Imac cannot see external hard drive. The iMac cannot see (detect or find) the hard drive. Compatibility and hardware issues

A Mac computer is a fairly complex device that combines high-tech hardware and software from various manufacturers. This diversity leads to the fact that when a malfunction occurs, it can be difficult to determine what exactly the problem is - in the programs, hardware, or in the failure of their interaction.

Most modern computers run different versions of the Windows operating system, and component manufacturers develop their products focusing primarily on them. At the same time, Apple products are supplied with the Mac OS operating system developed by the company's specialists. Manufacturers of computer hardware are trying to give their products the proper level of versatility, so that a Mac or MacBook in most cases will be able to work with the same components as computers running Windows, but sometimes overlaps occur. Often there is a problem in which the MAC does not see the hard drive - external or internal, which is quite unpleasant, especially if there is some important file on the media. In such a situation, it is important to identify the source of the problem. This could be:

1. File system mismatch;
2. Incorrect connection;
3. Physical breakdown of the storage medium.

What to do if Mac can't see your external hard drive

Trying to understand why the Mac does not see the external hard drive, you should pay attention to whether it is a new USB drive, or an old one. In the vast majority of cases, the fault is the file standard of the drive incompatible with Mac OS. Apple's operating system uses the HFS + file system, while most external drives, HDDs, and SSDs work natively with Windows NTFS. In order for the Mac OS system to see the new disk, it must be formatted accordingly - otherwise the drive will work with limitations, or not work at all. For formatting, you can use the built-in "Disk Utility" Mac OS. This method also helps to solve problems with connecting internal hard drives. This utility is opened by pressing the Command + R key combination during system boot. If the Mac Disk Utility does not see the hard drive - check the connection, in the case of an external drive - try using a different cable.

It makes sense to try a different cable if your Mac stops seeing the external hard drive that was working fine before. If such problems arise, experts advise connecting another hard drive to the same computer and checking if it works. This method helps to determine if the disk drive is out of order, or the failure has occurred inside the device's case. Try disconnecting other external devices - they may interfere with the power supply to the external hard drive. If the Mac stopped seeing the hard drive, check it through the "disk utility" and start the recovery process. This method will help if the device has software problems.

When to contact the service center

The user is not able to diagnose all problems with computer equipment alone, at home - the user must have some experience and access to specific equipment. The hard drive can stop connecting as a result of damage to its structure, or malfunctions of the motherboard - in this case, there is a risk of loss of data stored on the drive, or complete failure of the computer. If formatting, checking the connection, and other basic methods did not help fix the problem, it is better to contact the specialists and take the Mac for repair.

Specialists of the MasterSoft computer service center, operating in Moscow since 2006, are ready to help solve any problems with computers running Windows and Mac OS, repair a tablet, smartphone, or other gadget. Clients are provided with a guarantee for the work performed and used spare parts. By contacting us, the client will be able to call the master home - when ordering repairs at the MasterSoft service center, the master's departure within Moscow is free.

There are many reasons why the iMac does not detect the hard drive. Each of them depends on the circumstances causing the lack of interaction between the elements.

The new disk is not "visible"

If your iMac does not "see" an external hard drive that you just brought from the store and is connecting for the first time, there may be such reasons:

1. The drive letter is incorrect. To solve this issue, you need to do the following. Go to the computer management menu, the "Disk management menu" will appear on the left side of the window. Then find the required drive and change the letter to the one that is not yet in the operating system.
2. The disk is not formatted. To do this, right-click on the "icon" of the disk, and in the menu that opens, select the creation of a new volume. It is important to be extremely careful here, since formatting will delete absolutely all information from the device!
3. Lack of drivers. It's not that hard to check. If other devices show the new hard drive, but the computer does not read it, most likely there are no drivers for the drive. You can find them on the official websites of the manufacturer or buy in a specialized store. Or you can contact a qualification workshop, where a 100% original product will be installed. This will eliminate possible errors and conflicts in the OS.
4. Mechanical damage to the USB cable or the drive itself. You need to visually inspect the device.

However, many questions are easier to solve by trusting the specialists of qualified workshops. As a result, an appeal to the master will be cheaper than subsequent repairs due to incorrect actions.

Old disk cannot be "read"

If during installation Mac OS does not "see" the hard drive, and before that on another device or with an old OS, the disc was read, there may be several reasons:

• incorrect disk name;
• the presence of a virus on the HDD;
• mechanical damage;
• conflict with the new OS.

An easy way to independently diagnose the operation of the HDD itself is to connect it to another computer. Then you can eliminate the problem in the drive itself. But it would be wiser to go to the workshop. Experts identify the malfunction much faster, and also eliminate it professionally, eliminating possible complications in the operation of the system.

A professional workshop is the right choice for your iMac repair!

Free consultation! Free diagnostics! Work guarantee!

Choose a section:

Fair, not overpriced or understated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without "asterisks", it is clear and detailed, where it is technically possible - the most accurate, final.

With the availability of spare parts, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs take much less time. The website lists the approximate duration of any repairs.

Warranty and liability

Any repairs must be guaranteed. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half of the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts of current models so that you do not have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a good form for the service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you shouldn't pay a dime for it, even if you don't repair the device as a result.

Repair in service and delivery

A good service appreciates your time, which is why it offers free shipping. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of the service center: correctly and according to technology, it can only be done at a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient so that you can be in time before and after work. Good service works both on weekends and on holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Age and experience of the company

Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years, and it has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the SC are being restored.
We are trusted and transferred by other service centers for difficult cases.

How many masters by directions

If several engineers are always waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken over immediately.
2. You are handing over your Macbook to a Mac repair expert. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist must answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you have an idea of ​​what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, the description tells you what happened and how to fix the problem.

Over the past few years of the development of computers, each of us at least once met with the problem of lack of free disk space: the quality of information, whether it be photographs, films or programs, is steadily growing, and with it the amount of disk space required for storage increases.

Because of that, the built-in storage of the iMac does not look so attractive after a couple of years of operation, and often we start to think about replacing it, because it is unpleasant to constantly use an external USB drive, it spoils the whole impression of working on the iMac, and setting up network storage is also unprofitable - even though they stability is now and much higher, but many programs still cannot fully work with “remote disks”.

However, what if iMac doesn't see the new HDD after replacing storage? Let's look at it in order.

After installing a new hard drive on the iMac, Disk Utility will automatically prompt you to format the drive (if the utility is not open, you may not see a message about the connected drive, as in Windows itself). By default, Mac OS works with major file system formats, including HFS +, FAT32, ExFAT, and NTFS. HFS + (Mac Os Extended) is native to Mac OS, as it allows you to use a hard disk of almost unlimited space and store the corresponding files on it. Using FAT32 is also possible, but in this case the maximum hard disk size will be limited to two terabytes, and the maximum file size to four gigabytes. ExFAT, in turn, does not have such restrictions. NTFS is the standard system for Windows, but Mac OS supports read-only when working with this standard.

If the computer does not see the new HDD, start the iMac in recovery mode and select Disk Utility (requires an internet connection). To do this, you need to boot the iMac with the Command + R keys held down. If Disk Utility recognizes the installed HDD, you must format it yourself to a supported standard. The optimal choice would be one of two formats:

• HFS + for use exclusively in the Mac OS environment and for creating backups (Time Machine only supports this format).
• ExFAT for use in conjunction with the Windows operating system (for exchanging files of any size).

After that, without leaving the recovery mode, you can install Mac OS or restore the system to a new hard drive.

If your iMac doesn't see a new HDD connected via an external cable, the problem could also be in. In most cases, problems arise with hard drives larger than 2 TB, as a result of which the system can recognize only two or less terabytes (in some cases even less than one terabyte). In this case, the problem lies in the standard Windows GPT markup installed on the disk. You can also change the partitioning type through the disk utility.

In addition to software standards issues, there may be hardware incompatibilities. and damage to board components or the drive itself. If after formatting the computer still does not see the new HDD, the iMac should be taken to a service center.