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Despite the robust nature and very few chances of virus contamination, Mac too at times encounters data loss. Therefore, many Mac users maintain backup of their valuable files and folders on an external hard drive. An external hard drive can be attached externally to your machine, and thus can be used to take the backup of data as well as can be used to move data from one machine to another. Download free trial version to scan your external hard drive and see the recoverable photos. Please follow these steps to recover photos from external hard drive on Mac OS X: Connect your external hard drive to Mac computer with the USB cable. Launch Program, Double-click the program icon to runs Mac File Recovery software. Bitwar Data Recovery for Mac is professional external hard drive data recovery software which can recover deleted/ formatted or lost files from Mac hard drive, USB drive, memory card, external hard disk, etc. Due to deletion, format, virus infection, partition loss, OS reinstallation, etc. Install the Bitwar Data Recovery for Mac.
Reinstall from macOS Recovery
macOS Recovery makes it easy to reinstall the Mac operating system, even if you need to erase your startup disk first. All you need is a connection to the Internet. If a wireless network is available, you can choose it from the Wi-Fi menu , which is also available in macOS Recovery.
1. Start up from macOS Recovery
To start up from macOS Recovery, turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold one of the following sets of keys on your keyboard. Release the keys when you see an Apple logo, spinning globe, or other startup screen.
Command (⌘)-R
Reinstall the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac (recommended).
Option-⌘-R
Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
Shift-Option-⌘-R
Reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
You might be prompted to enter a password, such as a firmware password or the password of a user who is an administrator of this Mac. Enter the requested password to continue.
When you see the utilities window, you have started up from macOS Recovery.
2. Decide whether to erase (format) your disk
You probably don't need to erase, unless you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, or you have an issue that requires you to erase. If you need to erase before installing macOS, select Disk Utility from the Utilities window, then click Continue. Learn more about when and how to erase.
3. Install macOS
When you're ready to reinstall macOS, choose Reinstall macOS from the Utilities window. Then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. You will be asked to choose a disk on which to install.
- If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac.
- If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might need to erase your disk first.
- If the installer is for a different version of macOS than you expected, learn about macOS Recovery exceptions.
- If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, choose Macintosh HD.
Please allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. During installation, your Mac might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.
If your Mac restarts to a setup assistant, but you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. Then click Shut Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete setup.
macOS Recovery exceptions
The version of macOS offered by macOS Recovery might vary in some cases:
- If macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later has never been installed on this Mac, Option-Command-R installs the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available. And Shift-Option-Command-R isn't available.
- If you erased your entire disk instead of just the startup volume on that disk, macOS Recovery might offer only the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available. You can upgrade to a later version afterward.
- If your Mac has the Apple T2 Security Chip and you never installed a macOS update, Option-Command-R installs the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac.
- If you just had your Mac logic board replaced during a repair, macOS Recovery might offer only the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
If you can't get macOS Recovery to offer the installer you want, you might be able to use one of the other ways to install macOS.
Other ways to install macOS
- You can also install macOS from the App Store or Software Update preferences. If you can't install macOS Catalina, you might be able to install an earlier macOS, such as macOS Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, or Yosemite.
- Or create a bootable installer disk, then use that disk to install macOS on your Mac or another Mac.
Jul 10, 2020 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions
Q: How many times have you faced the issue of an unmountable hard disk on your Mac?
I connected my external hard disk of 3TB to my MacBook Air, though it couldn't mount. However, it detected the hard drive when I ran Disk Utility. Is there any way to get back or recover the data from this unmounted disk of my Mac?
I connected my external hard disk of 3TB to my MacBook Air, though it couldn't mount. However, it detected the hard drive when I ran Disk Utility. Is there any way to get back or recover the data from this unmounted disk of my Mac?
Usually, Mac hard drives are partitioned into different sections, also known as logical volumes. It allows you to store a wide variety of data on it separately. The benefit of the partition system is that there is no risk of overloading on the startup disk volume. That allows the boot process to complete without any issues.
There are times when the drive doesn’t mount, preventing your system from starting. It is a critical situation because your data stores on the hard disk, and it is now not accessible. There is also the risk of the data getting lost.
- Part 1: Signs & Potential Reasons of an Unmountable Hard Disk
- Part 2: Symptoms of an Unmountable Hard Drive
- Part 3: Possible Causes
- Part 4: How can You Recover Data from an Unmountable Hard Disk?
- Part 5: How to Repair Unmountable Hard Drive on Mac?
Part 1: Signs & Potential Reasons of an Unmountable Hard Disk
Every time your Mac system boots up, it is going to run a self-test. It is then that the startup disk is mounted, and the files needed for launching the OS gets loaded. Therefore, the startup disk volume must mount appropriately. Otherwise, it may become difficult to access the required data.
As already mentioned, there are many reasons why such a situation arises. Find out the most common reasons here.
It may happen that some type of unexpected error has occurred in your Mac volume. Such errors can make the volume unmountable, preventing the data from showing up. Here are the causes of unmountable hard disks:
- File system corruption
- Catalog file corruption
- Volume header corruption
- Malware attacks
- macOS malfunction
If the Mac hard disk is insurmountable, it significantly increases the risks of notable losses in terms of essential files like photos, emails, and work documents. If it happens, you will want to know the ways to recover your unmountable and inaccessible hard disk on Mac and the files stored on it.
Part 2: Symptoms of an Unmountable Hard Drive
Many symptoms may show that your Mac’s hard disk is on the verge of crashing. You should know that the disc is going to unmount if you see the following signs:
- A drive doesn’t mount through one of the following ways - USB or firewire
- You can see the files, but cannot carry out any functions such as moving or copying
- The drive mounts on a rare occasion but doesn't mount again
- When you mount the drive, the Mac OS X gets frozen
- Data read/write functions and access becomes quite slow
- There is a strange noise from the drive, which can indicate some type of physical damage or corruption
Part 3: Possible Causes
The signs of a hard drive dimming out within Disk Utility can vary from one situation to another. So you should know about these different reasons to be able to determine how to repair the external hard disk that fades within Disk Utility.
Virus or Malware Attack
Once the hard drive has a virus infection, it can cause your system files to get corrupted. It can cause the hard disk to become unmountable. The result is a hard drive that is merely unmountable.
Corruption of File System
The volume data becomes inaccessible to the Mac OS X if there is corruption in the local file system structure. Some of the contributing reasons for file system corruption include erroneous formatting, erroneous re-formatting, or incorrect file system conversion.
Corrupt Volume Header
The volume header is necessary for providing the required data to the operating system. It makes use of header information for mounting a specific volume. Volume can become unmountable when there is a corruption of volume header.
A Hard Drive with Bad Sectors
Bad sectors may also cause an unmounted Mac hard disk. It usually occurs when some type of physical damage happens to the drive. These bad sectors gradually deteriorate and can become entirely useless for storing data. The data stored in this sector will also become difficult to access. Hard drives are known to be highly sensitive to fluctuations in power. So, this can also cause the development of bad sectors. When there are bad sectors, Mac OS X can fail to access the data either partially or entirely.
Operating System Malfunction
The hard drive volume may have become unmountable because the OS crashed.
Sudden Mac Reboot
Your Mac hard drive may also be damaged by the unexpected shutdown of the Mac system. It may happen by an immediate reboot or power failure.
Failure of Disk Utility
You can use the Disk Utility tool for a wide range of tasks, including resizing, file system conversion, and re-partitioning. If an error occurs during these functions, it can render the Mac hard disk volume unmountable.
Part 4: How can You Recover Data from an Unmountable Hard Disk?
It commonly occurs that the external hard disk becomes unmountable and results in data loss. Even the disk utility may not help you repair the unmounted volume. In such a situation, the right step to take is to recover your data from the unmountable drive.
You can recover your files from an unmountable volume on your Mac OS X by downloading and installing the Recoverit Data Recovery tool for Mac. You should then follow these steps to access all the data.
Step 1: Launching Recoverit
Open Recoverit Mac Data Recovery tool. Select the hard drive volume that has the issue of lost data. Click on ‘start.’
Step 2: Scanning
Recoverit data recovery starts scanning to find the lost data from the drive. Give it some time to complete the scanning process.
Step 3: Check and recover files
Once the scanning ends, it becomes possible to check all the recoverable files. You can preview these files on the volume and recover them to a location of your choice.
Part 5: How to Repair Unmountable Hard Drive on Mac?
When you face the problem of unmountable hard drive volume, the first thought that comes to your mind is to use the Disk Utility to recover it. There is a built-in feature in Disk Utility, known as First Aid. It allows you to check volume errors and make attempts to repair them.
However, using First Aid is not a favorable method. Firstly, it is often seen to fail to repair errors at times. Secondly, it is likely to cause damage to the data, making it impossible to recover it.
Hard Drive Recovery Software Mac
Method 1: Use Disk Utility
Disk Utility is capable of repairing specific drive issues. You can use it when your Mac volume gives the unmountable error.
- Open Apple Menu
- Click on ‘restart.’
- Press and hold the buttons Command and R
- Keep pressing until you see the Apple Logo
- Click on Disk Utility
- Click on Continue
- Select the option 'View.'
- Choose ‘show all devices’
- Select the volume that you want to repair from the sidebar
- Click on ‘First Aid.’
- Disk Utility may inform that the hard drive is likely to fail. Make sure to take data back up and replace with another drive
- If Disk Utility doesn’t make that message, take the next step
- Click on ‘Run.’
- Disk Utility may inform you that the drive is repaired
- If Disk Utility doesn’t give this message, you will have to format the unmountable hard disk before restoring it
- If the 'repaired' word comes, you can use the drive without any issues.
Method 2: Formatting
Once the data has been recovered, it is necessary to reformat the drive that had the unmountable error. It will ensure that it starts working correctly again. The steps involved are as follows:
- Go to Utilities and Open Disk Utility
- Click on the icon showing your hard drive volume from the sidebar
- Click on the ‘erase’ tab and fill the required information
- When the ‘erase’ button appears, click on it and the formatting will begin
Mac Hard Drive Data Recovery
Conclusion
So, your hard drive volume can become unmountable because of reasons like Disk Utility failure, File System corruption, and Mac OS issues. If you have this issue, it is essential to recover data from such a drive at the earliest.
Using Recoverit Data Recovery software allows you to recover the data from your unmountable Mac hard disk in just minutes. It is a sophisticated hard disk file recovery tool for Mac. It has advanced data recovery features, yet it is easy to use for getting your data back from a drive that has been rendered unmountable.
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