[Resolved] Unable to Access Files on External Hard Drive: 3 Repair Methods

Can't access files on an external hard drive on Mac? Don't worry! We offer three practical methods to try:

• Solution 1: Access Files on External Hard Drive via Software
• Solution 2: Force Mount External Hard Drive on Mac
• Solution 3: Run "First Aid" to Check External Hard Drive

Many Mac users rely on external hard drives to store important files. However, unfortunately, they sometimes encounter various issues that prevent them from accessing files on the external hard drive on their Mac. Here's a post describing a user's situation where they are unable to access files on an external hard drive:

Read on to learn three effective ways to access files on an external hard drive.

Solution 1: Access the Files on an External Hard Drive with Software

If you can't see files on an external hard drive on Mac, you must ensure that the data isn't lost. If you don't have a backup, the best way is to use external hard drive recovery software.

Use the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro tool to recover lost data or retrieve deleted files from an external hard drive on your Mac. It can also detect devices that your Mac doesn't recognize. It can extract data from any device, including media players, cameras, USB drives, and more.

And it only takes 3 steps to support recover external hard drive on Mac. Let's check it out!

Step 1: Search for the Lost File

Connect your external hard drive to your Mac correctly. Launch the “Data Recovery Wizard for Mac,” and select your external hard drive. Then, click “Search Lost Files” to look for lost or deleted files on the external device.

Note: Before you proceed with data recovery, it's recommended to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar and create a backup of your external hard drive to prevent further data loss. After backing up the external hard drive, the software can recover data from the backup of the external hard drive, and you can safely remove the external hard drive and use it again.

Select the external hard drive and click "Search for Lost Files"

Step 2: Filter and search for lost files

Once the scan is over, all file types will be displayed on the left. Select the file type to search for the needed files on the external device.

Step 3: Preview and recover

Click on a file to preview it, then select the files you want to recover and click the "Recover" button. You can save the data to both your local drive and cloud storage.

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Solution 2: Force Mount an External Hard Drive on Mac

How to find an external hard drive on Mac? If the external hard drive is not connected to your Mac, for instance, the WD Easystore not mounting on Mac, you will not be able to access the files on it.

Here are the steps to fix an external hard drive not mounting on Mac using Disk Utility:

Step 1: Open the "Disk Utility" application (found in "Applications" -> "Utilities").

Step 2: Locate your external hard drive on the left-hand list. If you don't see it, click "Show All Devices" in the Disk Utility window.

Step 3. Select the external hard drive and click “Mount” from the top menu to mount the disk on your Mac. You should then be able to access its files.

When you connect an external hard drive to your Mac, you might encounter error code 49244. Don't worry; this guide will help you fix the issue.

Please provide the English content you want to translate, and I'll promptly translate it into Chinese for you.

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Fix 3: Run First Aid to Check External Hard Drive

Apple's pre-installed Disk Utility app offers a useful feature called First Aid, which helps users assess the health of their device volumes and disks. Here's how to run First Aid to check for errors on an external hard drive that might be causing files to become inaccessible:

Step 1: Launch Disk Utility on your Mac by opening the “Applications” folder and then “Utilities.”

Step 2: Select your external drive, then click “First Aid” from the top menu.

Step 3. Wait for the “First Aid” process to complete, and then try accessing your files from the external hard drive again.

If during the process, you encounter an error message stating "First Aid found issues that need to be repaired," this article will delve into the problem and provide you with a comprehensive guide to fix it.

Please provide the English content you want to translate, and I'll do my best to translate it into Chinese.

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Conclusions

This article outlines three effective methods to fix the "Can't Access Files on External Hard Drive" error: using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Pro tool, forcibly mounting the external hard drive in Disk Utility, and running First Aid to check for external hard drive errors.

FAQ: Issues Accessing Files on External Hard Drive

Read the following question for more information on why you might not be able to access files on an external hard drive and how to fix it:

**Why can't I open files from an external hard drive on my Mac?**

File system corruption can make files on an external hard drive inaccessible, or you may only be able to read the external hard drive on Mac . External hard drives for Mac are typically formatted with exFAT or HFS/HFS+. Corruption in either of these can prevent macOS from detecting it, or if it does, from opening it or viewing its contents.

2. How to Access Files on an External Hard Drive on Mac?

Connect the external hard drive to your Mac using the included cable, then look for the connected external drive in either Finder or the Disk Utility window. If your cable doesn't have the right connector for your device, use an adapter.