No hard drive found on disk utility while booting from OS X dvd

My Macbook crashed recently, the screen wouldn't give me video when I opened the lid from closing it earlier and the fan was doing its ominous thing with getting louder and louder. I had to force shut down. On restarting it wouldn't boot beyond the infamous grey screen, where the loading sign eventually turned into the prohibitory sign. I found a support article and worked my way through safe boot, various resets to eventually booting from the OS X dvd (Leopard 10.6.??), at which point (according to the article), I was supposed to perform a disk utility check. Except that in disk utility nothing shows up except for the software dvd, no hard drive or anything else to be seen. On checking the system profiler I found that "there was an error while scanning for serial ATA devices" (which I found out means hard drive :-P).
What do I do from here? I haven't been able to find a support article that deals with this exact situation, what more can I try to solve this problem?
Thanks in advance.

That means the drive needs to be repartitioned if it's still functional. See:
Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs,) then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

Similar Messages

Can't restore from Disk Utility while booted from OS installation DVD

I'm absolutely astounded by this.
I have a new MacBook Pro 17". I restored my files to it and in short order, had it too full/fragmented to re-partition it for Boot Camp.
So I decided to image the disk and store that image file on a FireWire drive, wipe the system disk and restore it cleanly from the image file backup, hoping that would result in contiguous blocks used so that I could then re-partition for Boot Camp.
When booted off the OS X for Intel DVD-ROM disc (10.4.6 - the one that came with my MacBook Pro), if I get out of Installer and into Disk Utility, if I select the internal hard drive and click the Restore tab, I can easily select the hard drive backup image with the button. But the "Destination Disk:" box is only accessible via dragging the disk to the box.
There's one little problem - there is no Desktop, so the disk(s) do not appear on the Desktop. There is no way to drag the target disk to be restored to into the Destination Disk: box. You cannot drag a disk out from the little sidebar inside the Disk Utility window over to the Destination box. I tried. You can't drag any disk anywhere from that sidebar. It's clear that the only way to drag a disk anywhere is if it's shown on the Desktop in Finder (which isn't running when the installation DVD-ROM is booted from). There is simply no way that I can find to restore a disk drive from a saved backup disk image when booted from the installation DVD-ROM.
Please tell me I'm ******** and missing something, or if there's a Better Way to do this. (I can't seem to run Retrospect while booted off the DVD-ROM, so I can't restore from my Retrospect full backup of the disk, either. Joy!)
(I'm really curious if there's a Better Way - especially because it appears I can't boot from an external FireWire or USB 2.0 drive, so I need something that will work in this extremely limited installation DVD-ROM booted environment, I think.)
MacBook Pro 17" dual 2.16 GHz ; Mac OS X (10.4.6) Booted from Mac OS X for Intel 10.4.6 installation DVD-ROM

You can use an external bootable drive with a MacBook Pro -- check your manual or the built in help. Your problem is that for some reason, you can't install a bootable system on one. There are several reasons why Installer won't enable you to do so: insufficient space, incompatible partition scheme (should be GUID) or file system (should be HFS+ or similar), or wrong installation option selected.
It is possible this is related to why you can't drag the startup volume to the destination box in Disk Utility. It must be an HFS+ variant file system.
I think you should check carefully with D.U. the partition scheme of all your drives & the file system format of all the volumes involved. Also run repair disk, as someone has already pointed out.
The behavior with the Restore function is not normal -- you should be able to drag a volume to the destination box from the list.

Cannot repair disk errors for OSX boot volume using Disk Utility while booted from different disk

I have tried three times to repair my boot volume (OSX 10.6.8 Snow Leopard) permissions using Disk Utility while booted up on a different volume (running Snow Leopard 10.6.4). After hours of Disk Utility reporting that it HAD fixed the problems, an immediate click of "Verify permissions" immediately results in the apparently same continuous stream of permission errors.

Then better luck next time around. Here are some ideas for then:
How to Install Lion Successfully - You must have Snow Leopard 10.6.7 or 10.6.8 Installed
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.3.) if DW cannot fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall Snow Leopard.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the backup volume. Source means the internal startup volume.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is complete and you've restarted.
You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade to Lion:
Purchase the Lion Installer from the Mac App Store. The download will start quickly. Lion is nearly 4 GBs so a fast internet connection is essential. Download time could run upwards of 4 hours depending upon network conditions and server demands at the time.
Boot From The Lion Installer which is located in your Applications folder.
Follow instructions for installation.

Possibly dumb Q: Running Disk Utility when booted from OSX Install DVD

Hey there Mac folks. I was wondering about this:
I'm running OSX 10.4.5 on a 2x2.0GHz G5 with 4 internal drives. (I stuffed 2 into the PCI bay with a G5Jam bracket kit.) I use Disk Utility v10.5.3, which is current for OSX 10.4.5, when doing basic maintenance/repair on my secondary drives, as well as to repair permissions and do a verify (but not repair) on my startup drive. When I have to do a repair on my startup drive, barring the use of other 3rd party apps, I have to boot from my OS 10.4 DVD, and use the Disk Utility there. However, since it's a 10.4.0, the Disk Utility there is v 10.5.0.
So, the question: Should I care? Any chance of a problem? I know the Disk Utility's repairing doesn't really care what OS, if any, is installed on a drive it's repairing (at least I think that's true?), but I have no idea what changes/improvemnts have been made to Disk Utility. Actually, I've always wondered about this sort of thing since OS 10.0.
I think I can make a copy of my Tiger install DVD with the newer version of Disk Utility inserted onto it, replacing the old one with v10.5.3. I don't know if it's worth the trouble though. I figure that for the newbie users, Apple would have thought of this, and addressed it if it were a potential problem. (Despite this Q, I'm not a newbie!)

Hi, JonYo.
Booting from your Tiger Install DVD to Verify or Repair your startup disk is fine. No worries!
The major changes in Disk Utility from 10.5 to 10.5.3 were:
• Better handling of overlapped extent allocation errors. Third-party utilities, such as Alsoft’s DiskWarrior may still be better at this task.
• The addition of live verification: the ability to Verify your startup disk while booted from such. One of the intermediate releases
The key point is to only use Tiger-compatible disk utilities with Tiger.
If you've implemented a proper backup and recovery solution where you are creating a bootable duplicate of your startup disk, you could also start up from the duplicate and run the latest version of Disk Utility on such to Verify or Repair your usual startup disk. For advice on the backup and recovery solution I employ, see my "Backup and Recovery" FAQ.
Computing without a comprehensive backup and recovery solution is like driving without auto insurance.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Hard drive is missing. I can boot from the cd but when running the disk utility, no hard drive shows up.

Hard drive is missing. I can boot from the cd but when running the disk utility, no hard drive shows up.
This is a problem that suddenly appeared.

Please post a screenshot of Disk Utility that shows what you mean. Be careful not to include any private information.
Start a reply to this message. Click the camera icon in the toolbar of the editing window and select the image file to upload it. You can also include text in the reply.

Hard drive absent in disk utility - want to erase and reinstall MacOS

Hi there. Any help would be most gratefully received.
I have a Power Mac G5 Dual 2Ghz with 2GB RAM, one internal HDD (250GB serial ATA 7200rpm - the original one), two external HDDs and a Philips 170B display, running (or not) MacOS 10.39.
It was working fine yesterday but on startup this morning it hung for a while on the grey Apple logo and progress "clock" then froze on a blue screen.
I tried removing all cables except display and keyboard/mouse and restarted a few times but to no avail.
I tried entering safe mode but it wouldn't work. Upon subsequent attempts at startup it took me (instead of the blue screen) to the flashing question mark/finder folder screen.
I then booted from my install CD and tried to run Disk Utility to repair the disk. Disk Utility recognised the disk and allowed me to select it. But when I tried to verify it, it failed and told me to repair. When I tried to repair it told me "invalid b-tree node size".
I then tried running the Apple Hardware Test CD. It found no faults at all in the full test of the system.
All of my data is stored on my external HDDs so my next thought was to erase the internal HDD and reinstall my software. (I use the Mac solely for Video editing and the only applications I have installed - in addition to all the basics - are the Apple Production Suite.)
However, this time when I booted from the install CD, Disk Utility would not recognise the internal HDD. The only thing I had done since it had recognised it the last time was to run the Hardware tests. In addition, since running the hardware tests, the HDD started making a strange noise whenever the Mac was on - like clicking with almost beep-like access noises.
The last time I tried restarting and booting into Disk Utility, the clicking began again and then eventually stopped. But still no evidence of the drive in Disk Utility.
Soooooooooo. I don't need to save any data on the hard drive. I have all my software and OS discs. I just want to wipe the drive and start afresh (assuming this is the best course of action?). But I am unable to do so because of this new development in my attempts to fix the problem: the unrecognised hard drive (coupled with the strange noises).
If you have any ideas, please do get in touch. I'm pretty broke at the minute and I'm trying to find a solution without having to purchase a new drive. Obviously, if this is the only solution, then I'll have to bear that cost. But since it has recognised the disk just a few steps before, I'm hoping there's a way back.
Yours in optimism

I am not sure about battery, I still use G4 MDD which is unplugged for months, was always off at night (UPS was off) and still works.
But I would always use both SATA drive bays, and I think you need to invest in one or two new drives.
For now, try disconnecting your drive and see if you can boot from external drive and CD/DVD.
Also see if you can get into Open Firmware.
Resetting PMU would also be worth while when you get in to disconnect your hard drive (I think 3 yrs is more than enough for any OEM drive, too).
http://www.apple.com/support/powermac/

How do you fix bad blocks on an external hard drive without using disk utility

so basically does anyone know how to fix bad blocks on a external hard drive without using disk utlility please

Oh...if you have data you are trying to save then its best to try cloning the drive to another one, which should save its data as-is to another drive. Hopefully you can do so without there being hangups around the bad blocks and keep at least most of your data intact. I'd recommend you try using Carbon Copy Cloner to do this, but you will need a secondary drive that is at least the size of the data on the problematic drive.

Hard disk doesn't appear in disk utility when booting from dvd only via usb

i put a new hard disk (wd3200bevt) in my macbook white and my macbook pro 2.4 (not alu). when i boot from the dvd (10.5) disk utility doesnt find any disk. when i boot from an usb stick with leopard on it then it found the disk and i can install the system. when the system is installed and the books can boot the installed system anything looks fine, but when i boot from the original dvds disk utility doesn't find any hard disk once more.... when i boot from my usb stick it shows the new disk in disk utility. what is the problem when i boot from dvd?

don't know but try two boots in a row. worked for me.

Hard Drive Issue? Disk Utility issue?

Every once in a while i run disk utility to see if my disk is running properly. I ran permissions and got all of this in the log window. I backed up my drive and re-installed MacOS X and re-ran permissions and got the same log below. I then ran DiskWarrior and rebuilt my directory, then re-ran permissions again, again getting the same log below. What does all of this mean, and what can i do to fix this?
"Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/DVD.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSettings.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSources.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Movies.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Music.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Photos.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Podcasts.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/TV.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BackRow.framework/Versions/A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents/ CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/CodeResou rces", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/Filesystems/AppleShare/afpLoad" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/A/Resources /DiskManagementTool" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "sbin/umount" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "bin/rcp" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/CodeResourc es", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/BlackAndWhiteEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/CubeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DissolveTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DropletTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FadeThroughBlackTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransitionSmall.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PageFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PushTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/RevealTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/SepiaEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/TwirlTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/WipeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/quota" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/rlogin" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/rsh" has been modified and will not be repaired.
ACL found but not expected on "Applications".
Permissions repair complete"

What does all of this mean,
Nothing to worry about.
and what can i do to fix this?
Nothing - Apple will need to clean this up, which they will probably do with some future update. In the meantime, there's no need to worry about any of the above.
See this kbase article, which lists permissions errors that can be safely ignored:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448

Hard drive visible in Disk Utility but not on desktop

I have an external hard drive, one of a RAID 1 mirrored pair which I have been connecting to my computer with FW800. I was having problems as was using one of them for a while, which solved them. When I hooked them both up to my computer, they showed up as two separate drives rather than one drive like before (since they were mirrored). Now the one I have been using does not appear on the desktop but I can see it in Disk Utility, but can't fix permissions with it or even verify it. I've tried connecting with USB instead of FW800 but that has no effect.

already checked, there is a problem with my computer or with the external hard drive. Now a new esata array is giving me problems so I am starting to think there is something wrong with the computer.

Hard Drive fubar? Disk Utility fail! New macbook...

My 2009 MBP tried to install a security update last night and failed - had the screen with the box advising to turn off and on again - after 2 power on attempts all was well and working fine.
I turned it off this evening and then turned it back on (I wish I hadn't) only to find a grey screen with a progress bar running along the bottom. The MBP will try a couple of times to start, but the progress bar only gets a 3rd of the way along and after two (three?) attempts it turns off.
I tried booting to safe mode (holding down shift) - tries to boot, fails as above.
Tried the install disc and holding down C - it tries to boot but fails as above.
I tried with command S for single user and made some progress...
typed:
/sbin/fsck -fy
and it ran a disc check, only to tell me the disc could not be prepared and ended with a Signal 8 (???????).
here is a shot of the screen (taken with a camera!):
http://www.olij.co.uk/diskutility_failweb.jpg
Is my hard drive failing?
Is the only solution to reinstall OS X and see what happens? I have a time machine backup (can't remember if it is full image, or just user files!)
Message was edited by: Oliver Jobson

Well, after holding down the power button for 5 seconds (reset EFI?) and clearing the PRAM I am now able to launch the installation DVD.
Disk repair didn't work in Disk Utility so I wiped it and tried to restore from the Time Machine - it isn't working. The process starts and then I come back to find it has failed and an error log.
It seems to go wrong after the process starts to restore the applications.
You can see two error logs, for two seperate restore events:
http://www.olij.co.uk/OSXrestore_crashlog1.txt
http://www.olij.co.uk/OSXrestore_crashlog2.txt
Looks identical and seems to be this bit:
Feb 26 16:31:33 localhost ReportCrash[192]: Exception Type: EXCBADACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Feb 26 16:31:33 localhost ReportCrash[192]: Exception Codes: 0x000000000000000d, 0x0000000000000000
Feb 26 16:31:33 localhost ReportCrash[192]: Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
that might be the major problem?
Is there still something wrong with the disk or (shudder) is the TimeMachine backup corrupt?
Message was edited by: Oliver Jobson

Need Help Recovering Hard Drive Space on Disk Utility

I recently wanted to resize my Boot Camp hard drive partition as I did not need it to be 194 gb. In the process I screwed something up and now that space that was once my Boot Camp Partition is now "free space." My Mac Partition still says that I have 305 gb left and I am unsure how to expand this partition to get back that "grey" space. I've tried using Boot Camp Assistant, starting with Command+R after the "chime," and restoring my OSX (not completely however).
I need help in getting back this missing space. It seems that I have looked everywhere and although people seem to have a similar issue I can't figure it out.
Would restoring Mountain Lion completely by using a USB jump drive solve this problem? I have an external hard drive that uses Time Machine to back up my MacBook so a complete restore shouldn't be an issue.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
P.S. This is what my disk utility currently looks like...

You can try to use Boot Camp Assistant to completely remove the Windows partition but it might not work.
Simple fact is once you setup a Windows partition you can't fool with it at all, that is unless you use some add on program specifically designed to do that on a Mac computer. If you need to resize the Windows partition you first need to use BCA and remove the partition completely and then recreate it at the new size you want and reinstall Windows.
You might have to use Time Machine and backup your Mac partition then repartition the complete drive and then restore from that Time Machine backup. Then setup the Windows partition and reinstall Windows.

Why won't my external hard drive mount in Disk Utility even when it shows up on the list?

Hey all,
For the last few years I've used a Samsung S2 1TB external harddrive to back up all my files, this includes photos, music and a vast amount of resources required for Uni. However I plugged it in for the first time in about two months and discovered that neither my Macbook Pro (late 2011) or my Mac Mini (early 2013) are able to mount the hard drive.
It shows up in Disk Utilty however the harddrive is greyed out and when I manually try to mount it I get an error message saying that it can't be mounted and to use the first aid 'Repair disk permissions' feature which would be all good and well were that not also greyed out.
I've read a fair amount on this forum that suggest that Mavericks has caused quite an issue with harddrives and although I don't know for sure, the harddrive did stop working at a very similar time to when I updated. I've sinced used the basic version of 'Disk Drill' on the harddrive and all the files show up perfectly which leads me to believe that perhaps the issue isn't with the harddrive itself but perhaps a compatibility issue.
I was just wondering whether anyone had any advice or had suffered a similiar issue, preferably in relation to the Samsung S2 harddrive. The partition type is a Windows_FAT_32 and it's a USB hard drive.
Thanks in advance!

Because there's a problem with the disk's directory structure; these are often the result of improperly unplugging drives or forcing a computer to shut down. Proceed as instructed, or try using a more powerful utility such as DiskWarrior to repair it.
(111975)

"revert" deleted hard drive name in disk utility HELP!!

I booted my wifes macbook pro 10.4.11 in target mode and connected it to my computer, macbook pro 10.5.6 and went into my disk utility to create a partition in the other computer. I used my disk utility from 10.5.6 because for some reason it got erased from the 10.4.11
so I started to do 2 partitions. It said there was not enough room so I clicked on "revert" and for some reason the name of the "macintosh hd" disappeared and I ejected the computer in target mode. Then when I tried to start it up, it just kept flashing a folder with a question mark. I booted again in target mode but still no "indented" "macintosh hd". it seems like it came unmounted maybe?
I have tried starting from x key, resetting pram, trying to load from install disc (which gets to the point where it asks where to install the OS and no HD shows up to choose) and even taking it to the apple store where they said the HD is damaged and/or corrupt. Before trying to reclaim the files, if I can, I wanted to see if anyone had this same issue and if it was solvable. I cant believe that I hit "revert" and it erased my hard drive name and it automatically made my HD corrupt or damaged?
PLEASE help anyone!
or if this is a lost cause, is there a good file recovery program where I can get my WIFES files back! Yeah, I am in trouble.
Thanks!

If anything can be recovered at all, you should quit using the computer asap. The more you use it the more OSX will write over those spots where the files were.
Data Rescue II...
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
(Has a Free Demo to see if it could or not, but you'll need another drive to recover to).
Or FileSalvage...
http://www.subrosasoft.com/OSXSoftware/index.php?%20mainpage=product_info&productsid=1
to recover what you can.
BUT, you'll need that other Mac with this one in FW Target Mode
BTW, don't use Leopards Disk Utility to do anything to a Tiger Hard Drive.

External hard drive seen in Disk Utility, but will not mount.

My external hard drive has power and is spinning, but will not mount. It was fine yesterday. It shows up in Disk Utility and is verified and repaired. Tried the drive on 2 other macs with same result. Tried a new enclosure and that did not work. Tried all ports...usb and firewire. Any way to save my data?
I have screen shot of the partition info from Disk Utility for the hard drive included:

Hi Dominic,
If this is still not mounting, it may be worth trying a PRAM reset...
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
Ben

No hard drive found on disk utility while booting from OS X dvd

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