Hard Drive Wont Show Up Mac

• Access Hard Drive On Mac
• My Passport External Hard Drive Won't Show Up Mac
• Glyph External Hard Drive Won't Show Up Mac

Summary: Is your external drive WD My Passport not showing up on your Mac? Here's how to format a drive to be used on Mac, or repair a corrupted external hard drive. Besides, you can learn how to access the contents on WD My Passport that's not showing up on Mac Desktop/Finder/Disk Utility.

Normally, you will soon see the external drive WD My Passport on the desktop once it's connected to your Mac's USB port. Also, you can see it easily in the Finder. You can find it in the left-hand column under Devices. However, sometimes, it's annoying that your WD My Passport external hard drive doesn't show up in Desktop/Finder or even in Disk Utility.

Not sure where that is in XP - I couldn't find 'Startup Disk' in Control Panel in XP but went into a thing called Startup and REcovery under some other heading and it showed default operating system as XP in a drop down box and provided no other options - I also saw in another forum that XP didn't show up the mac partition but that that was a good thing because no nasty viruses could jump from. Power down the drive if it has a power switch. Disconnect it from the Mac in all cases. Reconnect the drive and power it up if necessary. It should now appear on the desktop.

And besides, there can be a risk that data on the WD My Passport external drive is lost. That means you cannot access the drive and the data on the drive directly. Here will help you trouble shoot the issues step by step. We can do the best to fix the issue that WD My Passport not showing up on Mac Desktop/Finder/Disk Utility. Or we will help you recover lost data from the damaged drive.

Why isn't My Passport drive showing up on Mac?

There are a variety of reasons why your external hard drive, flash drive, USB drive, or SSD might not be showing up. Sometimes, your WD My Passport external drive not showing up on Mac just because the cable or port on the computer is bad. Or any other reasons will lead to the issue. We will show you the possible reasons as follows.

• Faulty USB cable or port.
• System failure.
• File system is not compatible with Mac.
• macOS update issue.
• Virus infection.
• Motherboard issue.
• WD My Passport drive damage.

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

Here we will troubleshoot the issue one bye one as follows and try to fix the issue. Then we may be able to identify the cause and fix the problem hopefully. After that, you would be able to access your WD My Passport external drive and get your data back without problem.

1. Check and change the system preferences.

One possible reason is that the system preferences are not configured correctly. Please first try to check if the system preferences are set to show mounted drives on the desktop.

1)Click on Finder in the menu at the top of the screen on Mac.
2)Choose Preferences > General, please check and ensure External Drives option is ticked.

If the settings are configured correctly and the WD My Passport external drive is still not showing up on the desktop, please then do as follows and continue checking the issue.

2. Check the cable and port.

First, please check the ports on both the external drive case and the Mac. You can change the ports to have a try first. If it doesn't work, then it might be the issue of the cable.

Simply, please just change a new cable to make sure the cable is not faulty. Also, if you change the cable but the issue persist. Please also check if the power is enough. If not, the external drive will also not be mounted normally. If you have a cable that splits into 2 USB connectors, please plug both connectors to your Mac to make sure it has enough power supply. If possible, you can try a USB hub/adaptor that has standalone power supply.

3. Try another Mac and then try a PC.

Sometimes, there is problem with the the Mac. So the next step is to plug your WD My Passport external drive to another Mac. If it still cannot be mounted normally on another Mac, then you will know that there is a problem with the drive.

There is another possible reason is that the format of your WD My Passport external drive is not compatible with Mac. So the next step is to try plugging the drive into a PC. If the drive can be mounted and accessed normally on the PC, then the problem is that the format of the drive is only for PC but not for Mac.

4. Check and fix the disk in Disk Utility

If after checking and you find the issues is really related to the WD My Passport external drive, then you can try to fix the drive issues in Disk Utility. Please do as follows step by step to accomplish the task.

Open Disk Utility and check the left panel to see if the WD My Passport external drive appears there. If you can see the drive in Disk Utility, please check the volume on the disk. Mac mini 2009 latest os. Please choose the volume and try to mount it.

If there is no volume listed your Mac, it is not able to access the drive then. The Mount option will be greyed out.). In such a case, Disk Utility see your external disk, your options are First Aid, Erase and Restore. First Aid will check the disk for errors and then try to repair the disk if necessary. This is the option to choose for you. Click the First Aid tab and select Run.

If after running First Aid the Mac finds errors you could fix, you may see the option to Repair Disk. If you do, go ahead and run the repairs.

Note: If you still need the data on the damaged drive, please don't choose the Restore and Erase option. It will cause further damage to the lost data on the disk. We suggest you recover the lost data first. We will share the guide about how to recover lost data later. Please keep reading on.

5. Recover lost data from not showing disk.

If there are important data on the not showing disk, you may want to recover lost data first before repairing the hard disk issue. You can try one of the best Mac data recovery applications in the market. Here we will share you one of the software and tell you how to do the recovery step by step.

TogetherShare Data Recovery for Mac is the software we suggest for you. With this easy-to-use software, you are able to recover lost data from not showing up WD My Passport external hard drive or any other types of devices, including USB key, SSD, memory card, internal hard disk, etc.

Here is a simple and quick tutorial of the software. Only a few easy steps needed, you can get back lost data from the damaged drive effectively.

Step 1. Download the software.

Please download the trial version to scan and check if it works for you before recovering data. Here is the download available for you.

TogetherShare Data Recovery for Mac

Powerful & easy-to-use data recovery software

Step 2. Connect and select the disk.

Connect the disk to the Mac first. Please run the software from Launchpad and select the WD My Passport external hard drive in the device list. Click the Scan button to continue.

Step 3. Scan the disk.

The software will scan the disk automatically. With different data recovery methods and technology, the software is able to help you check and find the lost data effectively.

Ste 4. Preview and recover data.

After the scan is finished, you will find all the found files are listed for check. Preview the files to identify the wanted files first. Then choose the files to recover to another drive.

What's more, if you want to recover lost data in other cases - such as deleted files by accidental, reformat hard drive wrongly, deleted/lost partition, and so on - you can also try to use this software to recover the lost data. It can recover lost photos, videos, documents and other files on any digital storage devices.

6. Format the drive to fix the issue.

If your WD My Passport external hard drive is formatted using a file system that the Mac cannot read, or it is corrupted, you can try to reformat it directly to fix the issue. Of course, we suggest you follow the above tutorial about recovering data from a damaged disk to recover data first if necessary. Then you can try to reformat the drive.

Before reformatting the disk, please check and ensure to check the file system that can be read on Mac. Here's a bit of background on file formats: Mac computers, prior to Sierra, used the HFS+ file format. The systems after Sierra use Apple File System (APFS). exFAT or the older FAT32 are formats that can also be read on Mac. If you want your external hard drive to be read by Macs and PCs, you need to format it using exFAT or the older FAT32.

Here's how to reformat your drive in Disk Utility so it can be read by Mac:

1) Open Disk Utility.
2) select the disk and click Erase.
3) Choose your format, give the drive a name.
4) Click on Erase and it will then reformat the drive.

We will also introduce another simple software to help you format the drive. It's TS DataWiper for Mac. You can download it first to have a try.

TS DataWiper for Mac

Then run it from Launchpad, choose Disk Format. You can see a format button. Just click Format button to format the hard drive.

We suggest this tiny tool for you because it can not only format the drive, but also with this application, you can even wipe the data permanently on any drives. If you want to erase some sensitive data from your drive, you can use it to do the job. However, please note that the wiped data is no longer recoverable, so please be careful to do this.

How to make sure your drive and data is safe?

We have final suggestion to make your WD My Passport external hard drive is more safe. Also, we will do our best to make that is more of a guard against this error happening again.

Actually, most drive issues are caused when the disk is removed without ejecting it properly. To make sure that your external drive doesn't become corrupted again in the future, please always unplug the disk properly after using it. Don't just unplug the USB cable directly. Please first eject the external hard drive in Desktop or Finder by right clicking the disk and choose Eject. Then you can unplug the WD My Passport external hard drive manually.

Besides, please ensure to check the status of your hard drive after a long time use. If the drive is overused, some issues will happen and cause data loss. Don't cut down power suddenly while the computer is running or the data is transferring between your devices.

No matter how, please just be careful to use your drives to avoid damage to the drive. More important, data is priceless, so please do the best as above to protect your drive and data.

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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.

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 why this is happening and how you can get an external drive to appear on your Mac and get recover data to access to 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.

Open 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 macOS issue. Hopefully, some data damage that 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.

Access Hard Drive On Mac

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. From General tab tick 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 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 app, 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

If your drive is having 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 searching for it using Spotlight Search or via Finder > Application > Utility
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 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 and 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 suggest 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.

My Passport External Hard Drive Won't Show Up Mac

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 work, it's recommended that you backup all of the data from the disk, erase, 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 it on 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 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:

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 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 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 you 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 150+ 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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Glyph External Hard Drive Won't Show Up Mac