Mac Hard Drive Shows Wrong Capacity [No Data Loss]

How to fix "Wrong Capacity on Mac Hard Drive" issue? A lot of users have reported that they encountered wrong hard drive capacity when the disk is plugged into their Mac.

This is a typical issue caused by an old hard drive driver, which might be infected with malware or have had some interrupted formatting process. Thus, this article will elaborate on the best ways to resolve the hard drive showing wrong capacity error on your Mac. Let's get started!

Use Software to Recover a Hard Drive with Capacity Issues

If your hard drive shows wrong capacity, you might need a professional hard drive data recovery tool like the Mac Data Recovery Wizard to recover data from it before it's too late.

If you're looking for the easiest way to recover deleted files from Mac trash or restore lost data from hard drive, this free Mac data recovery software can help you do it with just a few clicks.

Follow the steps below to fix the issue of an internal or external hard drive not showing up on a Mac and recover it without losing data:

Step one: Search for the lost records.

Connect the external hard drive to your Mac correctly. Launch the Disk Drill for Mac tool, select the external drive, and then click “Search for lost files” to find missing or deleted files on the external device.

Note: Before you recover data, it's better 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 then remove the external hard drive and use it again.

Step 2: Filter and search for the missing file

Once the scan is finished, all file types will be displayed on the left pane. Choose a file type to look for the needed files from the external device.

Step 3: Preview and recover

Preview the files and select the ones you want to restore, then hit the “Restore” button. You can save your data to both local and cloud drives.

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Fix 1: Restart your Mac and reinsert the hard drive If your Mac isn't recognizing an external hard drive, the first step is usually to try restarting your Mac. Sometimes, the system can experience temporary glitches that prevent the drive from connecting properly. A restart can resolve these issues. After restarting, make sure the hard drive is inserted correctly and securely into your Mac's USB port or Thunderbolt port. If the issue persists, try the following:

If the wrong disk space issue crops up suddenly, the first solution might help. To restart your MacBook, click the Apple menu and choose Restart. Wait for your MacBook to shut down, then power it back on.

Fix 2: Run “First Aid” to repair the hard drive

You can use a Mac repair tool, whether or not you want to fix the damaged external hard drive. Here's how to run First Aid to repair the disk:

Step 1: Click on “Finder” > “Applications” > “Utilities,” and then open “Disk Utility.”

2. Click “View” in the top-left corner, and then select “Show All Devices” to list all recognized volumes and hard drives.

Step 3: Select the target disk or volume in the left sidebar.

Step 4: Click “First Aid,” then select “Run” in the window that pops up. Wait for the process to complete.

If the recovery process fails, don't worry! This article will guide you through fixing that error, too.

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Solution 3: Format the hard drive with Disk Utility

Please note that formatting the HDD will delete all the stored data. Hence, it's necessary to install the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool to retrieve all the data before formatting.

Note: Erasing the disk will remove all data from it, so be sure to back up your information first, or use a data recovery software tool to recover an erased disk.

Once done, use Disk Utility to reformat the HDD as detailed below to resolve the issue where Mac Disk Utility shows incorrect available space:

Step 1: Connect the external drive to your Mac.

< b > Step 2 < /b > : Open “Applications” and launch “Disk Utility.”

Step 3: Select your external drive from the sidebar.

Step 4: Click the “Erase” button in the toolbar.

Step 5: Give your external drive a new name, and choose a disk format from the dropdown menu that appears.

Step Six: Click “Erase” again to complete the process.

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Solution 4: Start up your Mac in Safe Mode

If none of the above fixes work, your HDD might have a physical issue or be corrupted. It's essential to address this by starting your Mac in Safe Mode. Before proceeding, make sure to safely retrieve any lost information using recovery tools.

Follow these steps to start your Mac in Safe Mode:

Step 1: Turn off your Mac.

Step 2: Press the power button to turn it on, and then quickly press and hold the Shift key to start in Safe Mode.

Step 3: A progress bar and an Apple logo appear.

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4. As usual, you'll see the macOS login window, but in the top-right corner, it should say “Safe Boot.”

Step 5: If you have FileVault turned on, you might be asked for your password twice.

Why does my Mac show incorrect hard drive capacity?

Partition deletion usually leads to the removal of its drive letter, making the OS perceive it as unoccupied free space. This could be one of the main reasons why your external HDD shows incorrect capacity. However, if the data is not overwritten, the data stored on the HDD can be recovered quickly.

There are several reasons why an external hard drive might show the wrong capacity. Possible causes include:

• ❌ Corrupted EFI or Master Boot Record sector

An unexpected pop-up or insertion of an EFI details location can cause incorrect capacity to be displayed. In addition, an impaired EFI area can also result in incorrect capacity being shown.

• Traditional hard disk drive (HDD)

If your HDD is old, it may start to fail. Since many things can cause a hard drive to fail over time, especially if it's been in use for a long time, you should check it regularly because older HDDs are more prone to issues.

• The original partition table on the hard drive is incorrect

If formatted with the wrong partition table, your drive will show the incorrect capacity when you plug it in. If the storage is over 2TB and formatted as MBR, Disk Management will show the extra space as “Unallocated”; File Explorer won't show it at all. That's because the MBR partition table can't handle storage larger than 2TB.

The bottom line?

Hard disk drives are robust hardware components with a lengthy lifespan. They facilitate the swift transfer of large files. It is essential to take additional precautions to regularly check for viruses and other malicious software that might compromise the hard drive's integrity. Handling the hard drive with care is also crucial to prevent damage from intricate operations.

This article has outlined some common reasons for external hard drive size discrepancies and methods to resolve them. If you lost data while fixing the error, it's crucial to have tools like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac on hand. We sincerely hope you've learned a lot and are now prepared to act when such issues arise.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hard Drive Showing Incorrect Capacity

Here are some common questions that can help to better understand the topic:

1. Why is the capacity of my hard drive incorrect?

A hard drive displaying incorrect capacity might be due to an issue with its formatting process. If the formatting was interrupted or didn't complete properly, the disk might show the wrong size. It's advisable to ensure the formatting is carried out smoothly in a secure environment.

For example, because of the way storage is calculated, Windows might show a 500GB drive as having 465GB of space. For a disk to be called 500GB, it needs to have a total capacity of 500,000,000,000 bytes. Memory manufacturers use the metric system, where 1,000 bytes equals 1 kilobyte (kilo means 1,000).