Like Windows, Mac also detects an external drive automatically. If it doesn't, follow these steps: Step 1 First of all, look for the external hard drive in the finder window. For this, click on File and then click New Finder Window.
Purchased new SSD thinking it was a damaged drive (it was not) Plugged in new SSD, tried booting while holding Option, drive was not detected (In between these steps I did countless SMC and NVRAM resets, checked connections, did the tape trick, blew off dust, etc) At this point I assumed I had a broken hard drive cable.
If the drive is not in System Information/System Profiler or in Disk Utility then try another Mac to see if the drive is detected there. If the drive is detected on the other Mac then continue with the following Apple specific troubleshooting. Trying some of Apple specific troubleshooting may help resolve the issue.
Jul 18, 2017 So out of the blue my Mid 2012 Macbook Pro is not recognizing ANY hard drive. I am getting the folder with the question mark even after replacing SATA cable. Disk Utility cannot find the hard drive either. I have tried 3 different hard drives 1 of which I am currently using on a different MAC so I know it works. I have had no luck.
Hard Drive Not Detected On Mac
Mac Can't Find Hard Drive
Recover data after fixing the hard drive not detected errors by using Recoverit (IS). When it comes to recovering data from the fixed undetected hard drive, the best tool knows best how. Recoverit (IS) is up to the task because of its ability to perform an all-in-one recovery from various scenarios. paeoniflora New member This is one of those situations when it was working one second and literally not working the next, it seems like. I had my external HD plugged in via firewire on my Macbook when a system update popped up. Went ahead and installed that, (now running 10.4.10), as soon as the computer booted back up I am unable to recognize the hard drive. Tried restarting the hard drive, restarting the macbook.. It recognizes the USB ports (iPod will pop up in Finder when plugged in) but unfortunately I don't have a compatible USB cable for the drive. Plugged the drive into my Windows machine and it works fine. Plugging it back onto OSX and nada. The drive is cross platform compatible, so I'm fairly certain it's not a formatting issue (I've switched back in forth between the two systems with the HD before), but right now I'm all out of ideas. Repairing disk permissions also did not seem to solve anything. Anyone know how to go about dealing with this?
Thanks a bunch.
Oct 23, 2020 Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems Proven solutions Hard Drive Not Detected On Mac
We know that CPU is the brain of a computer. However, not everyone knows that while CPU is the brain to functioning a computer, the hard disk is the body of it. The mind can't be useful without the body, and this is what this article deals with. What if your internal hard disk is not detected? Some of you might simply restart the system, while some would care to reinstall the software. Here, we take a look at the factors that are behind the scene where the hard disk is not detected and how to solve this issue. Mac Can't Find Hard Drive
Generally, an ATA or SATA port is set to auto-detect. If one finds that their hard disk is not detected by the system BIOS, the following steps (not in any particular order), can be used to isolate the issue. Part 1. Drive not Enable in the BIOS
To access the BIOS of your system, you should be aware of the settings of your device. Different systems have a different method of accessing the BIOS. Every system displays a brief message about entering the system setup soon after the power has been turned on. System Setup is often called the 'System BIOS' or 'CMOS Setup'.
If the hard disk is not detected, it could be because it is turned off in the system setup. There are mother manufacturers that tend to disable the unused ports in the BIOS by default. One has to enter the BIOS to verify their current status.
If a second hard disk is not detected after being connected, it could require to be enabled by turning it ON in the BIOS. Accessing BIOS in Windows 10:
The latest versions of Windows come with greater processing speed, and therefore pressing a key on boot cannot prove to be helpful. Therefore, you can't enter BIOS; we recommend you follow the given steps to access the BIOS if the hard disk is not detected.
Start with navigating to the settings. Click on the start menu icon can help you get there.
You then have to select Update and Security.
Move to 'Recovery' from the left menu.
You then have to click on 'Restart' under the advanced startup. This reboots your computer to a special menu.
Choose Troubleshoot.
Move to the advanced options.
Select UEFI Firmware settings and finally click on Restart. Part 2. Faulty Cables within the Motherboard
There is a chance that the cables within the motherboard have become faulty and therefore your hard disk is not detected. You can start by inspecting the motherboard and hard disk connections for misaligned or bent pins. Please note that the folding, crimping, pinching, or creasing data cables are often responsible for the wires breaking inside the insulation. However, in the same scenario, the exterior of the cable would appear normal. If you are unsure about the condition of your data cable, we recommend that you replace it.
BIOS will ensure that the hard disk is not detected if the data cable is damaged or the connection is incorrect.
Often, certain ATA cables can fall out of their connection. One can check the condition of their SATA cables and ensure they are tightly connected to the SATA port connection.
If replacing the cable doesn't cause the problem to cease, the issue where the hard disk is not detected lies elsewhere. The hard disk is not detected as the drive is not spinning up:
This can arise when the drive is not receiving enough power or an insufficient level of power to function and hence doesn't spin up. You can check for this issue by performing the following steps:
Power Off the computer
Access the computer case and remove the data cable from the hard drive. This will ensure that any of the power saving commands that are being sent out is ceased.
Turn back on the system, and check if the hard disk is spinning. One can feel a slight vibration upon touching the hard drive, and if the vibration is not there, the hard disk is not detected or did not start.
If you cannot determine whether the drive is spinning or not while fixing the scenario where the hard disk is not detected, here are a few steps:
Boot the computer and try to catch some noise.
Power off the system.
Disconnect the power cord from the system.
Remove the power cable when the hard disk is not detected, or the hard disk you are trying to fix.
Reconnect the power cord to the system itself.
You then have to boot the system to check if the hard disk sound is audible.
Reconnecting the hard disk should help you catch some noise.
Switching power cables with a device like an external CD or DVD to ensure that the cable is not faulty.
Check the power supply on the computer. This helps you to determine if there is enough electrical power to operate the drives and devices that are being used within the system.
You then have to connect your drive to a different system.
Please ensure that you connect the drive in a SATA-USB enclosure if possible, and check if the scenario where the hard disk is not detected is fixed.
If this doesn't fix the problem, you might have to get in touch with the manufacturer. Video Tutorial on How to Fix Hard Drive Not Showing Up Conclusion
The case where the hard disk is not detected is a hardware issue and requires you to have an understanding of BIOS. While using Windows 10, accessibility of BIOS might seem difficult and for that very reason, I have attached the steps that one can follow to reach the BIOS when the hard disk is not detected. Windows 10 has been causing a few troubles for the hard disk owners and therefore, we have listed out a series of methods to get you going. Ip camera recorder mac free . Your Safe Reliable Hard Disk Recovery Software
Recover lost or deleted files, photos, audio, music, emails from any storage device effectively, safely, and completely.
Supports data recovery from recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders.
Supports to recover data for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations. What's Wrong with Drive Recover Your Drive Fix Your Drive Format/Wipe Drive Know Your Drive
Purchased new SSD thinking it was a damaged drive (it was not) Plugged in new SSD, tried booting while holding Option, drive was not detected (In between these steps I did countless SMC and NVRAM resets, checked connections, did the tape trick, blew off dust, etc) At this point I assumed I had a broken hard drive cable.
If the drive is not in System Information/System Profiler or in Disk Utility then try another Mac to see if the drive is detected there. If the drive is detected on the other Mac then continue with the following Apple specific troubleshooting. Trying some of Apple specific troubleshooting may help resolve the issue.
Jul 18, 2017 So out of the blue my Mid 2012 Macbook Pro is not recognizing ANY hard drive. I am getting the folder with the question mark even after replacing SATA cable. Disk Utility cannot find the hard drive either. I have tried 3 different hard drives 1 of which I am currently using on a different MAC so I know it works. I have had no luck.
Hard Drive Not Detected On Mac
Mac Can't Find Hard Drive
Recover data after fixing the hard drive not detected errors by using Recoverit (IS). When it comes to recovering data from the fixed undetected hard drive, the best tool knows best how. Recoverit (IS) is up to the task because of its ability to perform an all-in-one recovery from various scenarios. paeoniflora New member This is one of those situations when it was working one second and literally not working the next, it seems like. I had my external HD plugged in via firewire on my Macbook when a system update popped up. Went ahead and installed that, (now running 10.4.10), as soon as the computer booted back up I am unable to recognize the hard drive. Tried restarting the hard drive, restarting the macbook.. It recognizes the USB ports (iPod will pop up in Finder when plugged in) but unfortunately I don't have a compatible USB cable for the drive. Plugged the drive into my Windows machine and it works fine. Plugging it back onto OSX and nada. The drive is cross platform compatible, so I'm fairly certain it's not a formatting issue (I've switched back in forth between the two systems with the HD before), but right now I'm all out of ideas. Repairing disk permissions also did not seem to solve anything. Anyone know how to go about dealing with this?
Thanks a bunch.
Oct 23, 2020 Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems Proven solutions Hard Drive Not Detected On Mac
We know that CPU is the brain of a computer. However, not everyone knows that while CPU is the brain to functioning a computer, the hard disk is the body of it. The mind can't be useful without the body, and this is what this article deals with. What if your internal hard disk is not detected? Some of you might simply restart the system, while some would care to reinstall the software. Here, we take a look at the factors that are behind the scene where the hard disk is not detected and how to solve this issue. Mac Can't Find Hard Drive
Generally, an ATA or SATA port is set to auto-detect. If one finds that their hard disk is not detected by the system BIOS, the following steps (not in any particular order), can be used to isolate the issue. Part 1. Drive not Enable in the BIOS
To access the BIOS of your system, you should be aware of the settings of your device. Different systems have a different method of accessing the BIOS. Every system displays a brief message about entering the system setup soon after the power has been turned on. System Setup is often called the 'System BIOS' or 'CMOS Setup'.
If the hard disk is not detected, it could be because it is turned off in the system setup. There are mother manufacturers that tend to disable the unused ports in the BIOS by default. One has to enter the BIOS to verify their current status.
If a second hard disk is not detected after being connected, it could require to be enabled by turning it ON in the BIOS. Accessing BIOS in Windows 10:
The latest versions of Windows come with greater processing speed, and therefore pressing a key on boot cannot prove to be helpful. Therefore, you can't enter BIOS; we recommend you follow the given steps to access the BIOS if the hard disk is not detected.
Start with navigating to the settings. Click on the start menu icon can help you get there.
You then have to select Update and Security.
Move to 'Recovery' from the left menu.
You then have to click on 'Restart' under the advanced startup. This reboots your computer to a special menu.
Choose Troubleshoot.
Move to the advanced options.
Select UEFI Firmware settings and finally click on Restart. Part 2. Faulty Cables within the Motherboard
There is a chance that the cables within the motherboard have become faulty and therefore your hard disk is not detected. You can start by inspecting the motherboard and hard disk connections for misaligned or bent pins. Please note that the folding, crimping, pinching, or creasing data cables are often responsible for the wires breaking inside the insulation. However, in the same scenario, the exterior of the cable would appear normal. If you are unsure about the condition of your data cable, we recommend that you replace it.
BIOS will ensure that the hard disk is not detected if the data cable is damaged or the connection is incorrect.
Often, certain ATA cables can fall out of their connection. One can check the condition of their SATA cables and ensure they are tightly connected to the SATA port connection.
If replacing the cable doesn't cause the problem to cease, the issue where the hard disk is not detected lies elsewhere. The hard disk is not detected as the drive is not spinning up:
This can arise when the drive is not receiving enough power or an insufficient level of power to function and hence doesn't spin up. You can check for this issue by performing the following steps:
Power Off the computer
Access the computer case and remove the data cable from the hard drive. This will ensure that any of the power saving commands that are being sent out is ceased.
Turn back on the system, and check if the hard disk is spinning. One can feel a slight vibration upon touching the hard drive, and if the vibration is not there, the hard disk is not detected or did not start.
If you cannot determine whether the drive is spinning or not while fixing the scenario where the hard disk is not detected, here are a few steps:
Boot the computer and try to catch some noise.
Power off the system.
Disconnect the power cord from the system.
Remove the power cable when the hard disk is not detected, or the hard disk you are trying to fix.
Reconnect the power cord to the system itself.
You then have to boot the system to check if the hard disk sound is audible.
Reconnecting the hard disk should help you catch some noise.
Switching power cables with a device like an external CD or DVD to ensure that the cable is not faulty.
Check the power supply on the computer. This helps you to determine if there is enough electrical power to operate the drives and devices that are being used within the system.
You then have to connect your drive to a different system.
Please ensure that you connect the drive in a SATA-USB enclosure if possible, and check if the scenario where the hard disk is not detected is fixed.
If this doesn't fix the problem, you might have to get in touch with the manufacturer. Video Tutorial on How to Fix Hard Drive Not Showing Up Conclusion
The case where the hard disk is not detected is a hardware issue and requires you to have an understanding of BIOS. While using Windows 10, accessibility of BIOS might seem difficult and for that very reason, I have attached the steps that one can follow to reach the BIOS when the hard disk is not detected. Windows 10 has been causing a few troubles for the hard disk owners and therefore, we have listed out a series of methods to get you going. Ip camera recorder mac free . Your Safe Reliable Hard Disk Recovery Software
Recover lost or deleted files, photos, audio, music, emails from any storage device effectively, safely, and completely.
Supports data recovery from recycle bin, hard drive, memory card, flash drive, digital camera, and camcorders.
Supports to recover data for sudden deletion, formatting, hard drive corruption, virus attack, system crash under different situations. What's Wrong with Drive Recover Your Drive Fix Your Drive Format/Wipe Drive Know Your Drive
