---
id: external-drives.disk-utility-only-shows-volumes
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/disk-utility-only-shows-volumes
category: "External drives"
subcategory: "Mounting and drive problems"
question: "Why does Disk Utility only show volumes and not the whole drive?"
alt_questions:
  - "Show All Devices Disk Utility"
  - "Can't see the physical disk in Disk Utility"
  - "Disk Utility missing top-level drive"
  - "how to see whole disk in disk utility"
short_answer: "Disk Utility shows only volumes until you choose View → Show All Devices (Command-2). Then you see each physical drive, its container and its volumes — the view you need to erase or partition a whole drive."
tags: ["disk utility", "show all devices"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-run-first-aid-on-an-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/why-cant-i-erase-my-external-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-add-a-volume-to-an-external-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why does Disk Utility only show volumes and not the whole drive?

Disk Utility hides the physical drives by default and lists only volumes. Choose **View → Show All Devices** (or press Command-2) and the sidebar shows each drive, its containers and its volumes as a tree.

You need the full view to erase a whole drive, change its partition scheme, add partitions, or run First Aid on the container and device as well as the volume. See [how to run First Aid](https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/how-do-i-run-first-aid-on-an-external-drive).