MacBook do not recognize Toshiba external hard drive..

[Clacquam3]

Hey everyone, I need a bit of advice regarding an external Toshiba drive that my brother passed down to me. It’s got tons of photos and videos from our childhood. According to him, the drive worked perfectly fine the last time he used it. But now, whenever I connect this Toshiba hard drive, it's not working on my Mac, and I can’t access any of the files.

 

Has anyone run into something similar? I’d really appreciate some advice on how I might be able to recover these files, since they’re pretty valuable memories. Maybe there’s some reliable software I could try or some troubleshooting steps to follow?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

UPD: I was able to create a full backup of the disk using Disk Drill, and then successfully restored all my files from that backup. Worked perfectly.

Edited June 16, 2025 by Clacquam3
UPD

[UrbanExplorer7]

Hey, sorry you’re dealin’ with this {censored}, man. Mind droppin’ a few more details? Like, what’s the drive exactly (model?), where you’re pluggin’ it in (macbook, Mac Pro, toaster? 😂), and what do you mean exactly by “can’t access files”? Are you gettin’ an error message, is the Toshiba external hard drive not showing up on Mac AT ALL, or is it poppin’ up but the files just ghosted you? 
Give us that info, it’ll help us nail down what’s goin’ on and get you some solid advice.

[Clacquam3]

10 minutes ago, UrbanExplorer7 said:

Hey, sorry you’re dealin’ with this {censored}, man. Mind droppin’ a few more details? Like, what’s the drive exactly (model?), where you’re pluggin’ it in (macbook, Mac Pro, toaster? 😂), and what do you mean exactly by “can’t access files”? Are you gettin’ an error message, is the Toshiba external hard drive not showing up on Mac AT ALL, or is it poppin’ up but the files just ghosted you? 
Give us that info, it’ll help us nail down what’s goin’ on and get you some solid advice.

Ah, sorry - didn’t think to include that… The external drive is a Toshiba Canvio, 2TB, and my Mac is a 2018 Mac mini.

What I meant by “can’t access files” is that when I connect the drive, it does show up in the system, but when I open it in Finder, instead of showing the files, it just keeps showing a loading icon with the message “Loading…”, and nothing ever appears, no matter how long I wait.

[UrbanExplorer7]

Alright, look - if your drive’s formatted as HFS, sometimes these things get stuck in their own annoying “file reindexing” loop, especially when you’ve got a {censored}-ton of files on there. I’ve seen similar cases floating around Reddit before.
Your best bet is probably just leaving that Finder window open, letting macOS do its indexing voodoo, and hopefully, it’ll eventually sort itself out. Fingers crossed you’ll get your files back. Keep us posted! 

[Clacquam3]

@UrbanExplorer7 Thanks for the advice! I’ll try leaving my Mac running just as it is for now, and hopefully that’ll sort everything out. I’ll definitely come back with an update soon - fingers crossed it’ll be good news!

[Clacquam3]

Alright, I’m back with some updates - both good and bad 

 

My Toshiba external hard drive still isn’t working properly with my Mac. After leaving it connected for a long while (like @UrbanExplorer7 suggested, probably for file indexing), it eventually did show the files. But when I actually try to open or copy any file, nothing happens at all. No errors, no copying, just silence

[D_Harris_05]

Hi, I believe at this stage it would be wise to minimize unnecessary interactions with your drive. My suspicion is that the issue here isn’t software-related, but rather a physical problem with the disk itself. I’d highly recommend checking your disk’s SMART data first, as it will offer crucial insights into its physical health. Once you have that information, you can then determine the next appropriate steps

[UrbanExplorer7]

Yeah, gotta agree with @D_Harris_05 on this one - doesn’t really sound like an indexing issue here.  I’d suggest you check your drive’s SMART attributes to see what’s actually going on under the hood. Disk Drill has a built-in module for checking SMART status, but heads up - if you’re dealin’ with an external drive, you’ll probably need to install the SAT SMART Driver first. There’s a link to a guide on how to do that right inside the app

[Clacquam3]

Alright, so I downloaded Disk Drill, installed the required driver, and checked the drive’s SMART attributes. Turns out several parameters are highlighted red with a “Pre-Fail” warning, which, as far as I understand, means my Toshiba external hard drive has an issue on Mac.

 

At this point, what would be the safest next step to recover those childhood photos and videos? 

[D_Harris_05]

Right now, you have two possible options. The first one is costly but provides a higher chance of successful data recovery. The second is significantly cheaper but carries certain risks and no guaranteed results.

 

The first method involves contacting a professional data recovery service. These specialists will physically dismantle your drive and carefully retrieve data directly from the magnetic disks using precise tools and professional equipment. However, the downside here is the price. Such procedures often cost hundreds of dollars, although many companies offer a “no data, no charge” policy, meaning you won’t have to pay if the recovery attempt is unsuccessful.

 

The second approach involves using specialized software designed for data recovery. These tools bypass the standard Finder methods of interacting with files and instead apply specialized algorithms to access memory cells directly. You could attempt recovery using Disk Drill, which you already have installed, or explore alternative solutions like R-Studio or UFS Explorer. However, if you prefer not to delve into complex scanning options and advanced settings, I recommend sticking with Disk Drill - it generally provides results comparable to its more “professional” counterparts.

[UrbanExplorer7]

Just to add onto the solid advice you already got - if you’re planning to recover those files yourself, definitely don’t scan the drive directly. Yeah, I know that might sound backwards - hear me out though
If you scan the drive directly, you’ll put massive stress on it. Considering the current state of your drive, that could be a death sentence. Instead make a full byte-to-byte clone, and scan THAT clone instead
I also strongly recommend doin’ this through Recovery Mode on your Mac using Disk Drill. Disk Drill can run in recovery mode so you’ll get the cleanest, safest b2b image possible. This way, only Disk Drill touches the drive - minimizing stress - and if your drive randomly disconnects (which is pretty likely if it’s already half-dead), Disk Drill picks right back up where it left off automatically

[Clacquam3]

Thanks again, guys, for all your advice! I contacted a few data recovery services, but after hearing the quotes they gave me (pretty steep, honestly), I decided to give Disk Drill a try first. I found some helpful guides on their website about booting into Recovery Mode, running Disk Drill, and making a proper backup. I also borrowed a 6TB external SSD from a friend to hold the backup, so I guess I’m all set to give it a go.

 

I’ll come back with an update once I have some news. Wish me luck!

[UrbanExplorer7]

Good luck, buddy - hope you’ll soon get to see your funny, awkward younger self again.  Rooting for ya

[Clacquam3]

Phew, that was quite an adventure! The backup process took over a day - sometimes it sped up, other times the drive kept disconnecting again and again. Here, the feature of Disk Drill - where it resumes backups after reconnecting - proved absolutely priceless. Thankfully, I didn’t have to babysit the process constantly.

 

Once the backup finally finished, I ran a scan within macOS using Disk Drill, and amazingly, it found all the videos and photos of me, my brother, and our family. The files appeared perfectly in the preview. That’s when I knew the files were safe, so  I immediately grabbed the Pro version and restored everything to a fresh SSD I’d bought just for this

 

Honestly, I’m beyond relieved! Thanks to everyone who pitched in advice. I saved a bunch of money by doing this myself instead of going through a professional data recovery service. Based on what they told me during a quick consultation, I probably got pretty lucky

[oleksandr-lukashyn]

After reviewing this thread, I can say that @Clacquam3 was walking a fine line - data recovery from damaged drives is always risky. That said, there’s some solid advice here.

✅ For others who might face a similar situation, here’s a quick action guide:

• Check the drive’s SMART attributes to assess its condition.
• If SMART shows issues or physical damage, decide whether to go with a professional data recovery service or attempt software-based recovery. @Clacquam3 was lucky to recover files, but that’s not always the case. Consider the importance of your data before making a choice.
• If using recovery software, always create a full byte-to-byte backup of the drive first. This prevents further strain on the failing disk during scanning.
• Recover files from the backup using reliable software like Disk Drill, R-Studio, or others, depending on your budget and needs. User reviews can help in selecting the right tool.
• Before purchasing a full version of any software, confirm that it can actually recover your files using the preview function. Sometimes, recovered files turn out to be corrupted, and you don’t want to pay for a tool that won’t get your data back properly.