Volumes are the logical space in which data, system files, and other information is stored in macOS. While booting a Mac, all the local file systems in a volume are mounted on the operating system.
In other words, a volume is mounted if the macOS is capable of reading and writing data on the disk. Hence mounting is the process in which the Mac operating system gathers information about the corresponding volume in order to gain access to the storage space in order to read and write information.
Unfortunately, under some conditions, a volume or a drive may not get mounted. As a result, the data in that volume becomes inaccessible. In such cases, you will have to recover data from an un-mountable mac drive. Let us first understand the reasons why this happens?
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 book-keeper 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 mal-functioning 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 corruptions 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 Pro Edition 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.
Features of Remo Recover.
- 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 factory reset can also be retrieved on Mac
- It can recover data from various macOS like Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, El captain, Yosemite and Mountain Lion, etc.
How Do I Recover Data from an Unmountable Drive on Mac
- Download and install Remo Recover (Mac) software on a working Mac operating system
- Connect the un-mountable external drive to a working computer
- Launch the software and select on the un-mountable external drive.
- Select Recover Volumes / Drives option on the main screen
- On the next screen, you can choose between standard scan and advanced scan. Select advanced Scan to recover mac volumes
- Choose the Volume Recovery option in the next screen
- Select the desired drive or all the drives from the list of available drives and click on Next button
- When scanning is done, you can preview the recovered files and Save them on a location of your choice.
Note: Remo Mac Data Recovery software is also capable of recovering data lost after OS reinstallation, hard drive failure, crash, non-booting drive, and so on. It comes with advanced algorithms to retrieve data from corrupted or inaccessible Mac OS volumes. The application allows you to add/edit new signatures for files to ensure complete data recovery on Mac.
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 utilise 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, 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
Now this will initiate the scanning process.
Tips to Follow-
Data loss is an unpredictable scenario, but it can be addressed by taking measures.
- Avoid accepting all the files without anti-virus verification
- Always have a data backup on the cloud.
