External Hard Drive Not Showing on Mac

You must agree that using Mac has several advantages. The key fact is the user-friendly interface. Also, it provides numerous modern features and flexibilities.

But at times, we may get troubled while using the Mac. The troubles occur particularly when you try to connect an external hard drive on Mac. The Mac may not detect the drive. So, if you are trying to get something from the hard drive, you may not have that.

However, if you know Fix: External Hard Drive Not Showing on Mac, you are free of troubles.

This post will let you know the process, further. Keep browsing the post, know the information, and apply it in your real life.

External Hard Drive Not Showing on Mac

There are several reasons why a Mac may not accept any external hard drive. Usually, when you plug in an external drive, the Mac detects it.

But what if the Mac fails to recognize your device?

Multifarious factors are liable for this incident. It may happen that the external drive has not been formatted rightly. Or the drive or the cable may be faulty. Even the drive itself might be corrupted. So, you cannot find the exact reason.

The fixes  

Set preferences  

After encountering the problem, you need to check the preference. Make sure your Mac allows to open external drives.

At times, the Mac does not allow opening the external drives. So, you may not see the drive on your computer. But if you change the preference, you may not encounter this issue again.

Open your finder by clicking at the top of the Mac screen. Then, go to the preferences and then general. Now, check if it allows mounting external drives. If there is no tick mark, mark it for allowing the mount.

Did you check the connecting cable?

Oftentimes, the connecting cable is another issue that you must consider. If the cable is faulty, your external drive may not get the power.

Did you check the connecting cable

So, check the cable. You can use another USB cable to check if the external drive gets power. If it gets power through the other cable, it means the former one is faulty. Thereby, you need to replace the existing cable.

Check the Mac port

Besides, you need to check the port you are using on the Mac. The port may also be faulty. Plug the cable into a different port in the computer.

Check the Mac port

If the other port works, you need to discuss the matter with Apple care. Naturally, a port may get damaged for no reason or for many reasons. If you do not use that port for a long time, it may be non-functional.

Or, there might be some manufacturing errors that will lead to the problem.

Hence, if you witness any such issues, the problem is easier to solve. You know what to do.

Try on another device

Alternatively, you can try another computer or Mac. Hopefully, the external drive will mount on the other devices. But if you still have the problem, it might be the external drive.

In this case, you need to inform the matter to your external drive seller. If you have a warranty, try to replace it.

Format the drive

A wrong drive format may also cause the problem. If the format of the external drive mismatches with the Mac, it may not read the drive.

So, you need to check the format of the existing drive and which one the Mac can read. Accordingly, format the external drive and set it in a new format that will make it readable.

Last words

It was the Fix: External Hard Drive Not Showing on Mac. Probably, you have the idea now when you face the issues.

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About Thohidul Alam

Thohidul Alam is a Web Developer by profession and Content Writer by passion. He loves to write about gaming and technology guides. When he is not writing, he must be developing something!