Mac not mounting WD Elements drive

[jimmylahey]

Hi guys,

I have a WD Elements 1TB HDD. It’s a fairly old model - WDBAAU0010HBK from about 2013/14.

It contains a lot of important family photos and so on from over the years, so I’m keen to gain access.

However, when I attach it to my MacBook Pro (using a convertor from USB to lightening) it doesn’t mount - but it is recognised in the WD app.

I appreciate this isn’t the most thorough of explanations but can anyone help?

Thanks.

[Jose2020]

If your Mac is not mounting your WD Elements drive, there are a few things you can try:

1. Check the connections: Ensure that the USB cable or other connections between the WD Elements drive and your Mac are secure and properly connected.

2. Try a different port: Try connecting the WD Elements drive to a different USB port on your Mac. Sometimes, a port may be faulty, and switching to a different one can help.

3. Use Disk Utility: Open Disk Utility, which is located in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder, and see if the WD Elements drive is listed. If it is, select it and click the “Mount” button. If the drive is not listed, try clicking the “First Aid” button to run a repair on the disk.

4. Update the driver: Check to see if there are any driver updates available for your WD Elements drive. Visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver for your drive.

5. Check for firmware updates: Some WD Elements drives may require a firmware update to work properly with newer versions of macOS. Check the WD support website for any available firmware updates.

6. Try on another Mac or PC: If you have another Mac or PC available, try connecting the WD Elements drive to it to see if it will mount. This can help determine if the issue is with the drive itself or with your Mac.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, there may be a hardware problem with the WD Elements drive. In this case, you may need to contact the manufacturer or a professional data recovery service for further assistance.

[jimmylahey]

Hi guys,

I’m still struggling with this; it’s now not showing up on a Windows PC either, but does appear in device manager.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? There’s a lot of sentimental images of my family on the drive that I’d hate to lose!

Thank you.

[fzabkar]

“If none of these steps resolve the issue, there may be a hardware problem with the WD Elements drive. In this case, you may need to contact the manufacturer or a professional data recovery service for further assistance.”

@Jose2020, please explain how Stellar, a software tool, can recover data from a storage device that has a hardware problem.

[Mikersson]

For what I can read, MAcOS is a rare nut in this community. However, Still exist google to find answer to the questions.
Thank you.

[BajaBill]

I have the same problem with 4TB new WD Elements disk not mounting and I am in a critical situation. My Mac is a 2022 M2 MBP so that should not be a problem. Ironically, the purchase (2 days ago) was a result of a critical situation which is now worse. I have tried all the suggested remedies and nothing works.

[fzabkar]

@BajaBill, are you able to retrieve a SMART report from your drive?

Is the drive powered from the USB port or from an AC adaptor?

[BajaBill]

Hi, Thanks for response. Am on MacBookPro 2022 so it goes through an adapter. I went all over town to Mac places, went to ‘customer support’, went to YT help videos. Nothing. Went for dinner and came back and it had mounted. Before, Disk Repair would not mount it, WD app would not mount it (although both saw it). I received the following from ‘customer support’. Note the same quality control of customer service as manufacturing. I don’t trust the drive. Am going to return it. Where I live, choices are limited. Will order something online. I thought the customer service replay spoke volumes. The below had about 8 links, not permitted through here. Max 2. Irrelevant anyway. Thanks for reaching out and trying to help.

Dear ,

Thank you for contacting Western Digital Customer Service and Support. My name is Kevin S.

Please allow me to inform you that there can be multiple reason in which your drive can be in accessible please try to connect your drive with another USB cable and in different USB port and if possible please try to connect the drive in different computer.

Please allow me to inform you that there could be many causes of the drive not recognizing on your computer. I would request you to refer to the article mentioned below to know about the causes and potential resolutions:

Windows or macOS Cannot Find My Drive

If your issue still not resolved please reply with the following information mentioned below so I can assist you better

• Are you receiving any error messages when you connect the drive to the computer? If possible, please share a screenshot of the error message.
• Is your drive visible in Disk Utility? If possible, please share a screenshot of it. [Click here to know about accessing Utility of Mac.
• Also, I would recommend you to test your drive health using First Aid of Mac. [Click here to know how to use First Aid on Mac computer.]

I will be waiting for your response,

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any updates or further questions. If you prefer, you may also connect with one of our support specialists via live chat or phone call by clicking on the following link. We are always available to help you in any way that we can.

Chat:

Phone:

Sincerely,
Kevin S
Western Digital Customer Service and Support

Note: If you have not visited our community forums, please make sure to do so. You may also find answer(s) to your question(s) there. Link to WD community forums at:

This electronic message contains information from Western Digital, is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is confidential. The dissemination of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please respond back to this e-mail or contact us by phone.

In order to process your email, please do not remove this reference #: 240217-001178
Get More Help

[Win11DataSavior]

1. Verify Disk Utility:

• Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility).
• Check if the WD Elements drive is listed under the “External” section.
• If it’s listed but appears grayed out, try right-clicking on it and selecting “Mount.”

2. Consider an Alternative Adapter:

• While a USB-to-Lightning adapter might work for basic functionality with some devices, it’s not guaranteed and might have compatibility issues with external hard drives.
• If the above steps don’t work, consider using a USB-A to USB-C adapter instead. These are more reliable for connecting external drives to MacBooks with USB-C ports.

3. If Unsuccessful:

• If none of these steps help, the drive itself might be experiencing hardware issues.
• Do attempt any further DIY fixes like using data recovery software but make sure you know how to use it properly. Stellar Data Recovery might be helpful.

Recommendation:

• Given the sentimental value of the data, it’s crucial to seek professional data recovery services if the above suggestions don’t resolve the issue. They have specialized tools and expertise to attempt data recovery from potentially damaged drives.

Remember: Data recovery services can be expensive, so prioritize trying the recommended troubleshooting steps first. However, don’t hesitate to seek professional help if your data is irreplaceable.

[jimmylahey]

Hi,

Thanks so much for your detailed information. I have tried an alternative adapter and had some sort of success.

If left plugged in, a message will pop up on my Mac after a short while saying the device isn’t compatible.

I downloaded iBoysoft NTFS for Mac and it finds the drive - again after a short while - but says it isn’t mounted.

Any suggestions on next steps would be hugely and gratefully appreciated.

Thank you.

[Win11DataSavior]

Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal).

Type diskutil list and press Enter. This will list all connected drives.

Identify your external drive based on its size or name.

Copy the identifier (e.g., /dev/disk2s1).

Type diskutil mount followed by the identifier and press Enter (e.g., diskutil mount /dev/disk2s1).

[terrance8609]

Typically, if a hard drive uses file systems supported only by macOS, such as HFS+ or APFS, Windows systems cannot read or write to these file systems by default. Did you receive an error when clicking ‘Mount’, or did you not manually install it in Disk Utility?

Here is what you can do:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner, select “About This Mac,” and then open System Report.

Step 2: In the report, find and note down the hard drive you want to work with, including its disk name (e.g., disk4s1) and file system type (e.g., NTFS or MS-DOS FAT32).

Step 3: Find and open Terminal from your Applications folder.

Step 4: Type the sudo mkdir /Volumes/Mount command and press Enter. This command creates a folder named Mount under /Volumes, which will be used to mount the external device.

Step 5: Choose the appropriate command based on the file system type of your device. For example, for an MS-DOS FAT32 formatted device, type sudo mount -t msdos /dev/disk7s1 /Volumes/Mount.

For an NTFS formatted device, type sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/disk4s1 /Volumes/Mount

Replace disk7s1 or disk4s1 in the command with the actual disk name found in the System Report.

Press Enter to execute the command.

Step 6: Return to Disk Utility and verify that the external device is successfully mounted and visible in the left-hand device list. Open Finder and verify if the mounted device name (e.g., Mount) appears in the sidebar.

In this case, data recovery software may be helpful but does not guarantee 100% recovery. If the data on the hard drive is crucial for you, I would recommend investing in professional data recovery services.

[jimmylahey]

I have not,. unfortunately.

The strange thing is it appears in the WD programme in the taskbar under the name “Elements” so the Mac is clear recognising something, somewhere…

[Anne23333]

try all the above methods, still can’t mount my disk. I don’t need to recover data cuz the disk isn’t corrupted. It can be mounted on my brother’s computer but not my Mac. The only way to mount it is reformatted???

[LADessert]

The fact that the Mac not recognizing external hard drive suggests that the file system is corrupted or incompatible. Here’s how to check with Disk Utility:

1. Connect the WD Elements drive to the MacBook Pro.
2. Launch Disk Utility (Apps > Utilities > Disk Utility).
3. Locate your WD drive in the list of devices on the left sidebar.

• If the drive displays but is grayed out or not mounted, pick it and then click Mount.
• If the drive does not appear at all, it may be due to a hardware issue.

4. Run First Aid: If the drive displays in Disk Utility, pick it and then click First Aid.
   If it succeeds, the drive should be mounted.

Once you’ve recovered your files (or if you’re starting fresh), take steps to avoid future disasters:

1. Backup Regularly: Use cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, iCloud) or an external backup drive.
2. Use a UPS: Protect your system from power surges or outages.
3. Monitor Drive Health: Use tools like DriveDx (Mac) to check your drive’s health.

[Scarletios]

Since your WD Elements 1TB HDD is recognized in the WD app but not mounting on your MacBook Pro, try the following steps:

1. Check Disk Utility – Open Disk Utility (Finder > Applications > Utilities) and see if the drive appears. If it’s there but unmounted, try clicking “Mount.”
2. Verify File System – If the drive is NTFS-formatted, macOS can read but not write to it. Use Paragon NTFS for Mac or a Windows PC to check if it works.
3. Run First Aid – In Disk Utility, select the drive and run First Aid to check for errors.
4. Try a Different Cable/Port – The USB-to-Lightning adapter may be causing issues. If possible, test with a USB-C or USB-A adapter.
5. Check on a Windows PC – If available, connect the drive to a Windows machine to see if it’s accessible.
6. Data Recovery – If the drive is still unresponsive, tools like Disk Drill, EaseUS, or WD Data Lifeguard might help recover files.

If the drive spins up but won’t mount, a different adapter or direct USB connection might solve the issue.

[finnns]

Guess you can tweak Settings in Preferences in Apple Finder? Here is how I do this: Step 1: On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the dock, and then choose Finder > Preferences.

Step 2: Under the General tab where you’ll choose what items to show on the desktop, you should tick the option “External disks”.