External SSD Not Showing Up on a Mac? Try These Fixes

Why isn’t my external SSD showing up on my Mac? This is a question we’ve heard countless times from many people. Our team has dealt with this problem in all kinds of scenarios—new SSDs, old ones, corrupt file systems, and even cases with faulty hardware. We’ve helped many people resolve it, and the good news is that most fixes aren’t complicated. If you follow this guide step by step, there’s a high chance you’ll get your SSD back in action without much hassle. Let’s get started.

Where Exactly Is Your SSD Not Showing Up on Your Mac?

First, you need to figure out exactly where your external SSD isn’t showing up on your Mac. This will guide us toward the right solution. From what we’ve seen, the problem happens in one of three spots: Finder, the Desktop, or Disk Utility. Let’s break it down:

If your SSD doesn’t show up in Disk Utility, it’s not going to appear in Finder or on the Desktop either. Disk Utility is where your Mac recognizes the drive at the hardware level. Let’s start troubleshooting at this foundational level.

How to Fix an External SSD Not Showing Up in Disk Utility

Disk Utility has been the go-to app for drive management on macOS for as long as we can remember. If your SSD suddenly ghosts you, this is the first place to look.

How to open Disk Utility:

• Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type “Disk Utility,” and hit Enter.
• Or, if you prefer the scenic route, go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Once you’re in Disk Utility, check the left-hand sidebar under “External.” If it doesn’t show up at all, something is interfering with your Mac’s ability to detect the drive. This could point to hardware issues, faulty connections, or even power supply problems.

Check the Physical Connection

This might seem obvious, but don’t skip it. Most issues with an SSD not showing up on a Mac start with something as simple as a bad connection. Make sure the physical setup isn’t the problem.

• Check the cable for damage like frayed wires, bent connectors, or loose ends. Even a small issue can cause the SSD to stop working. If you’re using an adapter, make sure it’s the right one for your Mac and the SSD.
• Try using a different cable. Cables fail more often than you’d think, so swap it out. Also, plug the SSD into another port on your Mac. Ports can wear out or fail.
• If your SSD is in an external enclosure, test the enclosure itself. Hook it up to another drive to see if it works. If it doesn’t, the enclosure might be the problem instead of the SSD.
• Make sure your SSD is getting enough power. Some SSDs—especially larger ones—need more power than a regular USB port can provide. Try to plug it into a high-power USB-C or Thunderbolt port, or use a powered USB hub to give it the extra boost.
• Skip extensions, hubs, or docking stations for now. These can cause interference or limit power to the SSD. Connect the SSD directly to your Mac to keep things simple while you troubleshoot.

It’s also a good idea to test the SSD on another computer if you can. This helps rule out whether the issue is with the SSD itself or your Mac’s hardware or software. If the SSD works on another machine, you know where to concentrate your efforts.

Reset NVRAM and SMC

If your SSD still isn’t showing up in Disk Utility, resetting your Mac’s NVRAM and SMC might do the trick. These manage some hardware settings and power controls, and a quick reset can fix detection issues without much trouble.

How to reset NVRAM:

1. Shut down your Mac completely.
2. Turn it back on while holding Option + Command + P + R.
3. Keep holding the keys for about 20 seconds. If your Mac plays a startup chime, wait until you hear it twice before letting go.
4. Let your Mac restart and check Disk Utility again to see if the SSD appears.

How to reset SMC (the steps to reset SMC depend on your Mac model):

• Apple Silicon Macs: Shut down your Mac, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. The SMC resets automatically.
• Intel Macs with a T2 сhip: Shut down your Mac. Hold the Power button for 10 seconds, then release it and turn your Mac back on.
• Other Intel Macs: Shut down your Mac. Press and hold Shift + Control + Option (on the left side of your keyboard) and the Power button at the same time for 10 seconds. Let go, then turn your Mac back on.

If your external SSD still refuses to be detected after everything you’ve tried, it’s likely a physical issue. Problems like a failed controller or damaged internal components aren’t something you can fix at home. In this case, if the drive holds important data, consider reaching out to a professional recovery service.

How to Fix an SSD Not Showing Up in Finder

One of the most common scenarios is that your SSD appears in Disk Utility but refuses to show up in Finder. Here’s what you can do to fix this. Let’s start with the simplest steps first.

Step 1: Check Finder Preferences

Sometimes, your SSD doesn’t appear in Finder simply because Finder isn’t set to display external drives. This is one of the easiest fixes to try first.

1. Open Finder and click Settings in the Finder menu at the top-left of your screen.
2. Go to the Sidebar section.
3. Make sure “External disks” is checked under “Locations.”

Once you’ve made these changes, check Finder’s sidebar and your desktop to see if the SSD appears. If not, the drive might not be mounted.

Step 2: Mount the SSD in Disk Utility and Check For Errors

Another common reason your SSD doesn’t show up in Finder is that it’s unmounted. macOS usually mounts external drives automatically, but sometimes this doesn’t happen due to a system hiccup or an issue with the drive itself. The good news is you can manually mount it in just a few steps.

How to mount the SSD:

1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Look in the left-hand list under External for your SSD. If it’s listed but grayed out, it means it’s unmounted.
3. Select the SSD and click the Mount button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
4. Once the SSD is mounted, check Finder and your desktop to see if it shows up.

🔴 What If It doesn’t mount? If your SSD won’t mount or Disk Utility gives you an error, there might be an issue with the file system. Use First Aid in Disk Utility. Just select your SSD in the list, then click First Aid at the top and let it run. This tool scans for errors and tries to fix them.

If First Aid fails, the SSD’s file system might be too corrupted. You’ll likely need to reformat the drive, which we’ll cover next.

Step 3: Use TestDisk to Fix SSD

Before we cover formatting, we want to mention another possible solution: TestDisk. This free tool is designed to recover lost partitions and fix issues with drives that don’t show up properly. While it requires some command-line knowledge, it’s a powerful option to try before formatting.

Here’s how to use TestDisk to repair an external SSD not showing up on a Mac:

1. Visit the official TestDisk website and download the macOS version.
2. Unpack the downloaded file to access the TestDisk program.
3. Open Terminal on your Mac (press Command + Space and search for “Terminal”).
4. Navigate to the folder where you unpacked TestDisk with cd command: cd /path/to/TestDisk
5. Launch TestDisk: ./testdisk.
6. Select Create option and press the Enter button.
7. TestDisk will display all connected drives. Use the arrow keys to highlight your SSD and press Enter.
8. When prompted, choose the partition table type. TestDisk often detects this automatically, but if not, stick with the default option.
9. Select Analyze to scan the SSD for lost or damaged partitions.
10. If TestDisk identifies partitions, highlight them and select Proceed to attempt recovery.
11. If no partitions are found, use the Write option to rebuild the partition table. Confirm your changes when prompted.

Once TestDisk completes the process, restart your Mac and check Disk Utility or Finder to see if the SSD is now visible. If not, well, there’s always formatting as a last resort.

Step 4: Reformat Your Drive if Necessary

When the external SSD’s file system is too far gone or not natively supported on macOS, formatting is your only option. Formatting repairs the file system, and allows your Mac to recognize and use the SSD again. However, keep in mind that formatting wipes everything on the drive.

How to format the external SSD:

1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Select your SSD from the left-hand list.
3. Click Erase at the top of the window.
4. Adjust the settings in the pop-up window:
   • Name: Enter a name for the SSD.
   • Format: Choose APFS for macOS-only use or exFAT for compatibility with macOS and Windows.
   • Scheme: Select GUID Partition Map (this is often set as the default).
5. Click Erase to begin. This process may take a few minutes.

When the process is finished, click Done and check Finder to confirm the SSD is now accessible.

How to Fix an SSD Not Showing Up on the Desktop

If your external SSD shows up in Finder but doesn’t appear on the Desktop, the problem is likely tied to your display settings. macOS usually shows connected drives on the Desktop by default, but this setting can sometimes get turned off. Let’s go through how to fix it.

How to check Finder settings:

1. Open Finder and click Settings (or Preferences) in the Finder menu at the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Go to the General tab.
3. Make sure “External disks” is checked under “Show items on the desktop.”

How to Retrieve Files from an External SSD That’s Not Showing Up on Mac

We’ve seen many cases where formatting was necessary to fix an external SSD that wasn’t showing up on a Mac. The issue, as you know, is that formatting erases everything on the drive. If you’ve got important files stored on the SSD, it’s better to try to recover them first. There are plenty of data recovery software options that can do just that. These tools are primarily designed to recover deleted/lost files but can also retrieve existing files—as long as the SSD is visible in Disk Utility. If the SSD isn’t showing up in Disk Utility, recovery software won’t be able to help here.

We’ve used many recovery apps over the years, but if we had to recommend one, it would be Disk Drill. Here’s why it’s a great option:

• High success rate.
• Works with all kinds of devices: SSDs (internal and external), HDDs, USB drives, SD cards, and more.
• Supports all commonly used file systems (APFS, HFS+, exFAT, NTFS, or older formats).
• The intuitive interface makes it easy for anyone to recover data, even with little to no technical experience. You can get back lost files in just a few clicks.
• It’s loaded with extra features, such as Byte-for-byte backup, S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, Data Protection, and Clean-Up Tools.
• Has a Basic Version that can scan drives and preview files for free.

To start with Disk Drill, go to its official CleverFiles site, download the Mac version of the app, and install it on your computer. Once you’re set up, follow these steps to recover your files:

1. Open Disk Drill from your Applications folder.
2. Grant the necessary permissions, like Full Disk Access, so the app can scan your drives properly.
3. On the main Disk Drill screen, locate your SSD in the list of available drives.
4. Highlight the SSD and click Search for Lost Data to start the scan.
5. Disk Drill will start the scan, which looks for both existing and deleted/lost files.
6. As Disk Drill scans your SSD, you’ll see categories like Pictures, Documents, Videos, Audio, and Archives. You can select any category to narrow down your search, or click Review found items to view all recoverable files at once.
7. As Disk Drill scans your SSD, you’ll see files organized into sections: Existing  (files currently accessible on the SSD), Deleted or Lost (files that were removed or lost due to corruption or accidental deletion), Reconstructed (files recovered from fragmented or raw data that don’t have their original names or structure).
8. Clicking on a file will show a thumbnail preview so you can quickly check its contents. For a closer look, click the eye icon 👁️ for a full preview.
9. Once you’ve selected all the files you want to retrieve, click the Recover button at the bottom of the screen. Disk Drill will then prompt you to choose a location to save the files. Select a location on your Mac’s internal drive or another external drive—to save the files, you’ll need the PRO version of Disk Drill.

Once you’ve recovered everything you need from the SSD, you can go back and format it.

💚 Try Disk Drill’s S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring. We mentioned earlier that Disk Drill comes with a lot of useful extra features, and we highly recommend you check out S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring. It’s a handy tool that tracks your drive’s health and warns you about potential issues before they become serious.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open Disk Drill and find the S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring feature, then turn it on.
2. From the list of drives, select your external SSD.
3. Check the health status it reports.

If the health level shows as Good, great! Your SSD doesn’t have any major issues. However, if it flags problems, we don’t recommend using this SSD for anything important. It wouldn’t be wise to keep critical data on a drive that might fail.

The Bottom Line

In our experience, most SSD issues can be resolved with the DIY methods we’ve covered here. Once fixed, the SSD usually works as well as it did before.

That said, there are some cases where the problems are more serious—like hardware failures or severe corruption—that can’t be fixed at home. If the data on your SSD is critical, professional data recovery services might be your best option.

Keep in mind, though, that these services are expensive. The cost often runs several times higher than the price of a new SSD. If the files are truly irreplaceable, it’s worth consideration, but for less important data, replacing the SSD might be the better choice.

To avoid these situations in the future, back up your data regularly and use tools like S.M.A.R.T. monitoring to keep an eye on your drive’s health. We hope this guide helped you get your SSD back on track!