Mac doesn't recognize external hard drive, even on Disk Utility

I'm using a 2 TB hard drive that, up until now, has always worked in some capacity. Sometimes the drive wouldn't show up on desktop/Finder, but it always showed up on Disk Utility and from there I could at least try to run First Aid, etc.


Today, I plugged it in and there was nothing. The hard drive wasn't even receiving power from the computer like it always does. I checked to make sure it was on Disk Utility, and it didn't even show up there. I tried all four USB-C ports on my MacBook Pro (2019)... no luck. The drive is connected using the following setup:


dual micro USB port,

an adapter from the dual micro USB port to USB-A,

and a USB-A to USB-C converter.


I'm unsure whether something went wrong in the cables, but it's only like 2 feet of cable. One thing I did notice was that the USB-C (male end) sleeve was bending up and down slightly unlike when I had it a month ago, but it wasn't by very much, probably +-3 degrees, equalling less than a 32nd of an inch. (<1 mm)


Still, it seems awfully suspicious that the hard drive isn't receiving power and that this problem exists. What can I do to fix this???

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.5

Posted on Oct 30, 2023 05:10 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 31, 2023 09:03 AM

My guess is the cable's connector is damaged to the point it fails to work properly. Time to get a replacement.

Similar questions

2 replies

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Mac doesn't recognize external hard drive, even on Disk Utility

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.