Each time i turn off my Mac, my external hard drive (WD) disappears from my screen and become indescribable. I must take off its electric plug and connect again so it become ok .
We made many testing with Western Digital and didn't find any problem . They sent me a new hard disk and it is not better ! I begin to think the problem come from the Mac ! ??
Somebody has an answer ?
Thanks,
Hello Gilles,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities! I understand that your Western Digital external hard drive doesn't appear to mount unless unplugged and connected again after you power off your Mac. You've come to the right place for help.
Let's start by trying the following suggestions, testing if the behavior is still happening after each step:
Testing if the hard drive mounts automatically when you log in with a different user account can help us further isolate if this may be related to files or settings with the user account you're using. If you don't have another user account, here's how you can create one for testing:
How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac - Apple Support
In addition to the steps above, how is this external drive formatted? NTFS, Mac OS Extended (Journaled), APFS, or something else? Keep us posted on the results.
Cheers!
Hello Gilles,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities! I understand that your Western Digital external hard drive doesn't appear to mount unless unplugged and connected again after you power off your Mac. You've come to the right place for help.
Let's start by trying the following suggestions, testing if the behavior is still happening after each step:
Testing if the hard drive mounts automatically when you log in with a different user account can help us further isolate if this may be related to files or settings with the user account you're using. If you don't have another user account, here's how you can create one for testing:
How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac - Apple Support
In addition to the steps above, how is this external drive formatted? NTFS, Mac OS Extended (Journaled), APFS, or something else? Keep us posted on the results.
Cheers!
1- Most harddrives are delivered with some software on it. On a mac it is better not to use that software.
So the first thing to do when you have a new drive, format it Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and everything on the disk is gone.
2- Do not use any of the software that you got with the drive: Macs can handle the drive better than the producer software (it is normally windows based). If you have installed that software uninstall it completely and make sure all kexts are removed also, then restart.
3- Make sure that the USB connection on the mac has enough power to "serve" the disk, especially if there is more connected to the USB.
4- WD is a good brand, and has good disks. If you still have issues after installing he disk correctly, then it might be helping checking the software and the settings on your mac.
Hi Jameson ,
My WD external hard drive is a replacement drive that WD sent me this week ! The previous one worked well for about a year and began to have this problem. I did each step you suggested and, also, with another account and the problem is still there.
But today, i tried to do the testing and connected my hard drive on another Mac belonging to my brother-in-law.
And if i power off his Mac and wait 4-5 minutes , and connected again, my external hard drive doesn't appear . Same problem !
So i think this problem is not on the Mac but on the WD hard drive. Since beginning of July, we made a lot of testing with WD on My Mac and after consulting his WD engineers, the guy told me ¨we will send you a new one ¨.
I will advise WD that this hard drive has the same problem as the other one and to try to find the solution !
Thanks !
My Mac was off for three days . I just open it and my external hard drive appears on my screen and is ok !
The problem was Mac OS Extended CASE SENSITIVE Journaled that i change for Mac OS Extended Journaled .
I don't why but, now it work OK !
Thanks
Finally, this morning, i power off my Mac for 5 minutes and the problem is back !
I don't understand why . This week-end, my Mac was off for three days and the hard drive appears normally when i open the Mac. Now, it is again not registrable after 5 minutes !!
Western Digital will call me friday about that .
Hi Jameson,
WD called me this morning and told me that, now, we must disconnect the external hard drive before power off the computer.
The hard drives that i used before with Time Machine have always stayed connect with my Mac and never disappears as this one.
I'm not sure of that answer ! ?
Hard drive formatted . Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Was formatted . Mas OS Extended (Case-sensitive) Journaled .
I change it for Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and it's look better !
I will let you know next week if the problem is solve !
Thanks,
External hard drivee
