{"id":"external-drives.my-external-drive-does-not-show-up-on-my-mac","url":"/faq/external-drives/my-external-drive-does-not-show-up-on-my-mac","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"speed-and-hardware","title":"Speed, cables and hardware"},"question":"My external drive doesn't show up on my Mac at all — what should I try?","alt_questions":["External SSD not recognised Mac","Mac not detecting external drive","External drive not mounting","external hard drive not showing up mac","Drive not in Finder sidebar","Plugged in drive but nothing happens"],"short_answer":"Check Finder's sidebar settings show external disks, try another cable and port without a hub, then look in Disk Utility (Show All Devices) to mount, repair or format it. If Disk Utility can't see it either, the drive or enclosure may be faulty.","answer_markdown":"Work from the simplest cause:\n\n1. In Finder, open **Settings → Sidebar** and make sure **External disks** is ticked — the drive may be mounted but hidden.\n2. Try another cable and port, connecting directly rather than through a hub.\n3. Open **Disk Utility** and choose **View → Show All Devices**. If the drive is listed but greyed out, select it and click **Mount**; if it shows errors, run **First Aid**; if it's brand new it may need erasing as APFS.\n4. If it doesn't appear in Disk Utility at all, test it on another computer — the drive or its enclosure may be faulty.\n\nOnce macOS mounts it, Storage Studio sees it within about 30 seconds.","answer_html":"

Work from the simplest cause:

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  1. In Finder, open Settings → Sidebar and make sure External disks is ticked — the drive may be mounted but hidden.
  2. Try another cable and port, connecting directly rather than through a hub.
  3. Open Disk Utility and choose View → Show All Devices. If the drive is listed but greyed out, select it and click Mount; if it shows errors, run First Aid; if it's brand new it may need erasing as APFS.
  4. If it doesn't appear in Disk Utility at all, test it on another computer — the drive or its enclosure may be faulty.
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Once macOS mounts it, Storage Studio sees it within about 30 seconds.

","answer_text":"Work from the simplest cause:\n\n1. In Finder, open Settings → Sidebar and make sure External disks is ticked — the drive may be mounted but hidden.\n2. Try another cable and port, connecting directly rather than through a hub.\n3. Open Disk Utility and choose View → Show All Devices. If the drive is listed but greyed out, select it and click Mount; if it shows errors, run First Aid; if it's brand new it may need erasing as APFS.\n4. If it doesn't appear in Disk Utility at all, test it on another computer — the drive or its enclosure may be faulty.\n\nOnce macOS mounts it, Storage Studio sees it within about 30 seconds.","tags":["not showing","disk utility","troubleshooting"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.my-external-drive-keeps-disconnecting","question":"Why does my external drive keep disconnecting from my Mac?","url":"/faq/external-drives/my-external-drive-keeps-disconnecting"},{"id":"external-drives.should-i-plug-the-drive-into-a-hub-or-directly","question":"Should I plug my fast drive into a hub or dock, or directly into the Mac?","url":"/faq/external-drives/should-i-plug-the-drive-into-a-hub-or-directly"},{"id":"external-drives.does-the-cable-matter-for-an-external-ssd","question":"Does the cable matter for my external SSD's speed?","url":"/faq/external-drives/does-the-cable-matter-for-an-external-ssd"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"My external drive doesn't show up on my Mac at all — what should I try? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Check Finder's sidebar settings show external disks, try another cable and port without a hub, then look in Disk Utility (Show All Devices) to mount, repair or format it. If Disk Utility can't see it either, the drive or enclosure may be faulty.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"My external drive doesn't show up on my Mac at all — what should I try?","path":"/faq/external-drives/my-external-drive-does-not-show-up-on-my-mac"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/my-external-drive-does-not-show-up-on-my-mac","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"My external drive doesn't show up on my Mac at all — what should I try?","alternateName":["External SSD not recognised Mac","Mac not detecting external drive","External drive not mounting","external hard drive not showing up mac","Drive not in Finder sidebar","Plugged in drive but nothing happens"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Work from the simplest cause:\n\n1. In Finder, open Settings → Sidebar and make sure External disks is ticked — the drive may be mounted but hidden.\n2. Try another cable and port, connecting directly rather than through a hub.\n3. Open Disk Utility and choose View → Show All Devices. If the drive is listed but greyed out, select it and click Mount; if it shows errors, run First Aid; if it's brand new it may need erasing as APFS.\n4. If it doesn't appear in Disk Utility at all, test it on another computer — the drive or its enclosure may be faulty.\n\nOnce macOS mounts it, Storage Studio sees it within about 30 seconds.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/my-external-drive-does-not-show-up-on-my-mac"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Speed, cables and hardware

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My external drive doesn't show up on my Mac at all — what should I try?

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Short answer: Check Finder's sidebar settings show external disks, try another cable and port without a hub, then look in Disk Utility (Show All Devices) to mount, repair or format it. If Disk Utility can't see it either, the drive or enclosure may be faulty.

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Work from the simplest cause:

\n
  1. In Finder, open Settings → Sidebar and make sure External disks is ticked — the drive may be mounted but hidden.
  2. Try another cable and port, connecting directly rather than through a hub.
  3. Open Disk Utility and choose View → Show All Devices. If the drive is listed but greyed out, select it and click Mount; if it shows errors, run First Aid; if it's brand new it may need erasing as APFS.
  4. If it doesn't appear in Disk Utility at all, test it on another computer — the drive or its enclosure may be faulty.
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Once macOS mounts it, Storage Studio sees it within about 30 seconds.

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