• Macbook Pro Hard Drive Will Not Mount
• My External Hard Drive Will Not Mount Mac

When hard drive fails to mount, it is because of logical errors in drive not due to physical damage. Hence, it will be shown in Disk management utility under control. And to recover data from hard drive that won’t mount, one should make use of third party hard drive recovery tool. Enable and Format the Drive in Disk Management If your drive is powered on but still isn't appearing in File Explorer, it's time to do some digging. Open the Start menu and type 'disk management,'.

Summary: When plugging your Seagate Backup Plus into a Mac computer, you may find the drive stops working and is not mounting in Disk Utility. Have you been troubled by the issue? This post will give you 7 workable solutions to fix Seagate Backup Plus drive not mounting/working issue on Mac.

Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive is often used for Time Machine backup. But many users reported that they were unable to mount Seagate Backup Plus drive on Mac computers. And some say their Seagate Backup Plus couldn't work on Mac after plugged in.

Here is a real example:

'I really need your help. My Seagate Backup plus just stopped getting detected (led not working anymore) with my MacBook Pro 2016 model (with USB Type C to USB 3 connector) suddenly. It was working fine 1 month before. I tried this backup disk with a Windows computer and the LED light is working in that case but I am not able to get it to work with my MacBook Pro anymore. Any idea guys?'

In fact, this issue is very common, especially for those who frequently share the same drive between different computers. This page will help when Seagate Backup Plus drive doesn't work on Mac.

7 solutions to Seagate Backup Plus not mounting/working on Mac

For some reason, Seagate external hard drives could not be recognized by Mac. If you can't mount the Seagate Backup Plus drive in Disk Utility, the hard drive won't work on Mac. And you can't access the data stored on it. So it's very urgent to fix the problem to make it work again.

Macbook Pro Hard Drive Will Not Mount

Here are solutions to the Seagate Backup Plus not working or mounting issue.

• 1. Basic checks like the USB cable, USB port, and power resource.
• 2. Check whether the Seagate Backup Plus is showing up in Disk Utility
• 3. Check if the Seagate Backup Plus drive is mounted in Disk Utility
• 4. Show the Seagate Backup Plus on the desktop
• 5. Repair Seagate Backup Plus drive via First Aid
• 6. Update the software on Mac
• 7. Fix the not mounting or working Seagate Backup Plus drive by reformatting

1. Have some basic checks

Sometimes, the Seagate Backup Plus drive won't mount on Mac is due to the bad USB port or cable. Thus, once the Seagate Backup Plus drive stops working, you can first do some routine checks as below.

• Step 1. Check if the cable of the Seagate Backup Plus drive is connected properly to your Mac
  If the drive isn't properly plugged in, it will fail to mount as it received not enough or even no power.
• Step 2. Make sure the USB cable is not at fault
  Try using a different USB cable to see if that fixes the problem.
• Step 3. Check if the USB port is damaged
  Plug the Seagate Backup Plus into another USB port if you have another one. Otherwise, insert another external storage device in this USB port.
• Step 4. Check whether the Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive is powered properly
  In general, the current of USB port 2.3 and 3.0 are enough for the most external portable hard drives. But sometimes this amount of current may be insufficient while the drive is spinning up.
• In this situation, you can try to connect the Seagate Backup Plus with a USB Y cable if you have one. And for Seagate Backup Plus Hub and Expansion Desktop, a power adaptor is required for power supply.
• Step 5. Access the drive on other Macs
  Connect the Seagate Backup Plus drive to another Mac computer to see whether it works on that one or not. If the drive works on another Mac computer, there is something wrong with your Mac computer rather than the drive. What you should do is to ask for help from Apple support.
• Step 6. Check if the format of Seagate hard drive is supported by macOS
  For example, a Windows BitLocker encrypted drive will not be working on Mac originally. Your Mac computer is not able to mount it. To fix the problem, you can plug the Seagate Backup Plus into a PC and then access the drive on Windows.

2. Check whether the Seagate Backup Plus is showing up in Disk Utility

To troubleshoot this problem, you first need to know if this Seagate hard drive is detected by your Mac. Open the Utilities folder in your Applications folder. Launch Disk Utility and check the left pane then. If you can't see the external hard drive in macOS, the drive probably has been physically damaged. In that case, you should send the drive to the local repair shop. Otherwise, you can move to the next solution.

3. Check if the Seagate Backup Plus drive is mounted in Disk Utility

If the Seagate Backup Plus is mounted in Disk Utility, you should blame the wrong computer settings or outdated computer. Fortunately, it's easy to fix these issues. Just try solution 4 and solution 5. If the external hard drive is greyed out in Disk Utility, it's not mounted. You can try right-clicking the Seagate Backup Plus and choose the 'Mount' button. If that doesn't work, the drive has some file system problems. Please follow the solution 6 to repair the problem.

4. Show the Seagate Backup Plus on the desktop

If the Seagate external hard drive is mounted in Disk Utility, but it still doesn't show up on Mac. First of all, you should make sure the settings in Finder display drive icons on the desktop.

• 1. Go to Finder > Preferences > General tab.
• 2. Select 'External disks' under 'Show these items on the desktop' and then the connected external hard drive will appear on the desktop.

5. Repair Seagate Backup Plus drive via First Aid

Seagate Backup Plus not mounting issue on Mac can be caused by file system problems. Disk Utility's First Aid is a built-in tool on Mac to deal with errors related to disks, such as file system corruption. So you can try to fix the unmountable/corrupted Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive in Disk Utility by following the steps below.

• 1. Go to Utilities Disk Utility.
• 2. Click 'View' in the top menu bar (Or click 'View' on the top window). Then select 'Show All Devices'.
• 3. Select the Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive from the left sidebar.
• 4. Click 'First Aid' on the top of the Disk Utility window.
• 5. Click 'Run' to perform hard disk diagnostics and fix the not mounting/not working Seagate Backup Plus.

6. Update the software on Mac

Software updates keep your computer and programs secure, deal with quite a few bugs, and provide new features. Out-of-date software can cause a variety of issues. It's possible that the operating system will become sluggish and the connected device may not function properly. Fortunately, you can easily update the software on Mac.

Case 1. Update the software on macOS Mojave or Catalina. If you upgrade to macOS Mojave or macOS Catalina, you should choose 'System Preferences' from the Apple menu, then click 'Software Update' to check for updates. If any updates are available, click 'Update Now' to install them.

Case 2. Update the software on earlier macOS versions. Just launch the Mac App Store, click the 'Update' tab on the top and then choose the 'Update All'.

7. Fix the not mounting or working Seagate Backup Plus drive by reformatting

If First Aid failed on the external hard drive, it might have some serious errors that are beyond its reparation capability. In that case, you need to recover lost data from the Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive as soon as possible.

Step 1. Recover lost data from the unmountable/corrupted Seagate Back Plus

iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is free external hard drive data recovery software. It can easily recover files when the hard drive is not working or mounting on Mac. Also, it canrecover deleted photos and lost data from formatted drives, unreadable drives, corrupted drives, and recover deleted/lost partitions, etc. It's compatible withmacOS Big Sur 11/10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12/10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8/10.7.

• 1. Download and install iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac on Mac.
• 2. Launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac.
• 3. Select the Seagate Backup Plus and click the 'Scan' button to scan for all lost data.
• 4. Preview the searching results, choose files you want to get back, and click the 'Recover' button.

Here is a short video tutorial which shows you how to recover lost data from unmountable/corrupted external hard drives:

Step 2: Reformat the Seagate Backup Plus to make it work

After recovering data from the unmounted Seagate Backup Plus, you can now go to Disk Utility and reformat it without worrying about data loss.

• Steps to reformat Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive

If unfortunately, you can't reformat the Seagate Backup Plus drive, it must have physical issues. In this case, you have to look for help from a local data recovery company.

Bonus Part: Introduction to different Seagate Backup Plus drives

You probably use a Seagate desktop drive like Backup Plus Hub and Expansion. Or you could use a Backup Plus Portable drive like Ultra Touch and Slim. No matter which Seagate Backup Plus drive you choose, it could not work on the Mac for some reason.

Therefore, it's important to know the differences between those Seagate Backup Plus drives. This helps you to use the Seagate Backup Plus drive more correctly and efficiently, and then avoid hard disk corruption.

1. Seagate Backup Plus Hub: This Seagate Backup Plus Desktop drive has large capacities with cross-platform compatibility, which means you don't have to format the drive for both Mac and Windows again. It's an all-in-one data hub and recharging station for tablet, smartphone and camera.
2. Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch: Backup Plus Ultra Touch portable hard drives feature password protection and hardware encryption, USB-C compatibility, and file sync. You can't open the Seagate Backup Plus drive on Mac until it's unlocked. Moreover, an NTFS for Mac software is needed to use Backup Plus Ultra Touch on Mac, as it's preformatted with NTFS.
3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim: Seagate Backup Plus is small enough for a loaded laptop bag. It's an ideal external hard drive with easy portability and enough storage space. But avoid dropping your Seagate Backup Plus drive during transportation, in case it's damaged and not working.
4. SeagateBackup Plus Portable: Backup Plus portable drives offer easy-to-use software tools like Seagate Dashboard, so that you can schedule automatic backup and mirror folders easily.

How to Fix Samsung External SSD Not Working on Apple Silicon M1 Mac?

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Conclusion

No matter what caused Seagate Backup Plus not mounting, working, or readable issue on Mac, such as logical problems and physical damages, the most important thing is to back up important data or recover lost data with free Mac data recovery software. iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is a powerful and reliable data recovery tool on macOS which supports various external drives, including external hard drives, SD cards, USB flash drives, etc.

If you have any suggestions to solve this issue or experience any questions when using iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, please feel free to let us know.

ATA/SATA Hard Drive Not Detected in BIOS, Help!

'Hi there, have you ever met this problem that the hard drive suddenly cannot be detected in PC? I'm now having this problem that my computer cannot detect the second hard drive in my PC. My friend helps me to check the hard drive in BIOS, but no information on the hard drive is showing up. This is so strange. Is it damaged? What can I do? I still need the drive. And do you have any methods to fix this problem? Please help me if you do know any solutions, thanks.'

Are you having a similar problem with your hard drive? Don't worry if your ATA or SATA hard drive cannot be recognized by BIOS or PC anymore. Just follow quick fixes and effective solutions here to fix and repair ATA/SATA not detected/recognized in BIOS error and make it show up in PC and work again now.

Quick Fix 1. Connect ATA/SATA Hard Drive with Another Cable Port

My External Hard Drive Will Not Mount Mac

Sometimes, when the hard drive data cable gets loose, the drive may not be recognized or detected by PC. Therefore, you can try below two ways to make computer detect and read your ATA or SATA hard drive right away:

1. 1. Reconnect the hard drive with the data cable port or connect ATA/SATA hard drive to another new data cable in PC;
2. 2. Connect the hard drive with another desktop/laptop as a second HDD;

After this, if the computer can read and detect your ATA or SATA hard drive, then the problem has been solved. If not, don't worry. Try other solutions below to solve your problem now.

Quick Fix 2. Turn on and Enable ATA or SATA Hard Drive in BIOS

If your hard drive is a new disk and connected as a second drive in PC, it won't be recognized by PC till you enable it in BIOS:

• Shut down PC and unplug data cable from hard drive properly;
• Reconnect the hard drive with data cable;
• Restart PC and press F2 to enterBIOS;
• EnterSetup and check system documentation to see whether the not detected hard drive is turned Off in System Setup or not;
• If it's Off, turn it ON in System Setup.
• Reboot PC to check out and find your hard drive now.

Don't worry if your problem is still unsolved. Continue to follow below 3 methods to get your problem solved now.

Method 1. Update Hard Drive Drivers to Make ATA/SATA Hard Drive Detectable

If hard drive device drivers are outdated, the computer won't be able to run a hard drive nor read data on it. You can try below three offered options to get update hard drive drivers now:

1. 1. Contact hard drive manufacturer for help and update hard drive drivers;
2. 2. Download and update hard drive driver from manufacturer's website;
3. 3. Manually update hard drive device drivers in Windows system:

• Click 'Start' button > Type: Device Manager and hit Enter;
• Select Device Manager, expand categories to find the name of your hard drive and right-click it;
• Select 'Update Driver' > select 'Search automatically for updated driver software';
• If Windows doesn't find a new driver for your drive, find the latest one on the device manufacturer's website;
• If the above steps don't work, try re-installing the drivers: OpenDevice Manager> Right-click on your hard drive and select 'Uninstall';
• Then restart PC and Windows will automatically re-install the drivers on the hard drive for you.

After this, remember to reboot PC and keep changes in PC and hard drive.

Method 2. Initialize ATA/SATA Hard Drive to Make It Detectable

When hard drive especially new hard drive doesn't get initialized, it is unusable for users to install programs or save data. If you don't know how to initialize hard drive, never mind, professional partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master Free will help you do the job for free.

You can directly free download this software and follow the tutorial article: how to initialize a hard drive/SSD in Windows 10/8/7 and then make your hard drive detectable in BIOS and PC.

Method 3. Check Drive Spinning up or Not

1. 1. Turn off the PC and open the computer case to remove data cable from the hard drive;
2. 2. Reconnect the drive with data cable and restart PC;
3. 3. Check out whether the drive is spinning or not;
4. 4. If not, try to disconnect and reconnect the power cord on the computer and hard drive, repeat till the hard drive spin up;
5. 5. It still doesn't work, try to repeat these steps with another new PC;
6. 6. Or try to connect the drive in a SATA-USB enclosure or similar device;
7. 7. Or you can even get a warranty replacement order from hard drive manufacturer to see if it works or not.

Extra Tip: Format ATA/SATA Hard Drive to Make It Usable for Storing Data

If you still cannot use ATA or SATA hard drive for saving data, you can format the hard drive in your PC to make it usable for saving data now:

1. Enter Disk Management tool by right-clicking 'This PC/My Computer' and select 'Manage';
2. Click Disk Management in Device Manager, right-click on ATA or SATA hard drive partitions and select 'Format volume' or 'Delete volume' to reset hard drive to save data again.