Are you facing a situation where you connect a Seagate or WD hard drive to your Mac, but it is not mounting? Or your Mac is unable to load portable drive after a new system like Ventura or Sonoma update. Why is the external hard drive not mounting on Mac?
It can be frustrating if your Mac is unable to recognize and load your external hard drive, especially when you need to use the data stored on it. This article will talk about the common reasons behind the problem and provide several proven solutions to resolve it.
The external drive not mounting on the Mac issue may be due to various reasons, including hardware and software factors. Before delving into specific solutions, I would like to discuss several possible causes.
When an external hard disk is not showing on your Mac, you should first check the physical connection. Loose cables, damaged USB ports, and insufficient power supply will prevent your Mac from recognizing or detecting the drive. Another big reason is the incompatible file system. You should know that drives formatted for Windows may not mount on a Mac. What’s more, corrupted file systems will lead to mounting issues.
Apart from hardware-related problems, software bugs, outdated drivers and systems, software conflicts, and even permission issues can trigger the external hard disk not showing on Macproblem. In some cases, your external hard drive can’t be recognized because of drive failure or corruption. For instance, bad sectors, mechanical failure, and other reasons will make the drive unreadable.
After knowing the common reasons why the external drive is not mounting on your Mac, you can take related solutions to resolve them. If your external hard drive is not mounting on your Mac due to serious physical damage, you’d better take it to professional services for repair. Try contacting the manufacturer if your drive is still under warranty.
When your Mac does not recognize an external hard drive, try using different USB/Thunderbolt cables and ports. You can also test the drive on another computer to confirm whether the issue is device-specific. Unplug the portable drive, restart your Mac, and then reconnect it to check if the external device can be detected and loaded normally.
If your external hard disk is not showing on Mac, you can go to Disk Utility and verify its visibility there. Open Finder, click Applications on the left panel and then scroll down to find Utilities. Locate and launch Disk Utility to see if the external drive is listed in the sidebar. You can choose to force mount the drive if it is grayed out.
Sometimes, macOS has issues with drives that were improperly ejected. In that case, your Mac may refuse to mount the external hard drive until it's checked. When you access Disk Utility, try using First Aid to scan the problematic drive and fix related issues. Click First Aid at the top center and then click the Run button.
Locate and open Disk Utility through the Spotlight Search menu. Click to highlight your external hard drive on the left, and then hit Erase at the top menu center. You need to reformat the hard drive to a compatible file system like exFAT or APFS. NTFS is a read-only format for macOS.
Resetting the NVRAM on your Mac can help fix issues related to settings. When your Mac is unable to load a portable drive, you can try resetting these settings, which might affect hardware recognition.
Shut down your Mac and then press the power button to turn it back on. Press and hold Option + Command + P + R as soon as you hear the startup sound. You need to keep pressing the key combination for 20 seconds. After resetting the NVRAM, you can reconnect the external drive and check if it can be recognized.
When you are dealing with a failing external hard disk, you should rely on reputable software like Aiseesoft Data Recovery to access and restore its data. Download the recommended Aiseesoft software if your drive is still partially accessible. Follow the steps to recover all your valuable files. However, for severe physical damage, you should consult a professional recovery service to avoid permanent data loss.
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Question 1. Why won't my Seagate hard drive mount on my Mac?
As mentioned above, the external hard drive not mounting on the Macissue may be due to different reasons. When your Seagate hard drive is not connected properly, or the USB port isn’t providing enough power, your Mac will fail to recognize the portable drive. Moreover, incompatible file systems, hard drive errors, hardware failure, and outdated drivers and software will lead to the Mac not recognizing external hard drive problems.
Question 2. Why is my external hard drive not mounting on my new iMac?
If your external hard drive works well on your old computer, but it is not mounting on your new iMac, there could be several possible reasons for this issue. Check and ensure the external drive is securely connected. Go to Disk Utility, and then look for it in the list of devices. If the external hard drive appears but is grayed out or not mounted, you need to click it and choose Mount. If you don’t see it, you may need to reformat the drive to a Mac-supported file system like exFAT, APFS, or HFS+. In some cases, you need to update macOS to get the latest software and drivers.
Question 3. How do you format an external hard drive on Mac?
You can use Disk Utility to format an external drive with ease. Plug the portable drive into your Mac's Thunderbolt or USB port and make the connection. Locate and open Disk Utility using Spotlight, and then choose the external drive from the sidebar. Click Erase in the toolbar and proceed with your formatting action. You are required to rename the drive and select a suitable file format.
Conclusion
This article gives you a detailed guide on how to diagnose and resolve the external hard drive not mounting on Mac issue. You can start with some basic hardware checks and then use other steps to troubleshoot the problem.
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