How to fix unmounted improperly USB 3.0 Hard Drive on your Mac

[G4PPC]

I like just bought a Usb 3.0 External Hard Drive, it was working fine but when I went to unmount it on my Mac it popped up a window saying that it had "Unmounted Improperly" so now I can't access the Hard Drive, I can't Mount it and I can't reformat it, how can you fix it?

It does not show up in Disk Utility, or in system info. I even tried accessing it on Windows thinking that windows would let me format it but windows says there is no disk in that Drive all though it Mounts it. I don't want to recover files off of it there is nothing stored on it I just want the use of the Hard Drive back.

Please Help..

 

[bogdanw]

In Disk Utility - Choose View > Show All Devices
https://support.apple.com/HT210898
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210898

 

[G4PPC]

In Disk Utility - Choose View > Show All Devices
https://support.apple.com/HT210898
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210898

Thank you,

but I already tried that and it still doesn't show up, I tried everything there is online when the drive unmounted improperly it set it's status to No Media and though it shows up on windows using Diskpart I can't change the No Media Status of the drive. I downloaded every program known to the internet for windows that deals with Recovery and Partitions but none them will show or access the USB 3.0 Hard Drive in it's No Media State even though it is properly connected and I own Disk Drill Pro but it won't even do nothing.. I even tried booting into getparted but it wouldn't show up there either and I attached the USB Drive to Windows98 in Virtualbox on my Mac and ran Fdisk but it still doesn't show up.

So I guess I lost my Money, at least it only cost me 29 dollars.

I don't know what else to try, there doesn't seem to be any solution to Fix the No Media Status of a USB Drive, short of sending it to a professional or is there a way to fix it?

 

[bogdanw]

Try from Terminal

diskutil list physical

and post a screenshot.

You can also try TestDisk https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download
“TestDisk Step By Step” https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

 

[G4PPC]

Try from Terminal

diskutil list physical

and post a screenshot.

You can also try TestDisk https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download
“TestDisk Step By Step” https://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Step_By_Step

Thank you, I did try that in the Terminal but it still doesn't show My USB Drive, and I tried Testdisk but it doesn't find anything either. Here are some screen shots.

What it looked like before it stopped working.

Disk 1 and Volume 3 is it but I can't format it, Partition it, or Change the Volume using DiskPart.

That is what it say's in Windows Device Manger.

Terminal not listing it.

Testdisk saying nothing was found.

Also I tested this all on the same Computer running Virtualbox on my Mac with Windows 7, it shows up under USB devices in Virtualbox.

Unknown device FFFF:1201

Maybe those help. I can't figure it out, in the attachment that is from Windows XP where I have other Virtual Hard Drives installed so it's listed there as Disk 3 in the Disk Manager.

 

[bogdanw]

If you have warranty, return it.
If not, I would take it apart to see if something is disconnected.

 

[G4PPC]

If you have warranty, return it.
If not, I would take it apart to see if something is disconnected.

Yep, I probably should payed for a Warranty when it asked me about if I wanted one, as the seller doesn't take returns.

Also it doesn't look like there is a way to open it up, I don't see any screws on anything on it.

Next time I am going stick with USB 2.0 when ever my 2.0 devices unmounted improperly they have always been recoverable and windows always wants to format the drive afterwards.

Apple really needs to fix the Unmounting Improperly Glitch of Mac OS, this has happened to me on Big Sur, El Capitan and Snow Leopard. Mac OS ruins USB Pen Drives all the time but most 2.0 devices are recoverable with Programs like Disk Drill and can be reformatted by Windows.

 

[saudor]

What model is this drive? It could be that the enclosure failed. Looks sketchy nonetheless especially with a name like "USB2DISK"

 

[G4PPC]

What model is this drive? It could be that the enclosure failed. Looks sketchy nonetheless especially with a name like "USB2DISK"

I don't really know all the box say's is External Hard Disk USB 3.0, then on the drive it just has USB 3.0. I ordered it from a U. S. Seller but it still say's Made In China. There is no Manual.

Say's it's driverless except on Windows 10.

I just need to be more careful with Unmounting, There is a program on the Appstore called NoAutoMount I am thinking of buying it for 99 cents.

 

[saudor]

I don't really know all the box say's is External Hard Disk USB 3.0, then on the drive it just has USB 3.0. I ordered it from a U. S. Seller but it still say's Made In China. There is no Manual.

Say's it's driverless except on Windows 10.

I just need to be more careful with Unmounting, There is a program on the Appstore called NoAutoMount I am thinking of buying it for 99 cents.

you shouldn’t need that app. format it to HFS and it will be much better. it probably came with exfat or something and you will lose data if you don’t safely eject

still sounds like a sketchy drive. 3rd party sellers are notorious for selling knockoffs and scam items.

 

[bogdanw]

Next time I am going stick with USB 2.0 when ever my 2.0 devices unmounted improperly they have always been recoverable and windows always wants to format the drive afterwards.

That reminded me of something. I have an USB 3 HDD enclosure that keeps disconnecting when connected over USB 3, but works perfectly on USB 2.
You could try to force your USB 3.0 External Hard Drive to an USB 2 connection either by using a different cable or by using a USB 2.0 hub
https://www.amazon.com/XUnion-Portable-Aluminum-Splitter-Laptop/dp/B0B2M3PVWS/

 

[G4PPC]

you shouldn’t need that app. format it to HFS and it will be much better. it probably came with exfat or something and you will lose data if you don’t safely eject

still sounds like a sketchy drive. 3rd party sellers are notorious for selling knockoffs and scam items.

Thank you, and you are correct as I bought it and all it does is block Mac OS from Mounting your Drive when you plug it in and you have to open Disk Utility select it and click on Mount or you can set the app to disable NotAutoMounting.

I think I got ripped off too, it might been okay if I would formatted it as HFS before it Unmounted Improperly, I have only thought of one other way I might can fix it is by loading a version of Linux that has Partition Magic or Something from a live CD, Linux usually shows everything even if it's unreadable. I found my Puppy Linux Live CD but I haven't tried it yet.

That reminded me of something. I have an USB 3 HDD enclosure that keeps disconnecting when connected over USB 3, but works perfectly on USB 2.
You could try to force your USB 3.0 External Hard Drive to an USB 2 connection either by using a different cable or by using a USB 2.0 hub
https://www.amazon.com/XUnion-Portable-Aluminum-Splitter-Laptop/dp/B0B2M3PVWS/

Thanks for the tip, I like just bought one those I'll hook it up as 2.0 and see if that does anything.