Losing access to data due to an unmountable hard drive on your Mac can be a major setback, and it's a common problem that many Mac users face. The causes of this issue can vary, from disk errors to hardware problems, but the result is often the same: you're unable to access your files or perform any necessary backups. This situation can be particularly frustrating for professionals who depend on their Mac computers to store important files and data.
The good news is that there are several methods you can use to recover data from an unmountable Mac drive, but it's important to understand the underlying causes of the problem first. In this article, we'll delve into the various causes of an unmountable drive on your Mac, and provide you with effective solutions for restoring access to your lost data. Whether you're facing a software or hardware issue, we'll equip you with the knowledge you need to overcome the problem and retrieve your valuable files.
Potential Reasons for Unmountable Hard Drive
- File system corruption (MFT) - The main reason behind the un-mounting of the volume on macOS is corruption. File corruption leads to a loss in the MFT (Master file table). MFT acts as a bookkeeper for all the files in the operating systems, it maintains the information about every file on the hard disk.
- Virus or malware infection – Virus and malicious software can directly affect the core registry of an OS and result in corruption and malfunctioning in the operating system.
- Operating system malfunction. – An operating system malfunction is very rare, but it does have a huge impact on your drive and causes logical corruption in the drive.
- Disk utility failure - severe corruption or disk utility failure will result in an unmountable external hard drive on Mac.
Is it Possible to Recover Data from a Drive that won't Mount Mac?
Yes, it is possible to recover data from an external drive that won't mount the Mac. It is typical for an external hard disc to become unmountable, resulting in data loss. You might not be able to repair the unmounted volume even with the Disk Utility. In this case, the best course of action is to recover your data from the unmountable drive using the Remo Recover Mac. You can regain access to lost files and folders with the help of Remo Recover Mac.
How to Recover Data From an Unmountable Drive on Mac?
Remo Recover Mac is an innovative utility that can recover data from deleted/missing volumes, formatted/reformatted volumes, and repartitioned drives, with a complete folder hierarchy. In addition to this, the software allows us to restore data from inaccessible or corrupt volumes and volumes that fail to mount.
To recover data from unmountable volumes, you just have to download and install the software. Then follow the on-screen instructions to recover the data from the un-mountable drive on mac.
Have you lost data from an unmountable mac drive? Recover your lost or deleted data from an unmountable mac drive with ease using Remo Mac data recovery software. The tool is programmed with an advanced scan engine that can recover any lost or deleted data effortlessly.
Steps to Recover Files From Unmountable Drive Mac
To Retrieve data from an unmountable hard drive on your macOS follow the below simple steps:
- Download, install, and launch Remo Recover Mac on your macOS computer.
- From the home screen, select the unmountable hard drive from which you want to recover data and click on the Scan button.
- You can use the Dynamic Recovery View to preview and recover the files of your choice without waiting for the scan process to complete.
- Once the scan process is completed, select the files you want to recover and hit the Recover button to save them in your preferred location.
Additional Info: In case you are facing an issue mounting your external hard drive on your Mac computer then you can refer to this article to fix the external hard drive not mounting on Mac issue.
Why Choose Remo Recover Mac?
- The tool supports capable of recovering lost or deleted data from APFS, HFSX, HFS+, and FAT32 partitions.
- It restores data erased or missing from various Mac devices like MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and so on.
- Files lost after a factory reset can also be retrieved on Mac.
- It can recover data from various macOS like Monterey, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, El captain, Yosemite, Mountain Lion, etc.
- With Remo Recover, you'll never have to face the data recovery process alone. Our software comes with free tech support available 24/7, ensuring that you have access to assistance whenever you need it.
How to Repair Unmountable External Hard Drive on Mac?
The first notion that comes to mind when faced with an unmountable hard drive volume is to utilize Disk Utility to recover it. Disk Utility has a built-in capability called First Aid. It enables you to check for volume issues and attempt to correct them.
Method 1: Use Disk Utility
- Press and hold Command R, and keep pressing until you see Apple Logo
- Click on Disk Utility and click on Continue.
- Select the option View and select Show all the devices.
- Now click on the First Aid option.
- It's possible that Disk Utility will warn you that your external hard drive is about to fail. Make a backup of your data and replace the drive with a new one.
- If Disk Utility does not display the warning message then click on Run
- Now Disk Utility will display your drive as repaired.
- If still, the Disk Utility does not display any message then the only option left is to format the external hard drive.
Method 2: Format the External Hard Drive
Formatting the external hard drive is the only option left to fix the unmountable external hard drive on Mac. It will ensure that it resumes normal operation. The following are the steps involved:
- Go to Utilities and open Disk Utility
- Click on showing your external hard drive.
- Click on the Erase
Note: Refer to this article to find out how to format a hard drive.
Tips to Reduce Data Loss From an Unmountable Hard Drive
When dealing with an unmountable hard drive on a Mac, it's important to act quickly to minimize the risk of data loss. Here are some tips to help you reduce data loss from an unmountable hard drive on a Mac:
- Stop using the hard drive: As soon as you notice the drive is unmountable, stop using it immediately. Continuing to use the drive can cause further damage and increase the risk of data loss.
- Check connections: Make sure all cables and connections are secure and properly connected. Sometimes a loose connection can cause a drive to become unmountable.
- Use Disk Utility: Disk Utility is a built-in utility on Mac that can help diagnose and repair issues with a hard drive. Open Disk Utility and try to repair the unmountable drive.
- Try a different port or computer: If the drive is still unmountable, try connecting it to a different USB port or a different computer to see if it mounts properly.
- Contact a data recovery specialist: If the data on the unmountable drive is critical and you cannot afford to lose it, consider contacting a data recovery specialist who can help you recover your data professionally.
Remember, prevention is always better than cure. Make sure you regularly back up your computer to avoid the risk of data loss from an unmountable hard drive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, recovering data from an unmountable drive on Mac is possible. By using professional data recovery software such as Remo Recover Mac you can easily recover data from an unmountable hard drive on your Mac computer.
In case you have any further queries regarding this article don't hesitate to use the comment section below, we will love to assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as you select a trustworthy and professional data recovery tool like Remo Recover and carefully follow the instructions, it is generally safe to use data recovery software on an unmountable drive.
To prevent an unmountable drive from happening again in the future, you can take precautions such as safely ejecting drives before unplugging them, using a surge protector or UPS, avoiding physical shocks or drops, and keeping your Mac and its software up to date.
For maximum safety of your recovered data from an unmountable drive on Mac, it is recommended to save it on a dependable backup device or cloud storage service, and refrain from making any changes or deletions to the recovered files until you have verified their authenticity.
