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Unreadable disk error

I have been using a LaCie external hard drive as my Time Machine back up. Until today, it worked perfectly. Today, I tried to manually force a back up before I shut down my iMac. The spinning wheel wouldn't stop and nothing was happening. When I opened the force quit window it indicated that Finder was not responding. After I did a force quit and restart, I now get an error message that the disk I inserted is unreadable on this computer and do I want to initialize the disk. Does this mean I have lost all the back up material I had on the disk? Is there anyway to salvage it?


Using iMac running OS 10.8.5

LaCie 750gb external hd connected by USB

Posted on Jul 12, 2014 8:37 AM

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Posted on Jul 12, 2014 8:54 AM

If you can see the disk in Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility, try Repairing Disk and Repair Permissions. Also try a restart.


If you have another external hard drive, you can try using Disk Utilities Restore tab to copt the data to the other drive. Note warning about reformatting the destination drive. Any files on it will be erased.

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Jul 12, 2014 8:54 AM in response to MikeLV

If you can see the disk in Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility, try Repairing Disk and Repair Permissions. Also try a restart.


If you have another external hard drive, you can try using Disk Utilities Restore tab to copt the data to the other drive. Note warning about reformatting the destination drive. Any files on it will be erased.

Jul 12, 2014 9:12 AM in response to Eric Root

Tried what you suggested. Thank you. Unfortunately, I got error message in Disk Utility:

"Error: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files."


I also tried the restart idea. No go.


The problem is the computer keeps giving error message that it can't read the external HD so I don't see how I can back up files. As I understand it, if I reinitialize the drive I lose everything on it. Is that correct?


Any other suggestions? It is beginning to feel like I am in a world of hurt.

Jul 12, 2014 9:27 AM in response to MikeLV

Hi MikeLV,

- Under Disk Utility with the TM partition selected, choose Info ℹ from the toolbar.

- Check whether the File System is " Mac OS Extended "

- If it is try: File -> Enable Journaling

- Close the Info window and select Info ℹ from the toolbar

- Check that the File System is now " Mac OS Extended (journaled)"

- Retry " Repair Disk"


see how you go.

Jul 13, 2014 6:13 AM in response to dwbrecovery

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately didn't work. When first connecting the HD, get error message that the disk is unreadable. Went into disk utility. "Repair Disk" is not an available option for the "750GB Lacie Hard Drive Media". Clicked the Disk1s16 and clicked Repair Disk and get the same error message as shown in the screen grab in earlier post -- namely that Disk Utility can't repair the disk.


Any other ideas?

Jul 13, 2014 7:15 AM in response to MikeLV

The problem is the computer keeps giving error message that it can't read the external HD so I don't see how I can back up files. As I understand it, if I reinitialize the drive I lose everything on it. Is that correct?


Did you try/look at Disk UtilityRestore tab? If you reinitialize the external, all data will be lost.

Unreadable disk error

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