How to format external drive on macOS 11.6 Big Sur? First Aid has failed as disk won’t mount. File system check exit code is 8. I’ve run it several times. I’ve also tried erasing it several times. This is like the 6th drive, same or similar from WD.
Hi @rlboston1,
I appreciate that you have performed the troubleshooting steps.
Have you opened a Support Case? If not opened, for more information, please contact the WD Technical Support team for best assistance and troubleshooting:
https://support-en.wd.com/app/ask
When there is the exit code 8, it means there are some irreparable issues with your storage device. The following are the reasons behind the error message:
- Damaged or incompatible file system
- Logical issues such as incorrect system settings
- Outdated driver for the Mac storage drive
- Malware, virus, or other Internet errors
- Bad sectors or blocks on storage disk (HDD or SSD)
To fix the issue, you can try the below DIY solutions:
- Repair drive using First Aid of Disk Utility
- Repair drive using FSCK command
- Recover data from the drive using data recovery software
- Erase/Format the drive using Disk Utility
Further, you can also check the below link for more details:
Hope it helps!
