Files Disappeared From External Hard Drive on Mac? Here’s What to Do

So, your files disappeared from an external hard drive on a Mac. Are they gone for good? Or maybe they’re hiding out somewhere? We’ve all been there, but often people don’t realize, that most of the time, it’s a problem you can fix.

Our team has helped many people in this exact situation and put together a solid, no-nonsense recovery guide that covers everything you need to know to get those files back. From quick fixes to serious recovery methods, this text will help you locate your lost data and keep it from going AWOL again.

Why Can’t I See Files on My External Hard Drive on Mac?

In our experience, in most cases when you can’t find a file you’re sure was there, or an entire folder disappeared from your external hard drive on Mac, it’s either due to accidental deletion or issues with the drive itself—like a logical or physical problem.

• Logical problems happen when the file system on your drive gets corrupted or damaged. This can happen if files aren’t transferred properly, the drive isn’t safely ejected, or there’s some kind of software glitch. In these cases, the data is usually still there, but the system can’t access it correctly. The files aren’t really gone; the system just can’t read them. Fortunately, recovery software can often bypass the corrupted file system and get your data back.
• Physical problems are a little trickier. If the drive itself is damaged—whether it’s a bad cable, worn-out port, or mechanical failure inside the drive—it could prevent the drive from mounting on your macOS properly. If this is the case, you might not even see your files. If you think there’s a physical issue, stop using the drive immediately. Any further use could make recovery harder. In cases of serious damage, a professional recovery service might be the best option.

4 Steps to Recover Disappeared Files from External Hard Drive on Mac

No matter why you lost files—or if a folder disappeared from your external hard drive on Mac—there’s a good chance you can still recover them. Whether the issue is an accidental deletion or file system corruption, recovery software can scan your drive and find data that seems to have disappeared.

Here’s how it works: when files are deleted, they aren’t immediately erased from the drive. Instead, the system marks the space where the file was stored as available for new data. As long as that space hasn’t been overwritten by new files, recovery software can locate and recover your lost data by scanning for remnants of the deleted files. These tools access the drive’s underlying file structure and can often find files that are otherwise invisible/inaccessible through normal means.

Step 1: Choose a Data Recovery App

The first step in data recovery is picking the right tool for the job. There are plenty of recovery apps out there, but we wouldn’t recommend you just google “data recovery” and download the first app that shows up. Many apps online aren’t reliable, and some could even make things worse or fail to recover your files altogether.

Don’t risk your data with random software. Instead, take a little extra time to read reviews and check ratings from trusted sources. Look for feedback from real users who’ve tried the apps in actual situations and can tell you how well they work.

For example, we’ve tested and reviewed the top data recovery apps for Mac and broken down the features, pros, and cons of each tool so you can make an informed decision and pick a recovery app that’s proven to get your files back. Some of the most widely recommended recovery tools include:

If you’re not sure which tool to choose, we’d recommend going with our go-to recovery software: Disk Drill. It’s our top pick because it consistently delivers great results, no matter the situation. It works flawlessly on macOS, including the latest Sequoia update, and it’s incredibly easy to use. With Disk Drill, recovery is as simple as a couple of clicks.

To get started with Disk Drill, head over to the official CleverFiles website to download the software.

Open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Disk Drill on your Mac.

Step 2: Connect Your External Hard Drive and Start the Scan

Now that you’ve installed Disk Drill, it’s time to connect your external hard drive and begin the scan for your lost files. Plug your external drive into your Mac using the appropriate cable, whether it’s USB, Thunderbolt, or another type. Wait a moment for your drive to appear in Disk Utility. Once it shows up correctly, you’re all set to move on.

Open Disk Drill and select your external drive from the list of available devices.

Click on Search for Lost Data. Disk Drill will go through several scan modes to find any recoverable data:

• Quick Scan: Checks for recently deleted files and usually takes the least amount of time.
• Deep Scan: Scans for more complex issues like file corruption or formatted drives.
• Signature Scan: Looks for specific file types by their unique signatures, often used for hard-to-recover files. Disk Drill can recognize around 400 file types.

Step 3: Preview and Select the Files to Recover

As Disk Drill scans your external drive, you’ll see the results broken down into categories, such as Pictures, Videos, Audio, Documents, and Archives, as shown in the image below. This makes it easier to navigate and find the specific files you want to recover.

You’ll see the process unfold in real-time. You can either wait for the scan to finish or click Review Found Items to see a list of the files that have already been found. These will be organized into subcategories like Existing Files, Deleted or Lost Files, or Reconstructed Files.

The files you look for will probably show up under Deleted or Lost Files. Next to each file, you’ll see a Recovery Chances indicator, which tells you how likely it is that the file can be fully recovered. The higher the recovery chances, the better the file’s condition and the easier it is to restore.

To make things easier, you can use the search bar at the top to find files by name or file extension. This is especially helpful if you’re looking for specific file types among a large list of results.

Step 4: Preview and Recover

With Disk Drill, you can preview basically any file to make sure it’s the exact one you need. When you hover over each file in the recovery list, you’ll see an 👁️‍🗨️ eye icon. Click on this icon, and you’ll be able to preview the file before recovery. This is especially useful for images, videos, documents, and other media files, so you can double-check that you selected the right ones.

Once you’ve checked the files you want to retrieve, click Recover and pick a safe location to store them. Do not save the recovered files back to the same external drive—this could overwrite the data you’re trying to recover. Instead, choose a different location on your Mac, or another external drive.

Is This All? Can I Use This External Drive Like I Used To?

After you recover your files, you might wonder: Is the external drive safe to use again? Can I go back to using it like I did before?

In most cases, the answer is yes, but it really depends on what caused the issue and how the drive is holding up.

If the files were lost because of accidental deletion, or formatting, and you’ve successfully recovered your data, your drive should be fine to use again. Still, it’s a good idea to run a health check on the drive. Tools like Disk Drill’s S.M.A.R.T. monitoring can help you track the drive’s overall condition to make sure there are no hidden issues.

Open Disk Drill and go to the Extra Tools section. Here, you’ll find the S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring option. Click on it to open the monitoring settings. Then click Turn On, and Disk Drill will actively track the health of both your internal and external drives.

If S.M.A.R.T. monitoring shows any issues with your drive, we wouldn’t recommend using it, or at least not for anything you’d hate to lose. Even if it still works for now, a drive that shows signs of trouble is more likely to fail down the road. In this case, it’s best to back up your data ASAP and consider replacing it.

Check the External Hard Drive with the First Aid Tool

Even if S.M.A.R.T. monitoring doesn’t detect any problems, it’s still a good idea to run First Aid through Disk Utility. This will check for any logical issues and fix minor errors in the file system that could cause problems later. First Aid check every now and then can keep your external drive in good shape and prevent more serious issues down the line. Here’s how to run it:

1. Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility on your Mac.
2. In the sidebar, click on your external hard drive to select it. Make sure it’s the correct drive.
3. Then click the First Aid button at the top of the window.
4. Click Run to start the First Aid process. Disk Utility will scan the drive for any errors and try to fix them. This can take some time.
5. Once the process finishes, Disk Utility will let you know if it found any issues and whether it was able to fix them.