Mac book does not read any external drives

There are several possible reasons why your MacBook Pro may not be reading external drives. Here are some steps you can try to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check if the external drive is recognized by the system:

a. Go to the Apple menu and select "About This Mac."

b. Click on the "System Report" button.

c. In the left sidebar, select "USB" or "Thunderbolt" depending on the type of connection your external drive uses.

d. Check if the drive is listed under the appropriate category. If it's not listed, try connecting it to a different USB or Thunderbolt port on your MacBook Pro.

e. If the drive is listed but marked as "not mounted," try mounting it manually. To do this, go to the "Disk Utility" app (found in Applications > Utilities), select the drive, and click on the "Mount" button.

2. Check if the external drive is formatted correctly:

a. If the drive is not recognized by the system, it's possible that it's not formatted correctly. Check the drive's documentation or contact the manufacturer to determine the correct format.

b. If the drive is formatted for Windows, you may need to install third-party software like "NTFS for Mac" to be able to read and write to the drive.

3. Check if the external drive is damaged:

a. If the drive is making unusual sounds, it may be physically damaged. Try connecting it to a different computer to see if it works there.

b. If the drive is not making any sounds, try replacing the cable or using a different power source (if applicable).

4. Check if the USB or Thunderbolt port is damaged:

a. If none of your external drives are being recognized, it's possible that the USB or Thunderbolt port on your MacBook Pro is damaged. Try connecting a different device to the port to see if it works.

b. If the port is damaged, you may need to take your MacBook Pro to an authorized repair center to have it repaired.

Hopefully, one of these steps will help you resolve the issue.

janjan83 Said:

"My OS is Ventura 13.2.1: ah, but if my mac doesn't see them at all, I can't check their format, right?: I am trying to understand what has happened as the MacBook was seeing them in the past."

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Seeing an External Drive:

View an Mount the Drive:

Boot into Recovery Mode (Intel or Silicon). Then, using Disk Utility, see if the Hard Drive is seen. If it is, then see if you need to click the “Mount’ button for it. Try rebooting once more. If of no success, then click unmount button, and then the mount button. Try rebooting once more.

janjan83 Said:

"My OS is Ventura 13.2.1: How do I find out the format of the drives? The thing is my Macbook saw than in the past."

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Finding the Format:

There are numerous ways to do so. So, here is how to view it when it is connected and seen on your computer.

1. Right-Click: the hard drive icon
2. Select: General
3. View: Format

janjan83 Said:

"Mac book does not read any external drives: My macbook pro stopped reading any external drives. I checked all the obvious settings and tried multiple drives and cables. My OS is up to date. Can anyone help me?"

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If Drives Are Not Seen:

What format are these? These need to be APFS to be used in CATALINA.

External drives can be APFS, MacOS Extended and some others.

Please see this official Apple Support Document: File system formats available in Disk Utility on Mac – Apple Support