Ext drive disappears from desktop but is still there

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Ext drive disappears from desktop but is still there

I've got an Iomega external drive plugged into a hub and then into a 5-year old MacBook Pro. It recently vanished from the desktop, yet it shows up on "About This Mac/Storage." In fact, when I disconnect it, I'm scolded ⚠ not to do that unless I eject it from the desktop first (I forget what the wording is, after all these years). But I can't see it on the desktop to eject it. What gives?

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.1), 2.5 Ghz Intel Core i5

Posted on Dec 16, 2017 7:31 PM

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Answer 1

CarlAVII

Community Specialist

Dec 18, 2017 6:05 PM in response to dabell43

Greetings dabell43,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. It seems like the computer still recognizes the connected external drive but is not on the desktop. This can happen if the checkbox to show the drive is not checked. I would recommend you read this article and use it to help troubleshoot the issue.

In the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences.

Click General, then select the items you want to see on the desktop.

For example, if you select “CDs, DVDs, and iPods,” then you connect your iPod, its icon appears on your desktop.

Click Sidebar, then select the items you want to see in the Finder sidebar.

Some items are listed below Shared, and others are listed below Devices.

macOS Sierra: See connected disks, iOS devices, and servers

Take care.

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