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Can't access files on an external hard drive on your Mac? Don't worry! We provide 3 practical methods to try:
- Fix 1. Access Files on an External Hard Drive Using Software
- Fix 2. Force Mount the External Hard Drive on Your Mac
- Fix 3. Run First Aid to Check the External Hard Drive
Many Mac users use external hard drives to store essential files, and unfortunately, sometimes, they experience various malfunctions that prevent them from accessing files on the external hard drive on a Mac. Here is a post that indicates a user can't access files on the external hard drive:
All my files are on an external hard drive. It shows up in Disk Utility and on the desktop, but when I go into an application it doesn't show the hard drive...How do I get my files on the hard drive to show up? from Apple Community
Read on to learn the 3 effective ways to access files on your external hard drive.
Fix 1. Access Files on an External Hard Drive Using Software
If you can't see files on an external hard drive on a Mac, you must ensure that the stored data is not lost. The best way is to use the external hard drive recovery software if you don't have a backup.
Use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro to recover lost data or recover deleted files from an external hard drive on your Mac. It can also detect devices that Mac does not recognize. It can extract data from any device, including media players, cameras, USB drives, etc.
It supports external hard drive recovery on a Mac with only three steps. Check out!
Step 1. Search for lost files
Correctly connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, and select the external hard drive. Then, click "Search for lost files" to find lost/deleted files on your external devices.
Note: Before data recovery, you'd better click "Disk Backup" from the left sidebar to create a backup of your external hard drive to avoid further data loss. After backing up the external hard drive, the software can recover data from your external hard drive's backup, and you can remove the external hard drive and use it again.
![select the external hard drive and click Search for lost files](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-data-step1.png)
Step 2. Filter and find lost files
After the scan, all file types will be presented in the left panel. Select the file type to find wanted files on your external devices.
![scan for lost files on external hard drives](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-data-step2.png)
Step 3. Preview and recover
Click the file and preview it. Then, select the files you want to recover and click the "Recover" button. You can save your data to local and cloud drives.
![recover lost files on external hard drives](/images/en/screenshot/data-recovery-mac/products/recover-data-step3.png)
Share this article on social media if it is informative, and help others learn how to access files on an external hard drive on a Mac.
Fix 2. Force Mount the External Hard Drive on Your Mac
How to find an external hard drive on a Mac? If the external hard drive is not mounted on your Mac, for example, the WD Easystore not mounting on a Mac, you can't access files on it.
Here are the steps to fix an external hard drive not mounting on a Mac with Disk Utility:
Step 1. Open "Disk Utility" from "Application > Utilities".
Step 2. Find the external hard drive in the left device list. If you can't find it, click on the "Show All Devices" option in the Disk Utility window.
Step 3. Select the external hard drive and click "Mount" at the top menu to force mount a disk on your Mac. Then you can access files on it.
When you connect an external hard drive to your Mac, you may receive the error code 49244. Don't worry; this guide can help you fix it.
Fix com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter error 49244 on macOS [6 Proven Ways]
This article discusses how to fix the error code com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter error 49244 when connecting an external drive failed. Read more >>
Fix 3. Run First Aid to Check the External Hard Drive
macOS' preinstalled program Disk Utility provides a useful feature - First Aid, which can help users assess the health of the volumes and disks of the device. Here are the steps to run First Aid to check if the external hard drive has an error that causes files can't be accessed:
Step 1. Open "Disk Utility" on your Mac from the "Application > Utilities" folder.
Step 2. Select the external hard drive, and click "First Aid" at the top menu.
Step 3. Wait for the First Aid process to complete and try to access files on the external hard drive again.
During the checking, if you receive the error message "First Aid found corruption that needs to be repaired.", his article will examine this issue and provide you with a complete guide on how to fix it.
Recover Delete Files on Mac Before or After Trash Has Been Emptied
This article discusses ways to fix the error that First Aid found corruption that needs to be repaired. Read more >>
Conclusion
This article introduces 3 effective methods to fix the "can't access files on an external hard drive" error: using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro, force mounting the external hard drive in Disk Utility, and running First Aid to check the external hard drive errors.
Can't Access Files on External Hard Drive FAQs
Read the following questions to learn more about why you can't access files on an external hard drive and how to fix it:
1. Why can't I open files on my external hard drive Mac?
File system corruption can lead to unaccessible files on the external hard drive, or you can only read the external hard drive on Mac. External hard drives for Mac are usually formatted with exFAT or HFS/HFS+; if there is corruption in it, it cannot be detected by macOS, or even if it has been detected, you cannot open it nor view files in it.
2. How do I access files on my external hard drive Mac?
Connect the external hard drive to your Mac using the cable that came with it, then view the connected external hard drive in the Finder or Disk Utility window. Use an adapter if the cable doesn't have a connector that fits in your device.
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Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers' tech lives easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. In her spare time, she loves sharing things about her game experience on Facebook or Twitter.
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EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a powerful system recovery software, designed to enable you to recover files you’ve deleted accidentally, potentially lost to malware or an entire hard drive partition.
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EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is the best we have seen. It's far from perfect, partly because today's advanced disk technology makes data-recovery more difficult than it was with the simpler technology of the past.
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EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro has a reputation as one of the best data recovery software programs on the market. It comes with a selection of advanced features, including partition recovery, formatted drive restoration, and corrupted file repair.
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