The disk you attached was not readable by this computer

I have now several times erased and reinstalled MacOS Monterey, with GUID, APFS on my Late 2015, 5k Retina and still this message comes up. Please help team.

Posted on Mar 8, 2024 10:00 PM

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Mar 9, 2024 9:34 PM in response to Envor

Encountering the message "The disk you attached was not readable by this computer" suggests potential issues with the external disk's format or compatibility. Here's a step-by-step guide to address this problem:

  1. Check Physical Connections: Ensure that the external disk is securely connected to your computer via the appropriate port (USB, Thunderbolt, etc.).
  2. Try Different Ports/Cables: Sometimes, faulty ports or cables can cause connectivity issues. Try connecting the disk to different ports or using a different cable to rule out any hardware problems.
  3. Restart Your Computer: Occasionally, a simple restart can resolve connectivity issues by resetting system configurations.
  4. Check Disk Utility (macOS) or Disk Management (Windows):
    • macOS: Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility) and see if the disk appears in the sidebar. If it does, select it and try to mount it. If the disk appears but is grayed out, it may indicate a format issue.
    • Windows: Open Disk Management (search "disk management" in the Start menu) and look for the external disk. If it appears but shows as unallocated or without a drive letter, it might need to be initialized or assigned a drive letter.
  1. Verify Disk Format Compatibility: Ensure that the disk is formatted in a file system compatible with your operating system. For macOS, formats like HFS+ or APFS are typical, while Windows systems usually recognize NTFS or exFAT. If the disk is formatted in an incompatible format, you may need to reformat it (Note: reformatting will erase all data on the disk).
  2. Try on Another Computer: If possible, connect the disk to another computer to see if the issue persists. This helps determine if the problem lies with the disk itself or the computer's configuration.
  3. Data Recovery: If the disk contains important data and cannot be accessed, consider seeking professional data recovery services. Attempting DIY solutions could potentially worsen the situation and lead to data loss.
  4. Contact Manufacturer Support: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, reach out to the manufacturer's support team for further assistance. They may provide specific troubleshooting steps or recommend repair/replacement options.

By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and resolve the "disk not readable" issue effectively.

Mar 9, 2024 1:51 PM in response to Envor

The "Apple disk image Media" item listed under the section header "Disk Images" is exactly that.....a mounted disk image....in this case of a macOS installer. However, it appears to be mounted on your computer.


You do not appear to have any external drives connected since the physical drive or its controller are not appearing on the left pane of Disk Utility. This either means you don't currently have an external drive physically connected to this Mac, or there is some hardware issue with that external drive (or the USB port or cable) which may be why you get the error message.


You definitely don't provide enough details for us to understand what you are seeing. Remember, we don't know what you are doing when this occurs.

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The disk you attached was not readable by this computer

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