In this article, I will discuss various ways to fix external hard drive files not showing up on a Mac.
Check Connection and Power Supply
Ensure that your external hard drive is properly connected to your Mac. Use a different USB port or cable to rule out any connectivity issues. Also, make sure that the power supply to the external hard drive is stable and working correctly.
If your external hard drive is powered through a separate power adapter, check if it’s plugged in and functioning. Sometimes, a loose connection or power outage can cause the drive to not show up on your Mac.
Verify Finder Settings:
Open Finder on your Mac and navigate to the Preferences menu. Check if the external hard drive is set to be displayed on the desktop or in the sidebar. Sometimes, the drive might not show up due to incorrect Finder settings.
If the external hard drive is not showing up in Finder, try restarting Finder by pressing Command + Option + Escape and then selecting Finder from the Force Quit Applications menu. This can sometimes resolve visibility issues with external drives.
Utilize Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility on your Mac and see if the external hard drive is recognized there. You can run First Aid on the drive to check for any errors and repair them if necessary. Disk Utility can also help you mount the external hard drive if it’s not showing up on your desktop or in Finder.
Use Disk Utility for Repairs
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open Disk Utility from the Applications folder or search for it using Spotlight. |
| 2 | Select the external hard drive from the list of drives on the left side of the Disk Utility window. |
| 3 | Click on the “First Aid” tab at the top of the Disk Utility window. |
| 4 | Click on the “Run” button to start the repair process. Disk Utility will check and repair any errors on the external hard drive. |
| 5 | Once the repair process is complete, eject and re-mount the external hard drive to see if the files are now showing up. |
FAQs
Why is my external hard drive not showing my files on Mac?
Your external hard drive may not be showing your files on Mac due to various reasons such as incompatible formatting, a loose or damaged USB cable, or other connection issues.
Why can’t I see my files on my external hard drive?
You can’t see your files on your external hard drive because your drivers may not be up to date. This could be due to plugging the drive into a new computer or running updates since the last use of the drive.
Why is my Mac not searching files on my external hard drive?
Your Mac may not be able to search files on your external hard drive because the drive is NTFS-formatted, which is read-only on Mac. You may need to use an NTFS reader to make the external hard drive searchable again.
How to view files on an external hard drive Mac?
To view files on an external hard drive Mac, you can connect the device to your Mac using the appropriate cable and then use the Finder to access the connected device. If the cable does not fit your Mac, you may need to use an adapter. Check the documentation that came with the device for further instructions.
