

Ok bro, there's one thing you didn't cover which is something I've done many times before. Unfortunately, it's been a while and I always forget how to find it. So, when I plugged this external cradle in, I accidentally told the computer to ignore it. This means it doesn't matter what drive I put in, it doesn't see it. I've done this years ago and did figure it out. But I can't remember what to do! Can you help me?

[@fynn6949]

do you know it now?

[@rowdyreaver4599]

Thank you. Was suddenly not able to access 50+ hours worth of footage for a project, you offered solution that worked!

[@ShaneHarveyMusic]

your advice may work when the external drive shows up in Disk Utility but all the trouble shooting hasn't made it show up on the Mac desktop or in DU. Or in recoverit.

[@jasminearthur2844]

Super helpful, clear and easy to follow, thank you!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad it was helpful! Please subscribe our channel.

[@wgodlock]

method 5 did the trick. Hard drive is back online. Great Video! Keep up the good work.

[@c00l0ne]

Thank you , very clear instructions! 👍🏽

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad it was helpful! Please subscribe our channel.

[@freddyacosta2358]

You’re a lifesaver bro! I just got an external hard drive and my iMac was not reading it. Tried the first 3 steps and nothing. It was until I erased the hard drive and formatted it again. It is now mounted and visible on my desktop. Thank you!

[@victoriazengo2081]

yeah but didn't you lose all your files?

[@guzjungjiraa]

thank u for saving my life!!!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Most welcome!! Don't forget to subscribe our channel.

[@dominos9025]

YAY! Thank you! I had a disc stuck in my external hard drive that I could not locate on my computer and even my husband couldn't figure it out! Your video saved the day by showing me how to go to disc utility and find it there! My disc is out and I am pretty proud I was the one to do it-Thanks a bunch!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad I could help!

[@SmellGoodTravelWell]

THANK YOU! I have been trying to do this for MONTHS! Method 4 worked! and now it shows up every time!

[@arjunan.b4072]

Thankyou so much brother , highly informative but unfortunately I couldn't fix it, the first aid option is disabled.

[@Gamingandlipstck]

This worked with my new SSD!! Thank you so much

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad to hear that! Don't forget to subscribe our channel.

[@sumeyaali145]

All I had to do was change the format through erase, simple thank you so much 😊

[@boukjevdslik]

You literally just saved my life and tens of thousands of photos. YOU'RE A SAINT!

[@princess_katana]

Thank you so much! Going to Disk Utility to mount my external hard drive worked for me! Amazing video!!

[@digibusinessbazaar30]

so proud you i am from india....i saw many videos on youtube but didnt got sol.........today i was planning to give disk to seagate but before laster i searched your video came it worked thanks dude

[@emmalynlabrador1115]

Thanks so much Dear, I actually bought new ssd,, i was so frustrated, as it thought I bought a damage one, & I am actually in the process of returning the item & refunding it... until I watched your video. it really helped me a lot,, now the SSD is being seen in both my macbook air & iphone 15 pro max. thanks much dear. you're so great.. more power.. love your videos.

[@vickytuff9281]

SAVED MY BACON! first aid brought my hard drive back to life! Thank you!

[@ccc-yg4oq]

Thank you for your help, running First Aid then clicked on mount, SSD didn't come up, but I unplug and re-inserted it popped up. Thanks.

[@djbalmaine379]

I watched at least 15 videos and this is the only one that worked. Thank you!!!!

[@danielcarreno5609]

thanks for the tips, I can access my hard drive again!

[@TheRepty818]

The Disk first aid actually worked for me. Thank you so much. I was really upset because I thought I'd lost my files for good. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad to hear that! Please hit the subscribe button.

[@Chrysgcw]

Doing first aid didnt erase your files? Im freaking out please help

[@TheRepty818]

@@Chrysgcw Honestly it's been a while so I don't remember what I did exactly but I did first aid and didn't do the full wiple For some reason after the first aid the files came back. Some where corrupted but majority were fine. I wish I could tell you what I did exactly but I don't remember.

[@BlancoTVBtv]

Excellent video. Running recoverit now, will let you know later. My seagate is not responding

[@kilo8228]

Thank you for this tutorial , i purchased an ADATA 710 pro and it wasnt reading untill i changed the format to mac os .

[@maharshisoni422]

Thanks boss, running the first aid on the drive from disk utility worked. But I've to do the first aid check almost everytime I plug in my hard drive and then it shows up magically. Its a 1TB WD HD formatted in ExFAT

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Welcome! Please subscribe our channel.

[@sandrayounes3803]

Man!!!! I was freaking out!!! And your video made my day!!!!THANK YOU!

[@meliorstudios]

life saver, disk utility did it!

[@emmanuelbonilla4375]

This dude was more effective than customer service

[@o-SPECTRE-o]

I managed to get my Hard Drive back thanks to you. You're a beautiful human being. I hope you know that. Thank you.

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Wow, thank you Please subscribe our channel.

[@caitlinbaker4443]

This question has been asked multiple times with no answer: my drive isn't showing up in disk utility. What now? It's not the cable or the power, the light on the drive is blinking, and there is no where to locate my drive. Please address this question as it's been asked multiple times!

[@pbm7715]

NOT going to happen! NONE of the videos people do are worth a crap because they are in such a hurry to make the damn video! Not opnl;y that but the idiots that make our computers wont leave anything alone. Everyone has to hange stuff all the time even thought is isn't BROKE!!! People like this guy cant get it through their thick skulls that if we KNEW how to do this, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE!!!!! Its like those old booklets, "Computers for Dummies! The only "dummy" was the idiot that wrote the manual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@clairekim9733]

Thank you for the informative video. Tired all; however, the external hard drive doesn’t show up in the disk utility at all. Would you help me how do I go from here?

[@Sam-xc1mm]

I had the same issue. I went into finder and unchecked external hard drive. I then had to shut down my computer and turn it back on. I opened finder and checked external hard drive, then it showed up on my desk top and I was able to see it in utility as well, before I did this I was unable to see it anywhere. I hope this helps.

[@LynGodfrey]

Thank you. The 4th method has solved the problem. Very clear instructions.

[@arieladrianparra3697]

I tried all the methods you prescribed with my iMac. But no results the external hard drive still does not show up.

[@RogwinMusic]

you and I have mechanical / electrical problems.

[@flemingmitchell9891]

I watched your video but I still can't find my external hard drive on my computer. You often speak of clicking on the external hard drive in disk utility, but it doesn't show in disk utility. It was popping up on screen and staying for about 2-3 minutes, then drop and then show up again. Now it's not showing period.

[@jimmycarter9286]

Great vid! Super Thorough! Super Helpful! Thanks!

[@SELFLOVEBali]

Hi, I have done the FIRST AID, but why I can not click the MOUNT? (Even if I click it, no response). PLEASE HELP ME

[@carolinam7192]

What if the hard drive isn’t even showing on Mac?

[@5gorgeous]

didn't help, my external WD elements harddrive doesn't show in my macbook pro

[@gregoryberman1177]

Hi, thank you so much for the incredible and very helpful video. I have an external hard drive that is, if you can believe it, 17 years old. I have a TON of memories on it that I thought I had lost forever. THANKS to you I was able to recover everything, and the drive is working fine now. You are the best! I highly recommend this video and your amazing skills at explaining how to fix an external hard drive. Happy New Year, and God Bless! 🙏

[@gevorkgevorkyan9100]

Thanks for the Video. You should mention that the Drive may erase Data if you format something...

[@EustaquioSantimano]

Thank you for you very clear step wise instructions. I formatted my new external drive to Mac OS Extended and was able to access it from my old Mac.

[@kdeva5062]

My external hard drive won't show up, the light comes on and there is power to it and I can't fint it on my mac. I have tried the 6 methods that was shown in this video. What can I do to recover it?

[@jaylanjohnson661]

Any solutions?

[@coneeded05]

Thank you!!! You just saved me from loosing my project!!!!

[@joetourist8443]

Thanks very much. I got my hard drive icon back after trying your disc utility suggestion. Very relieved.

[@FunkyMonkeyman17]

My external hard drive is not appearing to have first aid and was used as a backup since the internal HD is full. What if you want to recover but have no available room on your laptop to recover the files :( is my external gone forever?

[@Compass2101]

Legend! Disc Utility First Aid worked for me. Cheers.

[@funissakololo1079]

Thank you !! It worked for me using the disk utility > ERASE > AFPS, now I have access to my external hard drive ! :) Very useful!

[@mauricegold9377]

So you threw away all the files you had on that drive, on the basis of info from someone on KZbin. It might be that you had nothing valuable on your drive, but it could equally be that you had lots of valuable files you needed. I'm saying this as a former systems-admin at the sharp end of all this kind of stuff for two decades. Beware these snake-oil salesmen selling you easy solutions where you are convinced to stop thinking, and exhorted to reformat your drive, without being told this will erase all your files, just for the sake of a hard-drive, which will now be empty. If your files are valuable, get an expert to check your drive and ignore this 'advice'.

[@rajeevsisodiya1822]

You were giving me hope through out the video , idk why its still not showing up 😣

[@1yram]

So what do you do if Disk Utility doesn't show your HD? Mine is plugged in and all it does is make this ticking/throbbing sound. It isn't showing up anywhere. (It's always worked before, by the way. I"ve had it for years.)

[@thehoopinggamer9166]

Me too. If you find any news let me know and I’ll let you know if I find anything

[@1yram]

@@thehoopinggamer9166 The news isn't good, I'm afraid. It's called the "click of death" and means your external HD is fried. What's inside can possibly be recovered, but it costs a LOT of money ($700 - $1200). I said goodbye to whatever was in there that is no longer on my computer and bought a new one. My research led me to buy Seagate Portable 5TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PS4, & Xbox ($105). I just received it, so I can't review it, but it comes with a year of recovery service should it fail. Good luck!

[@roadology5160]

Thank you very much, i have not been able to get in my hard drive for a year.

[@hussainbarakat9667]

Step 5 Run First Aid fixed my issue and the my hard drive is showing up now . Thanks !

[@kingjames3720]

You saved all of my sounds and instrumentals 😭🤣💯🔥👨🏾‍💻

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Great!! Please subscribe our channel.

[@matthewdavies269]

Saved my life, thanks man. First aid worked!

[@beautymixtress]

Thank you for your help! Add the end of the day, I just had to erase it and start over. Thankfully, I moved everything to my Google drive already.

[@OdresNuevoMusic]

thank you man saved my day

[@RadioDarioBerlinRome]

Hi, thanks for your video. All of a sudden my external hard drive is shown on the Desktop but not in Finder, any advice to solve the issue?

[@ClaudioDesideriFilms]

The AFPS formatting worked for me, thanks!

[@emmawatford2920]

Just fixed my problem for my USB and magic happened using the erase method . THANK YOU SIR

[@markerwin7048]

Glad I found this video! I was nervous ask...worked on method 4 👌🏼

[@mavilvh3167]

The clearest explanations. keep on like that. I enjoy. Thank you.

[@thekeezee8079]

Thank you for your video. Unfortunately, my 1 TB SSD external HD doesn't show up in Disk Utility (MacBook Pro 2011), but it does on my other MacBook Pro 2012 (same cable). Any advice on what could be the issue? The USB ports on the 2011 work fine with other devices. Thank you!

[@jackleach159]

Did you find a solution?

[@ishnn]

Have you tried ejecting it safely from the computer that recognizes your disk then connecting it to the other computer?

[@tatemayfairs]

Ooohooo!! reformatting worked a charm cheers brotha ! You Stay Classy 🍸

[@kshithesh]

Perfect this is the video I was looking for

[@LisaMtv]

Thank You! I recoverit my hard drive

[@PerfumeBeast]

Hey in disk utility method the drive is not showing only, what to do in this situation ?

[@PaulAliceJ]

How can you repair your HD if it is not showing up?

[@vinceramsperger700]

You are awesome. I looked at so many other KZbin videos and websites, but you are the only one that helped. Had to reformat. Thank you

[@mbpiano29]

This solved my problem !!!! I’m so happy 😭😭😭 I had unplugged the drive while it was downloading something 😓😓😓 but thank God this fixed the problem !!

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Most welcome. Please hit the subscribe button.

[@willsgaming1481]

well consider yourself very lucky because none of the solutions worked for me

[@CyberGenious24]

Thank you very much . Running first aid worked for me . Actually i removed drive without unmount and got into issue. many thanks and love from India.

[@ParisTheNoodleGirl]

omgomgomg it works! method 4!! you life saver

[@samvaartjes1099]

Sadly none of these options worked and the Recovery software isn't downloading on my mac .. any ideas of what I can do please? Thank you :) Great video!

[@Galo1955]

Thanks so much for helping out I was so discouraged...

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Most welcome. Please hit the subscribe button.

[@ambrosesuresh]

thanx bro, you worth millions.

[@AnnaKhait7]

that worked!! i had to erase & reformat.. thanks!!!

[@EarthbendR]

GRATITUDES UPON YOU SIR!!! Extremely helpful! Liked and subbed!

[@youknowme7796]

I was able to access my ssd on windows but not on mac. So I ran the first aid which erased all the data from my ssd. Thank you.

[@SoleMediaTalks]

Wow . So helpful. Thanks a lot my friend .

[@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware]

Glad it was helpful! Please hit the subscribe button.

[@SoleMediaTalks]

@@RecoveritDataRecoverySoftware its done bro