Can't see external HD on desktop

I recently installed a Maxtor 3200 on my iMac. The drive is properly formatted for a Mac and is visible when viewed in the Disk Utility.
I am unable to see drive in the Finder or on my desktop.
Help anyone please

How is the drive formatted? Does anything at http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1156093&tstart=0 help?
Or how about this (nice one Francine):
http://www.pinkmutant.com/articles/invisible.html
Steve
Also try searching discussions for disappearing drives.

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Can't see external drive on desktop

I have a iomega external hard drive connected via a usb cable. All of a suuden it's disappeared from my desktop. I can't locate it anywhere. It has all my music films, etc and whilst the music still plays via itunes I can't see the hard drive, which I think is full. any ideas?

Verify that you OS configured to display hd icons on the desktop.
finder > preferences.
try a different
-- usb port
-- usb cable
-- computer
Bakup you ituns library.
How old is this drive. I greater than 5 years I'd say it would seem like a hardware problem with the drive.

Can I see my macbook air desktop on apple tv?

Can I see my macbook air desktop on apple tv?
Thank you,

Welcome to the Apple community.
No, unfortunately you cannot currently do that.
You may be able to do this under the next operating system "mountain lion", subject to any hardware restrictions there maybe.

Can I See My Mac's DeskTop on the Apple TV?

Can I See My Mac's DeskTop on the Apple TV ? (MY TV Sceen)
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Fire Wire: MBP OS X.4.11 Can't see external devices. PLEASE HELP!

Fire Wire: MBP OS X.4.11 Can't see external devices. PLEASE HELP!
My MBP will not "see" my new MB or my back-up drive—both connected via a firewire 400 (6 pin) cable. Both running Tiger X.4.11
I have used this cable to connect my MBP and a TiBook in the past as well as to back-up onto the LaCie e-drive.
I have run "disk repair" and "permissions" on both machines.
BTW—"permissions" are regularly out of wack on the MBP. But, the disk is OK according to Disk Utilities.
I also cannot put the machine to sleep after logging out. Has a hard time shutting down as well. Sometimes I need to force a re-boot.
Can't run Disk Doctor because I don't have a bootable disk yet. It's coming via snail mail.
The new MB "sees" the e-drive connected with the same cable.
I can't transfer my files to the new MB nor can I back up.
Is it time for a "clean install"? Makes me nervous that I cannot backup before trying anything drastic.
Can someone please help me?
Thanks in advance.
Tek

Put the more recalcitrant computer into Target Drive mode by starting it with the T key down until you see the yellow on blue screen. Then connect it to the other machine by firewire cable while both are already awake.
I hope that you did not do any upgrades while you had external drives connected... that is an automatic problem. Always disconnect from externals and accessories before doing any upgrades. Always back up before doing any upgrades.
Firewire networking is not the same as using a computer in Target Disc mode. In Target disc mode, you are using the internal drive of the Td computer as an external. That should allow you to run disk utility. Do use the proper disc utility version for the OSX version that is on problem drive. ie don't use the Leopard disc utility for the Tiger disc or vice versa.

When I add a CD to my desktop, it uploads to Match and I can get it on my laptop. If I add a CD to the laptop, it doesn't upload automatically to the cloud and I can't see it on my desktop.

When I add a CD to my desktop, it uploads to Match and I can get it on my laptop. If I add a CD to the laptop, it doesn't upload automatically to the cloud and I can't see it on my desktop.

On the laptop try signing out of the iTunes Store, full shutdown and restart computer from cold. Once running and connected to the internet, launch iTunes, sign-in to iTunes Store and start iTunes Match - allow the 3-step process to complete.
In the Songs view enable the iCloud Download and iCloud Status fields and examine the status of the CD songs, they should be matched or uploaded - if not check the quality of the Song files, pending results re-rip at 320 kbit AAC and repeat the steps above.

Can't see external hard drive in 10.3.9

My friend has a MacBook G3, using OS 10.3.9. I tried to give her an external hard drive, a Western Digital pocket drive (runs on USB power). But, the drive won't mount on her desktop, and we can't even see it using Disk Utility on her computer. The drive's powerlight is ON after we plug it into the USB port, but we just can't see the drive, not even to format it.
It works fine on my MacBook running OS 10.5.6, and I reformated it several times, with several different format options, on my MacBook. But no matter what we do, the drive is not visible on the G3, even though it is getting power from the G3 USB port.
Any suggestions?

Look at these links.
USB and FireWire Quick Assist
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1151?viewlocale=en_US
Common fixes for USB device issues (unrecognized, etc.)
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20070824012114701
Try the above fixes first. It's possible that there's not enough power in the USB port to spin up the HD. Although usually you will get an error notification. You could get an AC powered USB hub to connect to the PB & then to the HD if this is the situation.
 Cheers, Tom

Help Please - Can't See External Hard Drive

Hi,
Apologies for the length of this post, I'd really appreciate any help anyone can give me with this problem.
I've been using an Lacie external firewire drive for ages and suddenly I can't see the icon on my desktop or access it.
I realised a few months ago I changed the name of the drive and accidently put a space at the start of the title - is this the problem? I think it's been working fine up to today.
I can see the disk in Utilities and get the following error message when I try and verify the drive:
Disk Utility stopped verifying “ Audio Drive 1 ” because the following error was encountered:
The underlying task reported failure on exit
And:- Verifying volume “ Audio Drive 1 ”
Invalid Volume Header
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid sibling link
The volume Audio Drive 1 needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair
When I try and repair, I get the following:
First Aid Failed
Disk Utility stopped repairing “ Audio Drive 1 ” because the following error was encountered:
The underlying task reported failure on exit
And:- Verify and Repair disk “ Audio Drive 1 ”
Invalid Volume Header
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid sibling link
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
Many thanks for your help,
Rob

Can anyone help me with this: I recently bought an external hard-drive (maxtor seagate 1Terrabite) to backup everything on my macbook/PC/Playstation 3, but at the time of purchase i forgot that they all use different formatting systems (FAT32,NTFS etc) how silly of me.....
is it possible to partition my External HDD in separate formats e.g: one partition as FAT32 and another as OSX, so that i can backup all my data from all my different systems, like my PS3.
if this isent possible, the only other option i could think of is to just buy another external HDD but then it all becomes to costly
if anyone has an answer please email/IM me on [email protected]

Can't See External Hard Drive

I have just bought a Pleiades USB/LAN External Storage Enclosure and put a G2-lan Seagate 200gb hard drive in it. I’ve connected it through via USB and network cable (not at the same time) and I’m pulling my hair out cos I have no freakin idea how it works.
The network cable seamed to complicated by my pathetic excuse for a brain so I’m trying to connect it via USB and even that simple task seams too much for me. My manual says “Turn your computer on and start Mac OS X, connect the Pleiades and turn it on, no river installation is required, the external drive will mount and show up on your desktop”. Pitty it didn’t. I noted the footnote “For factory new drivers and formatting, see “Partitioning and Formatting” So I go there: “Select “Disk Utility” in the utilities folder. Chose your external drive and create a FAT32 partition”. Would be good, if my external drive showed up in the list. Then there is a side note that says “If you can not see the drive, make sure the settings of your hard drive are correct, there are no extension conflicts and the power is turned on”. The power is turned on, but I have no idea how to see the settings on the hard drive let alone know what they should be.
And that’s my conundrum. Help please.

Hello! A couple of things. First pull the drive and check the jumpers to see if it's jumpered as "master". The cable select position won't work on an ext case. Was the drive new or pulled from another computer? It could be set to the "slave" jumper and again would need to be changed to "master". The jumper settings are usually noted on the drive but you might have to go the the Manf. site to find them. Once your sure the drive is set to master plug the usb connector in and turn it on and see if it either pops up on the desktop or gives you the "do you want to initialize" window. Post back with your results. Tom

Migration Assistant can't see external Time Machine

I appreciate Macs and all they can do but I am not great with the technical side. I apologise if this is an stupid question. Probably all my technical questions seem stupid to people who can find their way around the mac.
Shiny new iMac. Yah!
Hmm there's a problem.
External drive with Time Machine backups on it shows on the desktop, however when I use Migration Assistant to transfer info it can't find it.
The external drive is plugged directly into the iMac.
I can open the external drive and see there are Time Machine backups.
The Time Machine App is currently set to off on my new iMac. Is it as simply as switching it to "on"? I was concerned about overwriting the old backups and losing them.
Thanks for assistance.

Most likely, some folders were excluded from your backups as the result of a failed or aborted software installation.
Starting from a clean installation of OS X, set up a new administrator account and log in. Enter Time Machine and press the key combination shift-command-C. The front window will show all mounted volumes. All snapshots should now be accessible.* Select the one you want and navigate to your home folder (in the Users folder at the top level of the old startup volume.)
You should now be able to restore your user data. I suggest you do this in two stages. Quit all applications except the Finder before you begin.
Restore all the visible items at the top level of your home folder.
Hold down the option key and select Go ▹ Library from the Finder menu bar. Enter Time Machine and restore all items in the Library folder. Log out and log back in as soon as the restore is complete.
Any other invisible folders or files at the top level of your home folder that you want to preserve will have to be restored separately. For most users, that isn't necessary.
You'll have to reinstall all third-party applications from scratch, or restore them from another kind of backup, if you have one.
You'll have another problem if this is a new computer, or if you erased the startup volume: The next time you back up, Time Machine won't recognize any files as being the same as they were before, and will make a full copy of all files. There might not be enough space on one or more of your backup volumes for that. There are different ways of dealing with that situation, depending on your needs. The easiest way is to set your backup drives aside, if possible, until you're sure you'll no longer need the data on them, then erase them and start over. Meanwhile start a new backup on one or more empty storage devices. If that solution isn't workable for you, ask for instructions.
*If you don't see any snapshots in Time Machine, exit the time-travel view and then hold down the option key while selecting
Browse Other Backup Disks...
from the Time Machine menu, which has an icon that looks like a clock running backwards. Select the backups of your computer by its previous name. If you don't have the Time Machine menu, open the Time Machine preference pane in System Preferences and check the box marked
Show Time Machine in menu bar

Can't see external hard drive after error code -36

Hi, was copying iphoto data from an WD My Passport 750GB external hard drive to my MACBook when the system said it could not complete the copy as it had encountered a problem and indicated error code -36. Now I can't see the external drive (or any data) on any computer. I have tried 3 different MACs to no avail. The drive makes a soft beeping noise but then stops but the light stays on.
Any ideas on how I can get access to my data??

Make sure the cable is securely seated on the device side.
If that's not the problem, then either the drive mechanism or the enclosure has failed. If you don't have backups, you'd better hope it's the latter. Remove the mechanism from the enclosure and install it another enclosure. You can buy fairly inexpensive USB docks that a SATA drive drops into with no need for disassembly.
Failing that, your only chance is to send the drive to a recovery service such as Drive Savers. They disassemble the drive mechanism in a clean room and mount the platters in another drive. Cost will be in the 4-5 figure range, and the results are uncertain.
If you don't have backups, you don't have data.

Can't see external drive for movie import

Hi gang,
I have all of my iMovie projects on an external hard drive plugged directly by Firewire 2 into my MacPro. When I run iMovie 9.09, I get a beautiful sorted list of all of my projects by year. When I run iMovie 10.0.5., I can't even see the external drive that contains my movies. On the left column of the new iMovie, I have the choices of iPhoto Library, All Events, All Projects, and an iMovie Library that is empty.
How can I see my external drive with all of my long years of iMovie work on it in the new version of iMovie?
Cheers!

Just to respond to the comment above.
Disk formatting and disk access security are two different thing.
An Airport disk can be formatted as HFS+ and both Macs and PCs will be able to access it.
Regarding "Security" which you setup on the Airport Extreme there are two option:
a) "Secure Disks: With accounts": Here each user on your network will only be able to see and access the folders and files they uploaded to the Airport disk themselves. The disk (as hardware) is shared but data is not shared.
b) "With a disk password": Here all users on your network will be able to see and access all folders and files on the Airport disk.
I hope this makes things a little more clear.
Karsten

Can't See External Drive Data

Hi,
I'm brand new to Macs but loving my new iMac and Airport Extreme with one problem... I keep all my music on an External drive and I can't see anything on the drive. It is plugged into an Airport Extreme through a USB hub. I plugged it into the Airport directly and got same result. Printers plugged into the hub work fine.
If I go into the Airport Utility, I can see the that the hard drive exists and appears to have the sharing settings correct (according to other posts here). I can't see it from my PC's either. If I plug the drive into a PC, the other PC's can see all the music. The external drive is a Maxtor 200 gig One Touch.
Any suggestions?

Just to respond to the comment above.
Disk formatting and disk access security are two different thing.
An Airport disk can be formatted as HFS+ and both Macs and PCs will be able to access it.
Regarding "Security" which you setup on the Airport Extreme there are two option:
a) "Secure Disks: With accounts": Here each user on your network will only be able to see and access the folders and files they uploaded to the Airport disk themselves. The disk (as hardware) is shared but data is not shared.
b) "With a disk password": Here all users on your network will be able to see and access all folders and files on the Airport disk.
I hope this makes things a little more clear.
Karsten

Can not see hard drive on desktop after reinstalling Mountain Lion

I have erased my hard drive and reinstalled Mountain Lion 10.8.4 and now I can not see the MacIntosh HD on the desk top. Downloaded the most recent updates and restarted but still do not see the hard drive on the desk top. Any ideas?

Open Finder preferences and on the general tab check Hard disks for Show these items on the desktop.

Can't See Anything on my Desktop

Okay I know I'll slap myself in the future for saying this, but whenever I look at my desktop all I see is the background, but when I navigate to /home/user/desktop I see files there! I'm such a retard

centos wrote:Is there a chance that you're using Gnome-Shell?
Sorry I'm kind of lost I'm a newbie! also is it worth mentioning I can't drag anything onto my desktop?

Can't see external HD on desktop

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