How to fix Finder not showing connected external drives or USB sticks on macOS

macOS KB-326

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Finder not showing connected external drives or USB sticks on macOS. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Quick Tip: Need immediate assistance? 💻 Open a Ticket

Common Causes

It can be frustrating when you plug in a USB stick or external hard drive and nothing appears on your screen. In many cases, the drive is connected and recognised by the system, but macOS is simply configured not to show it on the desktop or in the Finder sidebar. This guide will walk you through the settings and tools required to make your storage visible again.

Quick Fix: Adjusting Finder Preferences

Before attempting technical repairs, check if your Mac is simply hiding the icons. By default, some macOS versions do not show external disks on the desktop.

Enable Desktop Icons

Click on the Finder icon in your Dock.
In the top menu bar, click Finder and select Settings... (or Preferences... on older macOS versions).
Navigate to the General tab.
Under the section "Show these items on the desktop", ensure External disks is ticked.

Enable Sidebar Visibility

While still in the Finder Settings window, click on the Sidebar tab.
Look for the Locations section.
Ensure the checkbox for External disks is ticked. This ensures the drive appears in the left-hand pane of every folder window.

Using Disk Utility to Mount the Drive

If the preferences are correct but the drive still isn't appearing, the disk may be connected but not "mounted" (digitally attached to the file system).

Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type Disk Utility, and press Enter.
In the left-hand sidebar of Disk Utility, look for your external device. It will usually be listed under the External heading.
If the drive name is greyed out, it is not mounted. Select the drive and click the Mount button in the top toolbar.
If the drive is visible but won't mount, select the drive and click First Aid. This will analyse the drive for directory errors and attempt to repair them.

Tip: If you are using a USB-C hub or adapter, try plugging the device directly into the Mac or swapping the adapter port to rule out hardware failure.

Advanced Troubleshooting

If the drive does not appear in Disk Utility at all, the issue may be related to the hardware or the file system format.

Check System Information

Hold the Option key and click the Apple Menu () in the top left corner.
Select System Information....
In the left sidebar, select USB.
Check if the device is listed under the USB Device Tree. If it is listed here but not in Finder, the drive may have a corrupted partition map or an unsupported format.

Caution: If Disk Utility asks you to "Initialise" or "Erase" the disk, be aware that this will delete all data currently stored on the drive. Do not do this if you need to recover files from the device.

Common Hardware Checks

Power Supply: Some larger external hard drives require their own power cable. Ensure it is plugged into a wall socket.
Cable Integrity: Test the USB cable with another device to ensure there is no internal break in the wiring.
Port Cleaning: Use compressed air to clear any dust or debris from the Mac's USB ports.

If you have followed these steps and your drive is still not recognised, it may be a hardware failure. To investigate further, please Open a Ticket with our support team.

Still Having Issues?

Need more help? If the issue persists after trying these steps, please open a support ticket and our team will assist you.

💻 Open a Ticket