1. Disk Drill External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Mac
2. Disk Drill External Hard Drive Reviews
3. External Disk Drive For Laptop

Get a data lifeguard for Mac

Most of the time, when you connect an external hard drive to your Mac’s USB port, you soon see it mount on the desktop. Apple likes to ensure these are easy to find, so they also appear in the Finder in the left-hand column under Devices, since Mac’s treat them the same way as another computer.

• Disk Drill was one of the only ones that would even launch (apparently the other apps didn’t like one of my external drives). The interface is great—clean and professional. Over the three days required to scan such a large drive, Disk Drill found a massive list of files (hard to say if it’s really all of them, but it’s gotta be close).
• Learn the Basics. The first thing you need to know if you inadvertently reformat an external hard.

Disk Drill for Windows is free data recovery software that restores deleted files from an HDD, USB drive or any kind of disk-based storage media with just a few clicks. Free Download Upgrade to PRO Also available for Mac OS X Your browser does not support the video tag.

However, sometimes, an external hard drive doesn't show up. It’s annoying, especially when you need to transfer something right then. And besides, there can be a risk that data on the external USB pen, hard, or flash drive is corrupt, which means you can’t transfer what you need between devices at all.

Corrupt data can be one reason your Mac won't recognize an external drive, but there are other reasons too. Let’s take a look at why this is happening and how you can get an external drive to appear on your Mac and get recover data to access your documents.

How to fix an external disk drive that won't show up on a Mac

Why an external disk drive is not showing up? There could be a few reasons why a USB flash drive isn’t making an appearance.

Access an External Drive Not Showing on Mac

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Start with the basics:

1. Check whether the drive is properly plugged in. It sounds obvious, but since this relies on a wire - either a USB cable or HDMI cable - if it’s not connected properly then it won’t appear on your desktop.
2. Faulty cable. Assuming it’s plugged in correctly, not wobbly or loose, the cable could be at fault. Try connecting the same device with a different cable.
3. Damaged USB or flash drive port. It could be a hardware issue with the Mac. If you’ve got another port, try connecting the device to that one.
4. Reboot your Mac. Sometimes, if a USB disk won't boot, the cause is a macOS issue. Hopefully, some data damage can be fixed by restarting. Choose the Apple menu > Restart. Or press and hold the power button and, when a dialog box appears, click the Restart or press R. Restarting your Mac essentially clears your macOS’s memory and starts it up fresh.
5. Incorrectly formatted drive. Not every external drive is optimized for Macs. It could be that you are trying to connect something only fit to interact with Windows devices. If you’ve got a PC or laptop, it’s worth connecting and seeing if you can access the files through another device. The best way to look for an incorrectly formatted drive is to go to
   Apple (in the top toolbar menu) > About This Mac > Storage.
   See if the external drive shows up here. For more information, go to the same menu option, then select System Report.
6. Mac not formatted to display external drives on the desktop. It could be that your Mac already recognizes the device, but just isn’t showing its icon on the desktop screen. Even if that is the case, the drive will still appear in the left-hand column of the Finder menu under Devices. You should be able to access your drive that way, and, in the Finder menu under Preferences > General, you can check External Drives to ensure that from now on it shows up on your desktop too.
7. Reset NVRAM. To do this, shut down or restart your Mac, switch it back on and immediately press these four keys together for at least 20 seconds: Option, Command, P, and R. It should look as though your Mac has started again; if it has, release the keys when you hear the second startup chime. Hopefully, the hard drive has shown up now.
8. Check Apple’s Disk Utility to see if an external drive is showing up. Disk Utility is within System Preferences, or you can find it using Spotlight. If it is visible, then click the option to Mount, which should make it visible on the desktop and in the External Drives option in the Finder menu.

Unfortunately, if none of those options has worked and the external drive still isn’t visible, then it could have crashed, or be well and truly broken. But there might still be a way you can recover the data on the external drive.

How to show connected devices in Finder

1. Go to the Finder menu and select Preferences (Cmd+comma).
2. In General, click on External disks to ensure that from now on it shows on the desktop.

In the Sidebar tab you can choose which folders and devices will be shown in the left-hand column of the Finder window.

How to add cloud storages to Finder

You can also mount cloud storage as a local drive on your Mac. By connecting Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon to your computer, you get more space for securely accessing and sharing files. For your ease, add cloud drives to Finder with CloudMounter so that you keep them close at hand. You can read detailed instructions on managing cloud storage as local drives here.

Repair the failed external drives with First Aid

The most direct reason your external hard drive could be detected by macOS, but can't be opened is the file system problem.

If your drive is having such problems, you can try to fix them yourself with First Aid and therefore get access to your files. First Aid tool will check the disk for errors and then attempt a repair as needed. It helps to verify and repair a range of issues related to startup HD and external drive problems. If you are able to fix the hard drive or SSD in your Mac (or an external drive) using Disk Utility you will hopefully be able to recover your files.

To run Fist Aid on an external hard drive:

1. Open Disk Utility. You can search for it using Spotlight or via Finder > Go > Utilities
2. Check on your external hard drive, click the First Aid tab and select Run to start running diagnostics.

If First Aid successful in fixing errors, the external drive should be available to mount. If the utility is unable to repair issues, your drive truly is broken or formatted using a file system that the Mac cannot read - in this way we suggest you follow the next steps to recover data from a damaged disk drive.

How to recover data from a crashed drive

Thankfully, there is an app for that. Disk Drill is the world’s premier data recovery software for Mac OS X. Powerful enough to retrieve long-lost, mistakenly deleted files from Macs, external hard drives, USB drives, and camera cards.

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An easy way to recover lost files on an external hard drive

Providing you already have Disk Drill Pro version, which you can get automatically by downloading from Setapp:

1. Connect your drive to the Mac.
2. Quit all other applications on the Mac, especially those that may be trying to access the external drive (e.g. iPhoto, Words)
3. Launch Disk Drill.
4. Click on the external drive that you are trying to recover files from. If it has partitions, you will see all of them. If, however, you still don’t see any volume to the external drive then you may need to try some of the steps above again or read the Disk Drill Scanning FAQs.
5. To avoid the external drive being accessed during the recovery process, click Extras next to the drive or drive partition or file, then select Remount Volume As Read Only. A padlock will appear, protecting the drive during the process.
6. Now click Rebuild (or Recover) next to the file(s) you are trying to recover. Once the scan is finished - it may take some time if the files are large - a list of files will appeal.
7. Next, click Mount Found Items as Disk button on the bottom-left below the scan results.
8. Disk Drill “strongly suggests saving the files to a different drive than the one you are trying to recover files from. Saving to the same drive substantially lowers your chances of recovery.”
9. A drive icon will appear, which once you double click will give you the option to open the files as you would do before they were lost. Drag them to another location, such as your desktop or a folder on your Mac.
10. Open the files to ensure they have been recovered properly and safely eject the external drive.

Disk Drill does have other ways to recover lost files but assuming there aren’t complications, this method is the most effective. Disk Drill Pro recovery app is available from Setapp, along with dozens of Mac apps that will make your life easier. Never have to worry about a crashed or corrupted external drive again.

A few more tips on getting your files back

1. Macs and third-party apps that look after Macs, such as Disk Drill and iStat Menus come with a S.M.A.R.T. (also known as Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) status monitor. If a SMART check reports errors, then it could mean the hard drive is at risk of failing completely. Within Disk Utility and Disk Drill, there are several solutions for this: Repair Disk Permissions and Repair Disk. If neither of them works, it’s recommended to back up all of the data from the disk, erase it, then run a SMART check again. The external hard drive should show up as Verified.
2. Partitions can get lost within hard drives, temporarily hiding all of the information contained within. Disk Drill can help to identify and restore this information.
3. Within Disk Drill, you can restore data when a hard drive is damaged or add formatting, which is also something Disk Utility can help with.
4. CleanMyMac, another useful app available from Setapp, can help you identify external hard drive errors and repair them. It is an essential tool worth trying when you’re having external hard drive difficulties.

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Alternative ways to recover data from an external hard drive

Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) if your Mac shuts down when you plug in an external hard drive. Then use a different port to connect the external hard drive. If you’ve got a battery that you can’t remove:

• Shut down and unplug the power adapter
• Press Shift-Control-Option and the power button at the same time. Do this for 10 seconds
• Release all keys
• Plug the power adapter back in and switch your Mac back on

For Macs with removable batteries, you need to switch them off, remove the battery, then press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. After that, put the battery back in, plug in the power adapter and switch the power on again.

What’s your file format? One reason your Mac isn’t recognizing the hard drive is the file format. Windows uses NTFS file formats, while Macs, up until the introduction of Sierra, have used HFS+. Now, Apple has introduced the Apple File System (APFS) for newer operating systems. It is possible to format a hard drive so it can be read on Mac and Windows computers, providing you format using exFAT. However, if you’re having problems accessing the files and the issue is due to formatting, you will need to connect it to a device it can be read on, and then format the files correctly for the computer you are going to use next.

How to make Ext2/Ext3 drives readable on Mac

The common issue is Ext2- and Ext3-formatted drives are not readable on macOS. There are two ways to access such external drives on your Mac – via Linux OS or FUSE system. The easiest would be installing Linux to a secondary drive or virtual machine.

If you go with Linux installation, dual boot your Mac with Linux on another drive and use FAT32 as a transfer intermediary. If you don’t have a drive to install Linux to, use a virtual machine as an interface for it. Transferring can be done the same way – with FAT32, or via network.

Another option for reading Ext2/Ext3 disks is mounting disk with Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE). Basically, it works as an extra interface enabling file system access via specially installed modules. Here’s how to mount drives with FUSE:

1. Install FUSE for macOS or MacFUSE as well as a fuse-ext2 module.
2. Use the following Terminal command to enable Disk Utility’s debug menu and see all partitions: defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 1
3. Attach your Ext2/Ext3 drive and locate the device name via Disk Utility.
4. In your user account, create a folder to be used as a mount point.
5. Use the following Terminal command to mount the drive as read-only: fuse-ext2 /dev/disk2s2 /Volumes/mountpoint
6. For write support, use the command: fuse-ext2 -o force /dev/disk2s2 /Volumes/mountpoint

And that’s not the only case where Terminal helps you access external drive.

Employ the handy all-powerful Terminal, which always comes forward with solutions for difficult problems. Especially if System Information does recognize the USB or hard drive, but continues to hide it from you, disconnect the drive and try to find it using the Terminal, which you can find in Applications > Utilities.

• Once in the Terminal, type in the command diskutil list
• A list with information about volumes and drives should appear
• Look for a section labelled /dev/disk_ (external, physical)
• Make a note of the whole line after the word disk
• Now put the following command into the Terminal diskutil info disk followed by the number or digits assigned to that disk
• Now you should see detailed information about the drive, therefore confirming that your Mac can and does recognize it
• Eject using the Terminal by entering the command diskutil eject disk followed by the number or digits assigned to that disk
• Physically remove the disk from your Mac
• Plug it back in and your Mac should recognize it

Console is also reliable when it comes to solving tricky problems, although it isn’t always that easy to use. You can find Console under Applications > Utilities > Console. Console shows if an external drive or any error is detected under the Errors and Faults tab. If no errors show up, then the problem is not caused by the device.

To sum up, there are lots of potential solutions for a Mac not reading an external hard drive. If we were to pick one, Disk Drill seems to be the most well-rounded, offering plenty of customizations and power in an easy-to-use interface. Disk Drill Pro recovery app is available via Setapp, along with 200+ Mac apps that strive to make your life much much easier. At the very least, you’ll never have to worry about a crashed or corrupted external drive ever again.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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Get a data lifeguard for Mac

There’s nothing more important than keeping your vacation photos safe. Ok, maybe work files, too. To stop worrying about file safety, get a disk lifeguard, Disk Drill.

What is Disk Drill?

Disk Drill is a powerful data recovery solution that not only brings your precious files back, but also helps ensure your information is protected against any damage. The app can scan, protect, and recover virtually any kind of a storage device. From internal Mac hard drives to external disks, iPhones, cameras, Android devices, and Kindles.

What does Disk Drill do?

A professional recovery app, Disk Drill acts via a collection of tools — including quick and deep scanning, undeletion of protected files, smart monitoring, and more. Depending on what you need to do, Disk Drill adapts and adjusts. Here’s the short list of the app’s capabilities:

• Disk Drill recovers up to 200 different file formats.
• Equally powerful recovery on macOS, iOS, and Android devices.
• Advanced scanning algorithms that reach into the depths of your disk.
• Solves the lost partition issues, easily.

The app comes with a collection of free tools. Without paying anything, you can run S.M.A.R.T. scanning to monitor your disk for potential threats, recover up to 500MB of your data, and remove duplicates. For more comprehensive cleanups, you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro Plan.

Is Disk Drill safe?

It’s just as safe as any built-in recovery utility. You have to be careful when formatting your drive — you’ll lose the files stored on this drive — but that’s always the rule. Other than that, Disk Drill is 100% safe to use.

How to install Disk Drill

To try Disk Drill you can download the free version from the official website — it will work just right for a minor cleanup.

Alternatively, you can get the complete functionality with Setapp subscription. The best option if you want an all-in-one toolkit — Setapp has over 150 useful utilities that solve all the pain points of a Mac user. Pricing starting at only $9.99 per month.

Is Disk Drill really free?

Disk Drill free version only scans and lists the lost files. If you want to recover them you must pay up for $89 to 'upgrade' to Disk Drill Pro on the official website.

Also, you can unlock free unlimited access to Disk Drill Pro for Mac with Setapp membership to get full access to the app updates, and new additions.

Get Disk Drill on Setapp

Restore deleted files, backup and recover disk drives, analyze disk space, and keep all your information protected with ease.

How to use Disk Drill to protect Mac disks and recover files

We'll show you how you can restore damaged or corrupted files, replace unintentionally deleted files, manage data backups, help you eliminate unnecessary files, and provide data protection for important documents with the Disk Drill app.

Plus, the app’s built in diagnostic tools, including a disk space analyzer and automatic risk alerts, can help you keep your Mac running at peak performance.

Data recovery tool

The app lets you scan any disk or partition to detect damaged or deleted data and recover lost files.

• Simply click the “Recover” button
• Select the disk you’d like to recover from. The app will scan for corrupted and deleted files, and a series of drop down menus let you customize the search range.
• Once you’ve selected the files you’d like to get back, specify where you’d like to recover them to and press “Recover” button.

Backup Mac disk drives

• To backup a disk or partition, click the “Backup” icon, and click “backup into DMG image.”
• Select the disk or partition that you’d like to save and click the “backup” button at the right of the window.
• You’ll then be prompted to select a destination for the backup; select a destination and click “save.”

This backup may take some time to complete.

Cleanup disk spaces

The app helps you remove unneeded files by giving you a visual map of your files and letting you narrow down the files you’d like to remove.

To clean up a drive with Disk Drill app:

• Click the “Cleanup” button and select the drive.
• You’ll be shown a visual map, which you can refine by clicking the “Target” icon.
• You can then select files and folders you don’t need and click “Remove.”

Get data protection

When you first start up Disk Drill, you’ll be prompted to enable data protection. This will help the app keep your files primed for recovery at all times. Once it’s enabled, a small shield icon will appear next to all disks in the Disk Drill window.

• To turn on data protection, just click the shield. When you mouse over the disk, a small gear icon will appear at the far right of the window.
• Click it and select “Configure Data Protection” to adjust your settings as needed.

How to monitor SMART status (disk health)

If you enable S.M.A.R.T monitoring, the app will place an icon in your Menubar. The icon itself will display your drive temperature.

You can click the icon to see a breakdown of your selected disk’s vitals.

You can check disk temperature, see how much disk space you have left, and stay up to date on your disk’s uptime and power cycle count.

You can always access this information, не even if you don’t have Disk Drill active; it can let you know when your disk is due for a cleanup or backup.

With its extensive suite of tools, Disk Drill has everything you need to recover, backup, and protect your files. Plus, it gives you the power to diagnose, assess, and solve issues that may be slowing down your Mac by getting rid of unwanted and duplicate files. You’ll be resting easy and running faster than ever.

Questions and answers

How to use Disk Drill to recover deleted files?

To get back deleted files, you’ll need a PRO version of Disk Drill — it’s available on Setapp, too. Unless you have the Recovery Vault enabled, there are two ways to restore files from your internal drive: 1) By accessing your Mac in Target Disc Mode; 2) Via Disk Drill’s Portable Mode.

You can also connect external devices to run a recovery on, as well as choose the files to recover manually in Disk Drill.

Disk Drill External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Mac

How to preview deleted files before recovering?

You can preview files before running a recovery in the basic version of Disk Drill — not every file is recoverable, so having a preview can be really helpful. To check a preview, you need to click on the eye icon next to the file you want to recover. In some cases, you’ll need a Quick Look plugin to view previews.

How to use Recovery Vault in Disk Drill?

Recovery Vault is a useful feature that helps you avoid file loss in future. With Recovery Vault enabled, Disk Drill will remember and save metadata for all your deleted files. You can activate external disk protection by clicking on the shield icon next to it. On the next screen, set the Recovery Fault toggle to “on” and you’re all set.

What if recovered files won’t open?

Disk Drill is powerful, but it doesn’t recover everything. There are specific variables that can impact your recovery chances. If everything seems fine, but you still can’t open the files, try to use Disk Drill’s alternative recovery methods, change the file type, or try to recover an entire disk instead of a partition.

How to uninstall Disk Drill?

Open the app and navigate to Preferences > General. Select “Remove Disk Drill.”

How to remove Disk Drill’s S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring from my Mac?

If you remove Disk Drill by dragging it to Trash, its S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring feature will still be on your Mac. The easiest way to get rid of it would be to download Disk Drill installer once again and then uninstall the app, according to the recommendations from the official website.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Disk Drill External Hard Drive Reviews

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External Disk Drive For Laptop