{"id":"troubleshooting.drive-stopped-responding-while-copying","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/drive-stopped-responding-while-copying","category":{"id":"troubleshooting","title":"Troubleshooting & messages"},"subcategory":{"id":"moves-and-copies","title":"Moves and copies that didn't finish"},"question":"Why does it say \"The drive stopped responding while it was being copied\"?","alt_questions":["drive stopped responding while being copied","input output error external drive mac","copy failed drive not responding","external ssd stops responding during transfer"],"short_answer":"The Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy. Your original is safe — reconnect directly with a good cable and retry; if it repeats, run First Aid in Disk Utility.","answer_markdown":"Your Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy — a loose cable, a hub, not enough power, or the drive itself struggling. Your original is safe and untouched.\n\n### What to do\n1. Reconnect the drive, ideally straight into the Mac with a known-good cable.\n2. Try again.\n3. If it happens repeatedly, run **First Aid** in Disk Utility and watch for other signs of a failing drive.\n\nSee [a fast drive that seems to be failing](/faq/external-drives/).","answer_html":"

Your Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy — a loose cable, a hub, not enough power, or the drive itself struggling. Your original is safe and untouched.

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### What to do 1. Reconnect the drive, ideally straight into the Mac with a known-good cable. 2. Try again. 3. If it happens repeatedly, run First Aid in Disk Utility and watch for other signs of a failing drive.

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See a fast drive that seems to be failing.

","answer_text":"Your Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy — a loose cable, a hub, not enough power, or the drive itself struggling. Your original is safe and untouched.\n\nWhat to do\n1. Reconnect the drive, ideally straight into the Mac with a known-good cable.\n2. Try again.\n3. If it happens repeatedly, run First Aid in Disk Utility and watch for other signs of a failing drive.\n\nSee a fast drive that seems to be failing.","tags":["drive","not responding","cable"],"related":[{"id":"troubleshooting.drive-became-unavailable-while-moving","question":"Why does it say \"The drive became unavailable while moving\"?","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/drive-became-unavailable-while-moving"},{"id":"troubleshooting.destination-drive-disconnected-will-resume","question":"What does \"Waiting for drive\" mean on a move?","url":"/faq/troubleshooting/destination-drive-disconnected-will-resume"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Why does it say \"The drive stopped responding while it was being copied\"? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"The Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy. Your original is safe — reconnect directly with a good cable and retry; if it repeats, run First Aid in Disk Utility.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Troubleshooting & messages","path":"/faq/troubleshooting/"},{"name":"Why does it say \"The drive stopped responding while it was being copied\"?","path":"/faq/troubleshooting/drive-stopped-responding-while-copying"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/drive-stopped-responding-while-copying","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does it say \"The drive stopped responding while it was being copied\"?","alternateName":["drive stopped responding while being copied","input output error external drive mac","copy failed drive not responding","external ssd stops responding during transfer"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Your Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy — a loose cable, a hub, not enough power, or the drive itself struggling. Your original is safe and untouched.\n\nWhat to do\n1. Reconnect the drive, ideally straight into the Mac with a known-good cable.\n2. Try again.\n3. If it happens repeatedly, run First Aid in Disk Utility and watch for other signs of a failing drive.\n\nSee a fast drive that seems to be failing.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/drive-stopped-responding-while-copying"}}]},"fragment":"
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Troubleshooting & messages · Moves and copies that didn't finish

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Why does it say "The drive stopped responding while it was being copied"?

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Short answer: The Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy. Your original is safe — reconnect directly with a good cable and retry; if it repeats, run First Aid in Disk Utility.

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Your Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy — a loose cable, a hub, not enough power, or the drive itself struggling. Your original is safe and untouched.

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### What to do 1. Reconnect the drive, ideally straight into the Mac with a known-good cable. 2. Try again. 3. If it happens repeatedly, run First Aid in Disk Utility and watch for other signs of a failing drive.

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See a fast drive that seems to be failing.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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