Hey everyone! So, I recently encountered a problem with my Toshiba External Disk Drive on my Mac. After maybe a system update, the drive suddenly became inaccessible, and I can't open any of my files. In Disk Utility, the drive is grayed out, and attempting to mount it doesn't do anything.
I've tried the classic unplugging and re-plugging trick and even ran the First Aid process, but I ended up force quitting because I was worried it might delete my stuff. I really need to recover these files; they contain years of important projects.
To make matters worse, my parents warned me about using this drive, and now they think I'm out of luck and that I can't get my files back. They don't really get tech stuff, and keep insisting on how risky it is to do first aid. I just need some solid advice on how to fix this without losing everything! I'm running Mac version 15.5, if that helps.
2 Answers
Have you tried restoring your files from a Time Machine backup? If you have it set up, that could be your best bet to recover what you lost. Just keep in mind that you might need to figure out why the drive isn’t showing up in Time Machine to access that backup.
If your data is really important, consider sending your drive to a professional data recovery service. They can often recover files even if there's physical damage. Just be aware that those services can get pricey!
I don’t think it’s damaged though; it just stopped getting recognized out of nowhere.
How exactly do I access the backup if the drive isn't showing? I’m confused!