Mac OS · macOS
Fix an External Drive Not Showing Up on Mac
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Check the cable and power, enable external disks in Finder, inspect the device in Disk Utility, run First Aid, and avoid erasing until the data is backed up.
Check power and connection
Use the drive's power supply when required, connect directly with a known-good cable, and test another port.
Check Finder visibility
Open Finder > Settings > Sidebar and enable External disks, then look under Locations.
Inspect Disk Utility
Choose View > Show All Devices. If the volume appears, try Mount and run First Aid after backing up accessible data.
Do not erase blindly
Erasing destroys data. If the device is absent on another Mac too or makes unusual noises, stop and seek support.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If “Fix an External Drive Not Showing Up on Mac” remains unresolved, identify the first numbered step that produces a different result and preserve that screen, file, log, or message. Recheck the specific account, permission, storage, connection, source-media, or hardware prerequisite above, then follow only the matching Apple Support recovery path; do not combine unrelated resets, bypasses, unofficial installers, or third-party repair tools.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: macOS.
Reviewed against the linked first-party guidance; interface labels can vary by current app, service, or operating-system version.