How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing up Mac Sequoia

You may have already installed macOS Sequoia on your device. However, many users complain about the External Hard Drive Not Showing up Mac Sequoia, making files inaccessible. There could be several scenarios, such as the external drive not showing up in Disk Utility, the hard drive being greyed out, and more.

Fortunately, quick and easy fixes are available, including updating/downgrading macOS Sequoia and ensuring the drive has enough power. We encourage you to stick with us until the end of this article so you can fix the issue and access all your important files and media.

How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac Sequoia

In this section, we will guide you through all the required steps, providing a detailed breakdown and images to resolve the issue of the external hard drive not showing up on Mac Sequoia.

1. 1. Ensure Your Hard Drive Has Enough Power Supply
2. 2. Update Your MacOS Sequoia
3. 3. Downgrade Macos Sequoia

Before diving into advanced troubleshooting, it's crucial to rule out basic hardware or power-related issues. Often, the problem isn't with your Mac or the operating system - it's with the external drive's power supply or connectivity.

1. Ensure Your Hard Drive Has Enough Power Supply

Power issues are a common reason macOS Sequoia fails to mount external hard drives. Hard drives, particularly larger ones, need a reliable power source. The drive might not spin up or be unable to be detected by your Mac if it lacks power.

• Check the USB hub connection on the drive first. Hubs often lack electricity, so connect it to your Mac.
• Ensure your drive's external power adapter is functioning correctly.
• Try an alternative port or cable, as faulty USB connections may restrict the power supply.
• Maintaining electricity is a simple yet essential step to getting your drive back up and running.

Sometimes, transferring the disk to a different USB port resolves this issue. If a USB 2.0 port isn't delivering enough power, upgrading to a USB 3.0 port should resolve the issue. However, if a USB 3.0 also fails, you can use a self-powered USB hub that doesn't rely on power from your Mac.

2. Update Your MacOS Sequoia

The easiest way to resolve this issue is to update your macOS to the Latest Version. This will help resolve any software-related issues that your device might be encountering. Here are the steps to do so:

Step 1. Hover over to the Apple menu in the top-left corner.

Step 2. Click the "System Settings" from the menu list.

Step 3. Click the "General>Software Update" to update your device's software.

You may share this post with your friends in need to help them solve this error:

3. Downgrade Macos Sequoia

If your external hard drive still does not appear in Disk Utility, you may want to downgrade macOS to an earlier version in which your drive operates correctly. The process typically needs you to back up your Mac, delete macOS Sequoia, and install the desired macOS version.

Important notes before downgrading:

• Back up all your data using Time Machine or another method.
• Downgrading requires wiping your Mac and restoring from a backup.
• Use macOS Recovery to reinstall an earlier version (e.g., macOS Sonoma).

Hopefully, your hard disk will now display in Disk Utility. If it is recognized but does not appear on the desktop, continue reading for solutions. You can visit Apple's official support page for detailed instructions on how to downgrade. But you may have a better choice, which is to use powerful software: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and prepare a USB drive, so that you can download or switch to the system you want with one click.

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How to Fix Mac Sequoia External Drives Not Mounting 

This section will discuss methods for getting your external hard drive to appear on your Mac screen when it's not mounting properly on Sequoia.

1. 1. Manually Mount the External Drive in the Disk Utility
2. 2. Mount External Hard Drive in Terminal on Sequoia
3. 3. Repair Unmountable External Hard Drive
4. 4. Reformat the External Hard Drive That Won't Mount

1. Manually Mount the External Drive in the Disk Utility

You can manually mount your external hard drive in Disk Utility if it is not formatted in NTFS but with a file system such as FAT32, exFAT, APFS, or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Here's how:

Step 1. Launch "Disk Utility" on your Mac.

Step 2. Choose your disk from the list on the left.

Step 3. Then click the "Mount" button.

2. Mount External Hard Drive in Terminal on Sequoia

If the Sequoia external hard disk does not mount in Mac Disk Utility, try performing instructions in Terminal. It is a macOS command-line interface, which is typically more effective and powerful.

Step 1. Open the "Terminal". Type the following command and press Enter.

Command: “Diskutil list”

Step 3. Write down the disk or partition identification, such as disk2 disk2s2.

Step 4. Enter the command below and press enter.

• To mount a disk, use diskutil mountDisk disk_identifier.

• To mount a partition, use the command: "diskutil mount disk_identifier."

3. Repair Unmountable External Hard Drive

If you cannot mount an external hard drive on macOS Sequoia, use First Aid to fix it. It might scan your disk for faults and try to fix them automatically. Here is how to implement this method:

Step 1. In "Disk Utility", choose "View > All Devices".

Step 2. Choose the external hard drive and select "First Aid."

Note: Wait for the scan to finish, then repeat the repair with the next partition until the physical disk has been fixed.

4. Reformat the External Hard Drive That Won't Mount

If everything else fails, reformatting the external hard disk might be your final resort. 

Option A: Use Disk Utility First Aid

• Select the drive in Disk Utility.
• Click First Aid and wait for the scan.
• If errors are found, click Run to repair.

Option B: Reformat the Drive (Data Loss Warning!)

If repair fails and you don't need the data, you can erase and reformat the drive.

In Disk Utility, select the drive, click Erase, and choose a format:

• APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for Mac-only use.
• exFAT for cross-platform compatibility (Mac and Windows).
• Click Erase to proceed.

However, reformatting erases all disk data. Use reputable data recovery software for Mac to retrieve vital files before continuing. The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is ideal for resolving data loss issues.

Its hallmarks are that it is easy to use and powerful when it comes to recovering deleted files on Mac. It recovers files from formatted, damaged, or unavailable disks. It supports APFS, HFS+, exFAT, and FAT32 file systems and recovers photographs, movies, documents, and more. You might see recovered files before commencing the recovery procedure. After recovering your data, you might reformat the disk with confidence.

Final Words

In this article, we've covered multiple methods to fix external hard drives that are not showing up or mounting on macOS Sequoia. From ensuring your drive has enough power supply to updating or downgrading macOS and manually mounting drives through Disk Utility or Terminal, these steps should help resolve the issue. If all else fails, reformatting the drive might be necessary.

We strongly recommend using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover any critical files lost during the process. This powerful tool ensures your data is safely restored or recovered. With these solutions, you can regain access to your external hard drive and its valuable contents.

FAQs on Mac Sequoia External Drives Not Mounting

Now let's discuss answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by users regarding external hard drive not showing up issues:

1. Why is my external hard drive not showing up on my Mac Big Sur?

Outdated macOS, insufficient power, or corrupted file systems may prohibit your external hard disk from displaying. Update macOS, check the power, and validate and repair the drive with Disk Utility.

2. Why is my Mac not picking up my external hard drive?

A poor USB connection, connector, or disk formatting might prevent your Mac from recognizing the external hard drive. Change the cable or port, format the drive, and then check Disk Utility for the drive.

3. Why is my external hard drive not readable on my Mac?

Macs might not read external hard drives with incompatible file systems like NTFS, corruption, or physical damage. Reformatting the disk to APFS or exFAT might assist, but first, vital data should be recovered using the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard.