By default, it doesn’t display much and the setting to not show external disks may be enabled. Use a USB power cable if you suspect this to be the issue.ĭepending on what you find here, you can troubleshoot either the drive or your Mac.įirst, make sure Finder will display drive icons. A USB cable carries 5V and if this is the sole power source for the drive, it may not be enough. Some imported drives come completely empty, and while macOS should detect and offer to format them, it doesn’t always work.
Try a different wall outlet if there is one nearby.Change the hard drive power cable if you have a spare.Check the condition of the cable and swap it if you have a spare.
After all, no one wants to waste half a day because they didn’t realize something just wasn’t plugged in properly. Get into the habit of doing this with any computer issues, as it can save time, money, and hassle in the long run.