
Then format the corrupted external hard drive:

Otherwise, you need to restore the files from the external HD first with a Mac file recovery app you trust. It will remove all errors by writing a new file system on the external hard drive and prepare it as a new and blank disk for use.īefore handling the formatting, you need to make sure you have adequate backups of important files. When the external hard drive has been badly corrupted, formatting will be the last fix. If you see the messages telling you that the First Aid failed, the external hard drive is too corrupted to be fixed by First Aid.įix a corrupted external hard drive by formatting
#SEARCH MAC HARD DRIVE FOR WORD USED IN DOCUMENT SOFTWARE#
Run First Aid to repair the software errorsĭo you know First Aid? It is a small utility in Disk Utility for checking and repairing the minor logic errors on a disk.Reboot the Mac/MacBook to refresh all USB ports.Use another USB port/cable/hub/adapter.Wipe the USB port with a clean and dry towel to get rid of any dust or other material.Make sure the connection is clean and firm. Many times, poor connection will make the Mac/MacBook not recognize the external hard drive. To fix a corrupted external hard drive on Mac, the solutions are categorized into without formatting and by formatting.įix a corrupted external hard drive without formattingįormatting usually is the least wanted solution for fixing the problem, so we gather two fixes without formatting here. The corruption not only happens to external hard drives but also to internal Mac hard drive and other external devices.

Consequently, users will be unable to open the external hard drive nor access the files on it. The errors will make the external hard drives failed to be mounted, recognized or read by MacOS. The errors may resident in the partition table, file system, root directory or large data sectors. For example, if one criterion specifies searching for items whose name begins with S and you add a criterion to search for items created today, the search results include only items created today whose names begin with S.Different from hardware damages, a corrupted external hard drive usually results from software errors. To appear in the search results, an item must match all your criteria.

You can set criteria and specify that Any, All or None of them must be met. To search using Boolean operators (OR, AND or NOT), press and hold the Option key, then click the button that appears. To add a kind, choose Other.Īdd or remove search criteria as needed by clicking the Add button or the Remove button. For example, to search copyright information, select Copyright in the list of attributes, then click OK.Ĭhoose criteria from other pop-up menus that appear.įor example, after you choose Kind, click the other pop-up menu to specify Document or Image. To add criteria, choose Other, then select each attribute you want to add. Or to search for any item whose name contains a particular word or phrase, choose Name.

In a Finder window: Enter your search term in the search field, then press Return.Ĭlick the Add button on the right side of the search window, below the search field.Ĭlick the far-left pop-up menu, then choose or add search criteria.įor example, to search for only a certain type of item instead of all items, choose Kind. In Spotlight: Open Spotlight, enter your search term in the search field, then click Search in Finder at the bottom of the search results. Start your search on your Mac in Spotlight or in a Finder window. For example, you can search for particular kinds of files, or for items created on a particular date.
