Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
I recently updated my Mac, but I am unable to see the hard drive of my Mac. Can anyone guide me about how to fix my Macintosh HD?
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Quick access to your Mac hard drive is helpful. It allows you to view and work on various folders, applications of your system that you require regularly. When your Macintosh HD not mounted, the access to your system becomes complicated. Are you experiencing the same? Nothing to worry! We will take you through the meaning of mounted and unmounted disk, as well as the various ways to fix unmounted Macintosh HD and recover lost files on Mac.
Part 1. Overview of Macintosh HD Not Mounted
Macintosh HD or Mac hard drive is the primary storage medium for Mac users. Sometimes the hard drive fails to mount because of various reasons and prevents you from using the system. Before learning further let's first understand what does it mean by disk mount and disk not mount.
1. What does it mean to mount a disk on Mac?
When a drive is available for reading and writing operations by the operating system, it is referred to as disc mounting. If the computer is working, the disk is visible in the left pane of the Disk Utility. You can even manually mount the disk if it is not accessible by the computer. It can be done by selecting the disk and clicking on the mount link. All this is possible only if the hard drive is detectable.
2. What does disk not mounted mean?
If you are unable to view the Macintosh hard drive in disk utility, here the disk is not mounted. As the hard drive becomes inaccessible, except the erase button, all other operations become disabled or are greyed out. It is also possible that your Mac stops working. There is a high possibility that Mac won't turn on if Macintosh HD not mounted. But why disk does not mount, let's find out the various reasons for it.
3. Why Macintosh HD Not Found
When you are unable to view the hard drive on the Mac, it can be due to various reasons:
- Preference: To make your drive visible on your Mac desktop or finder, it is necessary to set it in preferences. Failing to do so can also make Macintosh HD not mounted.
- Connector: If you are connecting hard drive to your Mac through the USB port, the port can be faulty. It is also possible that the cable connecting the drive to the Mac is damaged or non-functional.
- Corrupted File system: There is also the possibility that the drive is corrupted because of logical errors, bad sectors, etc. Sometimes, the damaged file system of the hard drive can also make the hard drive non-mounted in the Finder.
- Hard drive failure: If the drive is physically damaged because of a head crash or component failure, that also makes the drive non-mounted.
- Disk Utility failure: The faults of disk utility make Macintosh HD not mounted.
Part 2. How to Fix Macintosh HD Not Mounted
Before you begin with fixing the Macintosh HD that is not visible in Disk Utility, ensure you have a backup of your hard drive. The backup will be beneficial because while troubleshooting the errors, the original data can be overwritten.
Solution 1. Repair in Recovery Mode
Fix the Macintosh HD not mounted with Disk Utility's First Aid. But it should be performed in the recovery mode.
- Step 1. Hold Command + R to boot the Mac system in Recovery Mode. Release the keys once you see a spinning globe or Apple logo.
- Step 2. After booting in the recovery mode, you will come across four options to troubleshoot Mac. Select Disk Utility from them.
- Step 3. Choose Unmountable Macintosh HD From The Left Panel And Click On First Aid. First Aid will repair cryptic disk errors of the hard drive.
Once the repairing completes, there are two possible outcomes:
- Disk repaired successfully with Disk Utility. If the repairing is successful, log out from the recovery mode and boot into your system as usual.
- Disk Utility can't repair the disk drive. Sometimes because of Disk Utility limitations; the corrupt drive doesn't get fixed.
If you fall in the second category, there is nothing to worry about as you can resolve the issue with the next solutions. If Disk Utility helps you mount Macintosh HD successfully but fails to repair other disk errors, turn to this guide - Fix 'Disk Utility Can't Repair This Disk'.
Solution 2. Fix Unmounted Mac HD with Terminal
If your Macintosh HD not mounted is not fixed with the disk utility, you can try it with Terminal.
- Step 1. First boot Mac in Recovery Mode. From the menu, click on 'Utilities' and reach to the option 'Terminal' from the list
- Step 2. Enter 'diskutil list' and check the Volume Identifier. The mentioned command will list available volumes. Check the Volume identifier from the appeared table.
- Step 3. Enter 'diskutil repairvolume /disk **'. Here ** needs to be replaced with Macintosh HD's volume identifier.
Solution 3. Repair with FSCK Command
When Terminal was not able to fix the issue, repair the hard drive with the FSCK command. Run it in single-user mode
![Windows Windows](https://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1367485096.jpg)
- Step 1. Turn Off the Mac and restart it by holding Command + S Keys.
To repair the Macintosh HD with FSCK command, it is necessary to ensure that your Mac is in the shutdown state. Hold Command and S key of your Mac simultaneously when you restart it. Release the keys when you view the Apple logo. It will boot the system in single-user mode. From here, you can save your files by repairing the hard drive that fails to start-up.
- Step 2. Type the command - '/sbin/fsck –fy' and press 'Enter'
The command line starts checking Macintosh HD volume. System taking up disk mac. When the damaged disk is repaired, it shows the message 'File system was modified.' Retype the above command when you view this message.
When the message, 'The Volume (name) appears to be OK', is displayed, your Mac's drive is fully repaired. After viewing it reboot the PC.
This method helps to repair minor cryptic disk errors.
Discover more ways and tips on opening and using Terminal.
Solution 4. Try Safe Mode
Rebooting your Mac in safe mode can also help fix the error, the operating system will scan and repair if you find any errors during this process.
- Step 1. Shut down Mac and restart it by pressing the 'Shift' key. To start the Mac in safe mode, it is vital to shut it down entirely before restarting it. Start your Mac by pressing the 'Shift' key simultaneously.
- Step 2. Release Key when the login window is visible. Once you can see the login window, release the 'Shift' key as your computer has restarted in safe mode now.
If your Mac has started property, try to restart and boot it as usual.
Solution 5. Convert Your Unmounted Macintosh HD into An External Hard Drive
By converting your failing drive to an external hard drive, you can recover inaccessible files from the target disk. Complete the process with these easy steps.
- Step 1. Buy an external hard drive enclosure. It is necessary to have an enclosure before proceeding with the steps of conversion of Macintosh HD into an external hard drive.
- Step 2. Remove Macintosh HD from Mac. Safely remove the hard drive from your system. Consult an expert if you are unsure about how to remove it carefully from the Mac.
- Step 3. Slide the removed Macintosh HD into the matching context.
Mozilla foxfire for mac. Place the removed drive into the enclosure by removing its cover. Close the casing by tightening all the screws that came with the enclosure. Cover the hard drive by putting back the plastic covers.
- Step 4. Connect the drive with the Mac. With the help of USB drive, connect the external drive which was earlier startup-drive to the Mac through the port of it.
- Step 5. Transfer files. Once the external hard drive (earlier start-up disk) is seen in the Finder, start with file transfer.
Here're the steps and tips on transferring videos from iPhone to PC.
Solution 6. Reinstall macOS and Erase the Macintosh Hd
Does your Macintosh HD fail to fix after trying all the above steps? If it is still showing in an unmounted state, factory reset is the last option you are left with. Macintosh hard drive will be formatted and will reinstall the operating system on Mac. Before starting with a factory reset, make sure you have a backup, as all the data of your Macintosh HD will get deleted in this process.
- Step 1. Hold Command + R to boot the system in recovery mode. Release the keys once you see a spinning globe or Apple logo.
- Step 2. After booting in the recovery mode, select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
- Step 3. Select Mountable Macintosh HD and click on 'Erase'
- Step 4. Update the parameters when prompted and then select Reinstall macOS
After clicking on the erase, you will be prompted to give vital information for formatting disk. It can be name, format, scheme, etc. of the disk. Click on Finish once you complete with it and go to the macOS Utilities screen to select Reinstall macOS from the menu.
The moment you observe Macintosh HD not mounted error, save your important data immediately on the hard drive. If you fail to do, you can recover your data with the help of data recovery software.
Part 3. How to Recover Data from Unmounted Macintosh HD?
Mount Drive Mac Os
While fixing the unmounted Macintosh HD, if your data is lost or you fail to bring it in the mounted state, you need to recover your critical saved data from it. To help you, Recoverit Mac Recovery software can do it for you.
The leading data recovery software with the highest recovery rate will help you in retrieving the data quickly. Recoverit Mac HD Data Recovery supports above 1000 file formats for images, multimedia files, archives, and emails. Data recovery from the laptop, internal hard drive, external storage devices, recycle bin/ trash and from a crashed computer is easy with its three simple steps.
Download it to recover data from your macintosh HD not mounted with these steps:
Step 1. Select a Mac HD
To recover data from your non mounted Macintosh HD, select the location first. Select the drive to start the scan.
Step 2. Scan the Mac HD
Once you make the selection, Recoverit will start with the all-around scan. The scanning can complete in minutes or can take hours if the file sizes are large. During the scanning, you can stop or pause it in between for your convenience. If the files that you are looking for are not found with the all-around scan, you can go for a deep scan to let the software make a deeper search.
Step 3. Preview and recover lost HD files
Once the scan completes and provides you with the files found during the scan, the software allows you to preview them before recovering. It adds as a benefit as you can assure this way that you are recovering the right files. Click on the recover option after you preview the files and select the targeted ones.
When you click on recover option, after recovering the software will ask you to choose a path to save the recovered files. It is advisable here that you should always select the path different from the original one where they were saved before.
Regular backups of stored information are recommended. But if you forget taking a backup, quickly download and install the recovery software Recoverit and retrieve your data.
Part 4. Tips Against Macintosh HD Not Mounted
Here are the tips that help you to analyze whether the drive is at fault or the issue is arising because of any other reason. Try to fix it with the basic troubleshooting.
- When your Macintosh HD is not mounted or does not show up, before you try any of the solutions, it is vital that you have stopped using your Mac. A backup of the hard drive is also necessary to avoid any data loss. Because any operation on Mac to fix non-mounting errors can result in writing new data or overwriting existing data. In the absence of backup, data needs to be recovered from dead or crashed hard disk.
- Before concluding that hard drive is at fault, check the working of monitor once. It might be possible that the monitor is causing a problem if it is not lighting up with a grey boot screen. The broken monitor will never affect other functions of the Mac, like fan noise, backlit keyboard, etc. If your Mac also exhibits the same, get your monitor checked once.
- When you press your Mac's power button, verify to make sure your Mac is not having any power issue. Cross-check it with the light on your adapter, battery indicator on the left side of the computer. If you find something unusual like not hearing the startup sound that your Mac generally makes, then the problem is not linked to the hard drive. Even when the hard drive is not installed, Mac still boots and attempts to reach the grey screen. Sometimes the problematic part is the power adapter.
- Unplug all external accessories that are not essential for Mac. It can be a USB device, speaker, printer, etc. Quite possible that due to some faulty USB connection, Mac was not able to recognize Macintosh HD.
- Reset SMC ( System Management Controller) as these settings on Mac can cause problems to boot procedure, power and may display signs which give the impression that hard drive is problematic. By resetting SMC, these problems can be fixed. Shut down Mac and unplug it to correct SMC.
Closing Words
While booting up your Mac, if Macintosh HD fails to show up, check why it is not showing up. It is hard drive problem or the fault is with other parts. As discussed in this article look for the exact cause by following the tips and reasons mentioned here. If you are still not able to see Macintosh HD at startup, then fix it with the solutions listed above.
While fixing the Macintosh HD not mounted, if you lose your data, restore deleted or lost files with Recoverit data recovery software.
What's Wrong with Mac
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When it comes to sharing and storing, cloud is a huge asset. There's an abundance of cloud drives — Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3 — to help us safely store important video files, documents, photos, and more. And if you mount cloud storage as local drive, you can extend its power on your computer even more.
How to mount cloud storages as local drives
Even if you're connecting external cloud drives, you can absolutely own them and access cloud storage as a local drive. Connect, see what's on your cloud, share with friends and collaborate—it gets easier if you have some extra storage. You can use both manual and automated ways to sync your remote drives.
For every remote drive, there's a recipe on how to add and use storage. Plus, you can install software that will help you get access to any drive right from Finder. The CloudMounter app is a good choice, which will allow you to work with files stored online in the same manner as the local files on your computer. The app makes it easier to do things like move files between the cloud storage apps without needing to manually copy the files to your computer first. Your content is securely encrypted and you can set up SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to mount remote SFTP drives. Everyone is happy.
Add your cloud drive to Finder
Download Setapp and get an easy way to mount your network drives and manage external storage from Finder.
How to map Google Drive
While Google Drive integrates with tons of other services created by Google, it expands your file management flexibility. Here's all you need to know about how to sync Google Drive and make the most out of its functionality.
Mount Google cloud storage as fast network drive
You can add Google Drive to Finder by default by going into your Applications folder and launching Google Drive. You will need to enter your login details for your Google account to sign in. The beauty of Google Drive is that you can connect both personal and team accounts — zero limitations. Map a Team Drive if you're working on files collectively with your team, map specific drives as a drive letter, and configure folders with ease.
For more functionality, connect your FTP Google Drive account to your local drive with CloudMounter to have better access to your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Once you link your account on your computer, you'll be able to open or move files directly from Mac's Finder as if they were a part of your local drive.
How to add Google Drive to Finder:
- Open the CloudMounter app by clicking on New Drive
- Click on the Google Drive link in the Connections window
- Enter your Google Drive login details
- Click Mount
- You'll see your Google Drive appear in your Finder along with your computer's hard drive
- Click on the Google Drive folder to see all the files from your Google Drive
To open a file from your Google Drive in your Finder, use the drop-down menu to click View on google.drive.com to have the file open on your browser.
Drive File Stream, Backup & Sync: The superpowers of Google Drive
To simplify your storage management, you can use Drive File System — a valuable Google Drive desktop shortcut. This allows you to access storage via a handy app that you can download on Google Drive Help. With Drive File System you can manage content just as you do on a local drive:
- Save shared drives or separate files offline.
- Flexibly manage document access permissions.
- Track changes to your Google docs in a real time.
- Switch between your Google Drive accounts.
Basically, Drive File Stream is like an additional hard drive that gives you more space for docs without draining your storage.
Backup & Sync is another asset of Google Drive which you'll probably need if you want to sync folders. Just as Dropbox, it allows to back up files from computer to the cloud keeping your data synced. It also works with sharing files across computers.
Before you decide to embrace Google Drive's apps, consider there are limitations like the following:
- Google Drive provides 15GB of free storage, so you have to pay if you need more.
- Backup & Sync is no longer supported on macOS before 10.10.
- If you have multiple doc revisions, they will be available online. On your computer, you'll be able to access the latest version only.
- Files shared with you don't affect your storage.
You can use Google Drive offline with ease and if you don't have an internet connection, you can still access your files on a Mac.
Mounting Dropbox on Mac
Dropbox is one of the most popular alternatives, offering 2 GB of free storage and 1 TB for $9.99 per month with a pro plan. Here's how you expand your drive on Mac with Dropbox:
- Download Dropbox from the official website and install the app—it should appear in your menu bar.
- Sign in to your Dropbox account (if you have one) or sign up to complete the registration.
- Open your Dropbox folder and provide a password.
- Use the Dropbox folder to store files, just as any other folder on your Mac.
By connecting your Dropbox account to Finder with CloudMounter, you'll have your Dropbox files within reach from your local computer drive in case you want to open, move, share, delete, or make any other file manipulations. Once you set up your Dropbox account with CloudMounter, you'll be able to link multiple Dropbox accounts and you won't need to have dropbox.app installed on your computer.
Here's how to add Dropbox to Finder:
Mount Drive Mac Os
- Open the CloudMounter app by clicking on New Drive
- Click on the Dropbox link in the pop up window
- Enter your Dropbox account log in details
- Click Mount
- You'll see your Dropbox file appear in the Finder
- Click on the Dropbox folder to see all the files in your Dropbox account
- To share a file or directory from your Dropbox, click on Copy Dropbox Link
In addition to the basics of using Dropbox on your Mac, there are many features that make the most of the service to keep your files safe.
How to mount Amazon Cloud Drive on a Mac
If you go with Amazon Cloud Drive as an additional source of storage, here's how to mount it on macOS:
- Create an Amazon account if you don't have one and sign in.
- For an easy access from desktop, download an Amazon Cloud Drive app.
- Access cloud drive website from the menu bar icon (will be added once the installation is complete).
To save files in Amazon Cloud Drive, drag and drop or add via the upload button. Unlike Google Drive and Dropbox, the drive window is not available from desktop, so you'll have to access the website. Another problem with Amazon Cloud Drive is that it doesn't offer any free storage. On the other hand, it's a great deal if you need unlimited storage—with Amazon, it will cost you $11.99 for photos and $59.99 for everything annually.
You can use your Amazon Cloud Drive to manage and access files within your computer's Finder. To do that launch CloudMounter app. Once connected, you'll be able to easily share a file in your Amazon Cloud Drive by copying the HTTP or Torrent link directly from the Finder. It's also possible to make any Amazon Cloud bucket private or public from the Finder menu.
- In a new connection box, click on Amazon S3
- Enter a connection name of your choosing
- Enter the Access Key and Secret Key
- Add your Server endpoint
- Add a bucket name or use / to indicate a root directory
- Click Mount
How to add iCloud Drive to Finder
To find files that you've downloaded or uploaded using Apple's cloud storage system, you can access your iCloud Drive from a browser window or directly on the Finder. You don't need an external app to find your iCloud Drive on your Mac — it should already be built-in to your finder.
- Open the Finder on your Mac
- Locate your iCloud Drive icon on the sidebar
How to mount OneDrive as a network drive
Mounting Microsoft's OneDrive is easy on Windows—but if you want to access OneDrive on macOS, there's no native support for it. Luckily, you can mount with Cloudmounter. Just as any other external cloud storage service, OneDrive will be added to Finder:
- Open the CloudMounter app by clicking on New Drive
- Click on the OneDrive link in the pop up window
- Enter your Microsoft account log in details
- Click Mount
- You'll see your OneDrive file appear in the Finder
Mount FTP as drive and connect SFTP server to Finder
If you want to connect a storage device to a server, instead of a computer, you'll have to map a network Drive. CloudMounter provides several easy options on mounting remote FTP and SFTP servers from the app:
- Open the CloudMounter app and select the connection method (FTP, FTP with TLS/SSL, FTP with Implicit SCL, or SFTP)
- Type the connection name as well as specify server's address and port (19 for FTP or FTP with TLS/SSL, 990 for FTP with Implicit SCL, and 22 for SFTP)
- Enter your login details or choose Anonymous login if you don't have an account
- Choose the connection mode and remote path
- Click Mount
How to manage your files more effectively
To make the most out of CloudMounter, use it in combination with file management software. Although Finder is definitely a must-have, the workflow you get with Apple's default file manager is pretty basic. For instance, it doesn't allow to rename multiple files at once. Neither is it a handy tool if you need to check free storage for cloud drives you use.
There are at least two alternatives that can expand CloudMounter's functionality in the ways that Finder can't. Both will work CloudMounter if you use it for mapping cloud storage.
Forklift is one of the most advanced file manager apps that can help you manage your files more effectively. Once you connect your external cloud storage solutions to your local drive, you can use this robust file manager to help sort and access your files. Here's how you can professionally manage your files using Forklift:
- Access and manage files quickly and remotely by connecting to SFTP, FTP, Amazon S3, Google Drive across networks
- The Forklift Mini on your menu bar allows you to mount and upload files even if Forklift isn't running
- Find and synchronize new, duplicate, or modified files
- Play audio and video files or look at previews of images and PDFs on local and remote drives within the Forklift app
- Rename a large number of files at the same time
Another great app that can substitute Finder is DCommander. DCommander is a robust dual-pane file manager that offers a split screen view of the files you're working with. Here's why you should consider dropping Finder and switch to DCommander:
- Copy files faster with DCommander's advanced copying mechanism
- Visualize your files more effectively with a dual-panel window
- Drag and drop your files between panels or to external applications
- Find specific files that Spotlight may have missed
- View Google Spreadsheets via Dropbox
Mount Remote Drive Mac
Use this power app combo to access the cloud through Finder
There are tools that allow you to access cloud-stored files directly in your local computer file finder without having to individually access each separate cloud storage service through a web browser. Mac storage managers such as the CloudMounter make it easy to bring all your external cloud storage services together from the cloud into your computer's Finder.
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The secret to managing multiple cloud storage devices is to bring them all in one place on your computer with the combination of apps mentioned, all of which are available for a free trial on Setapp, a collection of over 150 high-quality Mac apps across all categories.
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