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Hello everyone. I’ve run into a problem where my USB flash drive is not recognized or detected on my Mac M1 Pro laptop. Since there are no direct 'USB-A' ports, I’m using a Baseus 7in1 hub, connecting it through the Thunderbolt port. The flash drive has a MacOS installer file on it, but it doesn't show up on the desktop when I plug it in. Any ideas where the issue might be or what could be causing this? Thanks in advance.
Update: I’ve tried different flash drives, but the result is the same. Running OS Sonoma.

12 minutes ago, LivyM87 said:

Hello everyone. I’ve run into a problem where my USB flash drive is not recognized or detected on my Mac M1 Pro laptop. Since there are no direct 'USB-A' ports, I’m using a Baseus 7in1 hub, connecting it through the Thunderbolt port. The flash drive has a MacOS installer file on it, but it doesn't show up on the desktop when I plug it in. Any ideas where the issue might be or what could be causing this? Thanks in advance.
Update: I’ve tried different flash drives, but the result is the same. Running OS Sonoma.

Yo! Check if your power settings are limiting things. If your laptop’s not plugged in, there might be some power-saving mode that cuts off external devices. Could be the issue. Head to System Preferences > Battery > Low Power Mode – set it to “Never.” If that’s the fix, your USBs should be good to go 😎.

Alright, then try checking Diskutil. You can find it in Applications/Utilities. Look for your external drive there. The internal one is your Mac’s drive. You can also use the console with the command diskutil list, but it’s just the same drives, just in a fancier way. If you still don’t see it, check the System Report under USB. Go to “About This Mac” > "More info" > “System Report” and look for “USB” on the left. If it’s listed there, your Mac physically detects it, and you’ll need to troubleshoot the software on your laptop.

8 minutes ago, UrbanExplorer7 said:

Alright, then try checking Diskutil. You can find it in Applications/Utilities. Look for your external drive there. The internal one is your Mac’s drive. You can also use the console with the command diskutil list, but it’s just the same drives, just in a fancier way. If you still don’t see it, check the System Report under USB. Go to “About This Mac” > "More info" > “System Report” and look for “USB” on the left. If it’s listed there, your Mac physically detects it, and you’ll need to troubleshoot the software on your laptop.

Yes, my flash drive shows up there, but it’s still not visible in Disk Utility or Finder. I’m at my wit’s end, I don’t even know what to do. I really don’t want to reinstall the system, and I’m not sure if that would even help.

2 hours ago, LivyM87 said:

Hello everyone. I’ve run into a problem where my USB flash drive is not recognized or detected on my Mac M1 Pro laptop. Since there are no direct 'USB-A' ports, I’m using a Baseus 7in1 hub, connecting it through the Thunderbolt port. The flash drive has a MacOS installer file on it, but it doesn't show up on the desktop when I plug it in. Any ideas where the issue might be or what could be causing this? Thanks in advance.
Update: I’ve tried different flash drives, but the result is the same. Running OS Sonoma.

Try opening Finder, pressing Command + “,” (when the window is active), and checking the preferences to see if “External Disks” is selected for display.

1 minute ago, TechieGuru99 said:

Try opening Finder, pressing Command + “,” (when the window is active), and checking the preferences to see if “External Disks” is selected for display.

If the disks don’t show up in Diskutil, how would they even pop up in Finder? That logic’s kinda busted. Maybe some update rolled in and messed things up. Wouldn’t be the first time Apple updates throw a wrench in the works.

6 minutes ago, UrbanExplorer7 said:

If the disks don’t show up in Diskutil, how would they even pop up in Finder? That logic’s kinda busted. Maybe some update rolled in and messed things up. Wouldn’t be the first time Apple updates throw a wrench in the works.

Yes, I agree! There's no reason it should be there :)

I also noticed something strange… When I connect an external drive or flash drive, some kind of window tries to pop up, but it happens so fast that not even the window’s outline forms, and it immediately disappears into nothing. This is clearly connected to my problem, but I have no idea how.

13 minutes ago, LivyM87 said:

I also noticed something strange… When I connect an external drive or flash drive, some kind of window tries to pop up, but it happens so fast that not even the window’s outline forms, and it immediately disappears into nothing. This is clearly connected to my problem, but I have no idea how.

Logically, it should’ve popped up with a permission request for the new device. If that’s glitching out, then things start making a bit more sense. We’ve got the device showing up in the system report but no access to it. And if you don't grant access—boom, mystery solved.
 

Also, when's the last time you rebooted your Mac, bro? 😂

5 minutes ago, UrbanExplorer7 said:

Logically, it should’ve popped up with a permission request for the new device. If that’s glitching out, then things start making a bit more sense. We’ve got the device showing up in the system report but no access to it. And if you don't grant access—boom, mystery solved.
 

Also, when's the last time you rebooted your Mac, bro? 😂

You’re right. That window used to pop up for any new device connected via USB, but now it doesn’t.
As for rebooting… my Mac usually just goes to sleep. I heard from someone that you don’t really need to reboot them, and that it’s even bad for laptops.

3 minutes ago, LivyM87 said:

You’re right. That window used to pop up for any new device connected via USB, but now it doesn’t.
As for rebooting… my Mac usually just goes to sleep. I heard from someone that you don’t really need to reboot them, and that it’s even bad for laptops.

Lmao, that’s the biggest load of nonsense I’ve ever seen too =D. There’s even a saying, “Got 7 problems? Try 1 reset!”
Seriously though, start rebooting your Mac, you might actually enjoy it 😂

Hahahahaha! This is going to sound funny, but I rebooted my Mac, and now it finally recognizes USB devices! And yeah, that theory about the disappearing permission window turned out to be true.
Thanks so much for the help! Everything’s working now! Who would’ve thought… I’m a bit embarrassed. )))

6 minutes ago, LivyM87 said:

Hahahahaha! This is going to sound funny, but I rebooted my Mac, and now it finally recognizes USB devices! And yeah, that theory about the disappearing permission window turned out to be true.
Thanks so much for the help! Everything’s working now! Who would’ve thought… I’m a bit embarrassed. )))

Sweet! Glad I could help! But hey, make sure you reboot at least once a week, my dude! =D

  • Like 1

Let’s summarize the key points of this discussion and highlight the main methods to solve the issue when your USB isn't showing up on Mac:

  • Test the drive on another computer: If the USB drive works on other systems, the issue is likely with your Mac.
  • Check power settings: Make sure your laptop is connected to a charger. Also, go to System Preferences > Battery, and set Energy Saver mode to “Never.”
  • Use Disk Utility: Open Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and check if the external drive is listed. Additionally, you can open the Terminal and run "diskutil list" command to see all connected disks.
  • Check the System Report: Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen, select About This Mac > System Report > USB, and confirm if the USB device is listed there.
  • Adjust Finder settings: Open Finder, press "⌘" + "," to open preferences, and verify the “Show external disks” option is checked.
  • Grant access to new devices: If a permission prompt appears when connecting the USB drive, allow access. If necessary, restart your Mac; this can often resolve the issue.
  • Check for system updates: Keep your macOS updated to the latest version.
  • Other options: Try a different USB hub or cable, as the issue could be with the hub or cable itself.
  • Like 3

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