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External HDD works on old MacBook but not new MacBook?

I have an external hard drive that works when connected to an old MacBook, but I bought a new MacBook, and the external hard drive appears briefly on my desktop and then disappears. After it disappears, I get the notification about improperly disconnecting the device. The external drive has a small light on the corner that remains on after the error message appears.


There is no external power supply for the external hard drive.


How do I make the drive stay on my desktop? Why does it disappear if the HDD is still powered on?

MacBook Pro (2020 and later)

Posted on Dec 31, 2021 10:51 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 31, 2021 1:14 PM

It may be possible that, either:

  1. The external HDD is drawing too much power for your new MacBook's USB port.
  2. There is an issue with the notebook's port itself.


What is the make & model of this external drive?

3 replies

External HDD works on old MacBook but not new MacBook?

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