Portable HDD issue

[rustinorman]

 

A coworker has kindly provided me with two portable hard disk drives (HDDs) that are nearly new, approximately three weeks old.

When I checked in the Disk Utility, I discovered that each disk has an unformatted partition of 2 TB. Unfortunately, I am unable to perform tasks such as erasing, formatting, or mounting the disks.

In an attempt to resolve this issue, I also tried creating a partition while in recovery mode, but this attempt also ended in failure.

Consequently, my next course of action is to take the disks to a computer shop and have them tested for any potential physical damage.

Would you happen to know of a trustworthy computer shop in Bangkok (BKK) that you could recommend? Alternatively, do you have any advice on how I might be able to format the disks and get them recognized by the macOS Catalina system?

 

Thanks guys

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by rustinorman

[ArnieP]

What happens when you select Erase in Disk Utility?

 

I’m on OSX Catalina.

[mikebike]

From your screen grabs it LOOKS like you can erase and format the "Toshiba" drive. 

[dingdongrb]

Try using this nifty little application:

 

https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

 

[rustinorman]

37 minutes ago, ArnieP said:

What happens when you select Erase in Disk Utility?

It fails.

[rustinorman]

20 minutes ago, mikebike said:

From your screen grabs it LOOKS like you can erase and format the "Toshiba" drive. 

The major issue at hand is that despite my efforts, any attempt to partition, erase, or format the disk fails. Furthermore, I am unable to successfully mount the disk, leading to the operating system's failure to recognize it.

[ArnieP]

1 minute ago, rustinorman said:

It fails.

It doesn’t give a reason, just says failed?

 

I guess it isn’t something simple like a write on/write off switch on the drive(s). You will have looked for that already ????

[MJCM]

22 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

Try using this nifty little application:

 

https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

 

Available for MAC? as that is what the OP is using. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by MJCM

[ArnieP]

8 minutes ago, rustinorman said:

I am unable to successfully mount the disk,

It’s not ideal but if you’ve not searched already, there’s this kind of help online: https://www.cleverfiles.com/howto/fix-external-drive-not-mounting-on-mac.html

[gargamon]

Find someone with a linux box to do it for you. If you were in Pattaya I might volunteer. 

[mikebike]

Macs can be funky with formatting. Give it to a friend with a PC and they should have no issue stripping it back and formatting. They must format as exFAT

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, dingdongrb said:

Try using this nifty little application:

 

https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html

 

That is a rather ridiculous suggestion. The OP has a Mac not a Windows machine 

[DudleySquat]

It's amazing that you got so many answers but they only gave you 1/2 of what you needed. 

 

Format the drive APFS and if that works, then format it Mac OS extended. You can put back to exfat later.

[MJCM]

 

10 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

It's amazing that you got so many answers but they only gave you 1/2 of what you needed. 

 

Format the drive APFS and if that works, then format it Mac OS extended. You can put back to exfat later.

From the OP

 

2 hours ago, rustinorman said:

Unfortunately, I am unable to perform tasks such as erasing, formatting, or mounting the disks.

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by MJCM

[DudleySquat]

2 minutes ago, MJCM said:

 

From the OP

 

 

Did you catch what I told you?  Change the partition type. 

[MJCM]

10 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

Did you catch what I told you?  Change the partition type. 

How can he do that then if he can’t even mount it?

[DudleySquat]

39 minutes ago, MJCM said:

How can he do that then if he can’t even mount it?

He doesn't need to mount it to be able to format it. 

[DudleySquat]

Why don't you listen to me? Change the partition type to APFS. 

[MJCM]

4 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

He doesn't need to mount it to be able to format it. 

Care to explain how to do that?
 

So not mounting a drive and still be able to format it or change the partition type.

Edited May 29, 2023 by MJCM

[DudleySquat]

Just now, MJCM said:

Care to explain how to do that?
 

So not mounting a drive and still be able to format it.

C'mon. When Disk Utility formats a partition or drive, it purposely unmounts it. 

 

Do you not know this? 

 

Really?

[MJCM]

2 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

C'mon. When Disk Utility formats a partition or drive, it purposely unmounts it. 

 

Do you not know this? 

 

Really?

Yes I know, but he is not able to do anything like that format / mount etc.

 

edit: so disk utility first needs to see the drive before it can do anything.

Edited May 29, 2023 by MJCM

[DudleySquat]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Yes I know, but he is not able to do anything like that format / mount etc.

 

edit: so disk utility first needs to see the drive before it can do anything.

How do you know? 

[DudleySquat]

Disk utility does not need to mount a drive in order to format it.  It cannot format a mounted partition. 

[dingdongrb]

4 hours ago, MJCM said:

Available for MAC? as that is what the OP is using. 

https://recoverit.wondershare.com/partition-tips/minitool-partition-wizard-mac.html#:~:text=Unfortunately%2C no%2C it doesn',the best options for you.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I've had this same issue with brand new hard drives.

 

Initially formatted from the factory in FAT, and readable by my Mac, I attempted to format them with Mac OS Monterey in APFS for use with Time Machine, but the formatting failed and the disks became un-useable by either a Mac or a PC. Spent quite some time with Apple support on the phone and they could not provide a solution. 

 

I was able to obtain a third new hard drive and format it with an old Macbook Pro running Catalina, The formatted HD then worked fine on my newer Mac running Monterey and now Ventura.

 

I understand that this has occurred a number of times and Apple is supposedly aware of it, but hasn't acknowledged it. I was lead to believe that there is a compatibility issue with some hard drives' drivers and Monterey/Ventura, but I don't know details.

 

I also intend to take them to a computer shop and see if there is a fix using specialized software, but haven't so far.

[rustinorman]

I'm grateful for your tips. Thank you, everyone

[sometimewoodworker]

It seems that there has been significant miscommunication.

• If Disk utility can see a drive (it can the drive is TOSHIBA External…) it can usually act on it Disk utility has no need to mount a disk to act on it
• The partition on the drive has the Linux name disk3s1
• Disk utility is able to check that partition and the root drive.
• Disk utility is probably able to erase the TOSHIBA External… root.
• Disk utility is probably able to Change the file mapping of TOSHIBA External… root so should be able to partition 
• Disk utility may not be able to act on the disk3s1 partition, this doesn’t matter since any partition is going to be in the TOSHIBA External… root and will automatically wipe the disk3s1 partition

There are some (very few) disks with software mapping that requires a pure Linux system or windows system to rewrite 

[rustinorman]

It's an absolute nightmare...
Both disks are displaying the exact same error message. The first disk, as indicated in the TOSHIBA report, exhibits the issue, and the other disk, a Samsung, is also encountering the same problem.

 

Disk Utility - TOSHIBA:

• Running First Aid on “” (disk5s1)
• Repairing file system.
• Volume is already unmounted.
• Performing fsck_exfat -y -x /dev/rdisk5s1
• Checking volume.
• Checking main boot region.
• Main boot region is invalid. Trying alternate boot region.
• Checking alternate boot region.
• Alternate boot region is invalid.
• The volume  could not be verified completely.
• File system check exit code is 1.
• Restoring the original state found as unmounted.
• File system verify or repair failed. : (-69845)
• Operation failed…

 

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, rustinorman said:

It's an absolute nightmare...
Both disks are displaying the exact same error message. The first disk, as indicated in the TOSHIBA report, exhibits the issue, and the other disk, a Samsung, is also encountering the same problem.

 

Disk Utility - TOSHIBA:

• Running First Aid on “” (disk5s1)
• Repairing file system.
• Volume is already unmounted.
• Performing fsck_exfat -y -x /dev/rdisk5s1
• Checking volume.
• Checking main boot region.
• Main boot region is invalid. Trying alternate boot region.
• Checking alternate boot region.
• Alternate boot region is invalid.
• The volume  could not be verified completely.
• File system check exit code is 1.
• Restoring the original state found as unmounted.
• File system verify or repair failed. : (-69845)
• Operation failed…

 

Have you changed the cable to the disk? Is it a short cable, under 50cm, preferably under 10cm? Do the disks have external power? Have you swapped the power bricks? Have you changed the mains cable?

what OS are you running? Is it up to date? Have you got someone else with a Mac who can check.

 

1 bad disk is a very unusual anomaly, 2 strongly suggests that it is your system that is the problem 

[rustinorman]

In the "About This Mac" section, under the "Storage" tab, an issue arises when the TOSHIBA storage device is connected, triggering an immediate error message. However, I simply proceed by clicking on the "ignore" option.

 

Although the TOSHIBA storage device is visible, it is not accessible through the Disk Utility tool. The "First Aid" feature still functions properly and can be utilized.