Why can't I access my external hard drive?

Question

Level 1

18 points

Why can't I access my external hard drive?

Hi all,

I'm having some trouble with my external hard drive. In short, the device is not appearing/mounting anywhere on my desktop. I've taken a look at the Disk Utility and it's not being recognized at all. I tried restarting the computer, resetting the NVRAM and ran a couple other checks to no avail. I looked at the Console app under Utilities which was mostly all confusing computer jargon to me, but I read online to use the "errors and faults" capabilty to identify the issue. I've attached an image of what shows up.

I am under the impression that this is an issue with the external hard drive, not the computer. If anyone could help shed some light on the situation and offer any help, that would be greatly appreciated!!

MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.6), Mid-2012

Posted on Jan 7, 2018 12:38 PM

Reply

Answer 1

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

Jan 7, 2018 1:36 PM in response to adamstafford

adamstafford wrote:

It's a WD Elements drive. The computer I'm using now is a refurbished one that I bought a couple of months ago, and I am pretty certain that I have used the drive on this mac and it was mounted without issues before. The external drive is not new, it's got a data that I'm trying to access on it.

Portable or desktop version? I never really thought of it before, but most newer WD bus-powered portables use an all-in-one setup where it's a direct USB interface on the drive. Not all though, like this one:

How to take apart Western Digital Elements portable hard drive - YouTube

This one is:

Technology.. old and new...: WD Elements SE is a USB Native HDD!!

Taking it apart is a drastic step though.

If it's a desktop, I believe they're almost all SATA these days, although it could be PATA if it's really old.

It's kind of a judgement call, but as a last ditch effort it might make sense to see if maybe a SATA to USB interface is dead and place it in a compatible drive enclosure. Before that happens you might want to try it on another computer to see if you can at least see it. If it's Windows, don't let it reformat.

Reply

Answer 2

adamstafford Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 7, 2018 1:22 PM in response to y_p_w

It's a WD Elements drive. The computer I'm using now is a refurbished one that I bought a couple of months ago, and I am pretty certain that I have used the drive on this mac and it was mounted without issues before. The external drive is not new, it's got a data that I'm trying to access on it.

Reply

Answer 3

adamstafford Author

Level 1

18 points

Jan 7, 2018 3:07 PM in response to y_p_w

I really appreciate the help here!! Looks like I've fixed it, and it ended up being the simplest possible thing- a faulty cord. My roommate happened to have an extra cord that was compatible and when I tried it, the device had no problems mounting, just like usual. Thanks again for the advice though!!

Reply

Answer 4

50Volta

Level 1

9 points

Feb 1, 2018 1:29 PM in response to adamstafford

Hi, I can't access my external hard drive on my MacBookAir.

It's a My Passport for Mac (WD). I last accessed it two weeks ago. I assume my cord works: the power light is on & blinking. I've tried another USB port: light blinks but drive isn't recognized. Drive doesn't show up in Utilities.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Reply

Answer 5

y_p_w

Level 6

17,762 points

Jan 7, 2018 1:15 PM in response to adamstafford

What kind of hard drive? Has it ever mounted or is it new and you're trying to format it?

Reply