Normally, connecting an external hard drive to a computer is simply a matter of plugging it into a USB port. However, when connecting an external hard drive to a Mac or Macbook Pro, the memory drive must be formatted with a file system that is compatible with the Apple operating system. Remember that when you format any memory drive, all of its contents will be lost. If the hard disk in question is already formatted with the NTFS file system, like most of the memory units on the market, the computers produced by Apple will only be able to read the data present in the external device but not to modify or add data. new.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Connect the Hard Drive
Step 1. Connect the memory drive to the Mac using the connection cable supplied with the device
Most external hard drives use a USB connection, so plug the cable into a free USB port on your Mac. Normally all Macs have at least one USB port along one side.
Some hard drives designed specifically for Macs adopt a Thunderbolt or FireWire connection. If this is the case, connect the cable to the correct port or use a suitable adapter
Step 2. Locate the hard drive icon on the Mac desktop
If the memory drive is formatted and connected correctly, your Mac should automatically detect it and its icon will appear directly on the desktop. The drive icon also shows the type of connection used, for example USB or Thunderbolt.
- The external hard drive icon may not appear on the desktop even if the device is properly connected to the computer. In this case, check the "Devices" section in the left pane of the Finder window.
- To make the external storage drive icons appear directly on the Mac desktop, access the "Finder" menu, choose the "Preferences" item, then select the "External Disks" check button.
- If the memory drive connected to your Mac does not appear in either the Finder window or on the desktop, refer to the next section of the article.
Step 3. Access the external drive to view its contents
Double-click the drive icon that appears on the desktop or select the hard drive name displayed in the left pane of the Finder window. At this point you can copy the files to the disk by simply dragging them into the relative dialog box or you can transfer the data on the external disk to the Mac.
Part 2 of 3: Format a Hard Drive
Step 1. Launch the "Disk Utility" app
Most external hard drives are sold already formatted with a file system format compatible with the Windows operating system. Unfortunately, the file system adopted in these cases greatly limits the functions of the device when connected to a Mac. If the hard drive in your possession is formatted to be connected to a computer with a Windows operating system, using a Mac you will be able to read the data it contains, but not to modify or add new ones. To fix this, format the memory drive with an appropriate file system using the "Disk Utility" app.
- From the Mac desktop go to the "Go" menu, choose the "Utilities" option, then click the "Disk Utility" icon.
- When you format any memory unit, all the data contained in it is permanently deleted. If the hard drive in question is new it means that it does not contain any information, so you can format it without worries, but in the case of a disk that you have already used before you must verify its contents and keep the files that you consider important before continuing.
Step 2. Select the hard drive name from the left pane of the "Disk Utility" window
Inside the latter you can see the complete list of all the memory units connected to the Mac. Click the name of the disk to format.
If the external hard drive is not listed, please read the next section of the article
Step 3. Go to the "Initialize" tab located at the top of the "Disk Utility" window
The wizard will start to format the chosen device.
This will erase all the contents of the disk, so make sure you have a backup of any files you want to keep. If your hard drive is currently formatted for use on Windows computers, connecting it to your Mac will still be able to read the data it contains and copy it to a folder on your computer
Step 4. Select the "ExFAT" file system from the "Format" drop-down menu
It is a file system format compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux platforms. This way you will have the ability to connect the drive to any of these systems. Unlike the "FAT" file system, the "ExFAT" format has no limit to the size of the files or partitions it can handle; this means that you can use it to format hard drives of any type and with any capacity.
If you plan to connect the hard drive to your Mac only, choose the "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" file system format. This way you will be able to take advantage of all the functions offered by the Mac operating system, for example Time Capsule
Step 5. Press the "Initialize" button to start formatting the selected hard drive with the chosen file system
This is an irreversible procedure that will permanently erase all data stored in the device. The time required for the formatting process to complete depends on the size of the disk.
Step 6. Try using the new disk
When formatting of the drive is complete, the disk icon will appear directly on the Mac desktop. Double-click on the Mac to access the memory drive. At this point you should be able to transfer files and folders to the disk and delete them.
Part 3 of 3: Finding a Hard Drive Not Automatically Detected
Step 1. Make sure your device is properly connected to the Mac
Check that all connecting cables are properly inserted into the appropriate communication ports on both the Mac and the disk. If a connector is loose, the memory unit will not be able to function properly.
Step 2. Verify that the external hard drive is properly powered
Some external devices need to be powered separately in order to function properly. In this case you may need to use a dual USB cable. Cables of this type have only one USB connector on one end, which will need to be connected to the hard drive, and two USB connectors on the second end, which will need to be connected to the USB ports on the Mac.
Step 3. Restart your Mac
Sometimes problems that prevent your Mac from detecting an external drive can be fixed simply by restarting the computer. Turn off your Mac completely via the "Apple" menu, then turn it on again by pressing the "Power" button. The hard drive icon will most likely appear on the computer desktop after the boot phase is complete.
Step 4. Try using a different USB port and a different connection cable
The cause of the problem could be a faulty USB data cable, or the USB port on your Mac that isn't working. To try to fix the problem, try changing the communication port and using a different USB cable.
Step 5. Go to the "S. O. S
"Disk Utility" app. This section contains some features that allow you to restore normal operation of a defective hard disk.
- Start the "Disk Utility" app by clicking the relative icon in the "Utility" folder;
- Select the hard drive to be examined, then access the "S. O. S." tab;
- Press the "Run" button to start scanning the disk for errors;
- Let the program fix any errors it found. When finished, you may be able to use the disc again. Be careful because the appearance of errors on the disk could be the signal of an imminent failure of the device.
Step 6. Consider replacing the hard drive
All memory devices can break and stop working. The chances of this happening increase year after year due to normal use. New hard drives also fail with a frequency that would surprise most people. If the drive under consideration is more than four years old and is not being detected by the Mac regardless of the solutions offered in this section, it is very likely that it has simply stopped working.
