How can I make my hard drives work again?

Question

Level 1

4 points

How can I make my hard drives work again?

Hello everyone,

Since I've upgraded to the 10.11.6 version of El Capitan with my Late-2011 MB pro, both my external drivers suddenly stopped working completely. The USB cable one just says "Read only", which is fine. However, the Firewire cable one doesn't mount at all and doesn't even show in Disk utility (actually that app doesn't even open at all anymore...)

It does show in the Terminal though..

The annoying thing is that my Time Machine saved things are in my Firewire drive, so I can't access them.

also tried to plug it into another computer and it didn't show at all, so it's not just my macbook...

getting really desperate here, if anyone can help me..

Thank you

Bettina

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 10, 2016 8:18 AM

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Answer 1

leroydouglas

Level 10

200,136 points

Sep 10, 2016 9:42 AM in response to bettinapdb

bettinapdb wrote:

Since I've upgraded to the 10.11.6 version of El Capitan with my Late-2011 MB pro, both my external drivers suddenly stopped working completely.

Disk utility (actually that app doesn't even open at all anymore...)

plug it into another computer and it didn't show at all, so it's not just my macbook...

This sounds like multiple problems.

I would first try reinstalling the 10.11.6 combo update from this source:

Download OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 Combo Update

go from there.

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Answer 2

bettinapdb Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 10, 2016 11:43 AM in response to leroydouglas

Hey!

Super cool advice!

so I did that, and now my hard drive shows in the disk utility, and when i first unsuccessfully tried mount it, then to do "first aid", it said it was impossible, and if possible, to save all the data on my disk...

I don't really know what to do anymore..

thanks a lot though, better than having nothing show!

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Answer 3

leroydouglas

Level 10

200,136 points

Sep 10, 2016 12:16 PM in response to bettinapdb

Possibilities: it sounds like the disk is corrupt or failing or failed, or

It could be the enclosure itself or the cable is bad.

Try a different cable.

See if the drive is removable from the enclosure, and put into a alternative enclosure.

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Answer 4

bettinapdb Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 12, 2016 1:36 AM in response to bettinapdb

OK. EVERYTHING WORKS AGAIN.

thank you so much leroydouglas!

so just in case people find this post, i'll write what in did in order to get my hard drive recognized and working again.

basically, after looking at a hundred forum posts, downloading the updated El Capitan, I just ended up plugging my external hard drive in my bootcamp PC side and then plugging it back in my macbook side, and it just magically reworked.

dont know how or why.

I also deleted something in my Activity monitor, something i had seen in the forums, but i cant remember what it was anymore exactly (something fcsk_...)

thank you community for your help 🙂

that was a horrible week!

Bettina

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