Solving Issues with Your MacBook Pro and USB-C External Hard Drive

If your Macbook Pro is not recognizing a USB or external hard drive after trying various troubleshooting steps, there are a few more techniques to try mounting it manually. Before you dive into system troubleshooting tips, start with the basics.

Firstly, check that the External disks option is enabled. One of the most common reasons for Mac not recognizing external hard drives is due to the system not being set up to display hard drives on the desktop.

If you've carried out visual inspections, tested your hard drive with different cables and power outlets, and tried different systems with no luck, it's time to put your Macbook Pro to work. Here are some additional steps you can take:

* Check that the External disks option is enabled in your System Preferences.

* Reboot USB drives by shutting down your system and restarting it, holding Command+Option+P+R as you do.

* Reboot your Mac - a simple on and off is sometimes all it takes to resolve the issue.

* Test the hard drive on a PC - it could be formatted for PCs and not readable on Macs.

* Try the drive in another Mac - if it works there, the problem is with the USB ports on your Macbook Pro.

* Try connecting the hard drive to a different USB port - it could be a hardware issue.

* Try a different USB cable - even cables with no visible defects can fail.

* If the external hard drive is plugged into a wall outlet, try a different outlet.

Before attempting any system troubleshooting tips, make sure you've checked the basics:

* Check that the cable is not frayed or damaged in any way.

* Check the USB connector - does it look damaged or misshapen?

* Check that the drive is properly plugged in.

If your Macbook Pro still doesn't recognize the external hard drive after trying these steps, you may want to consider using a third-party app like Disk Drill to rescue your files. This app is available via Setapp and can help recover lost data.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve any issues with your MacBook Pro and USB-C external hard drive. Remember to always format your Flash drive as exFAT if you want it to be readable on both Windows and Mac devices.

Macbook pro usb c external hard drive