When the MacBook Pro does boot, the fans will be blasting at full speed for the entire time you are using the Mac (resetting SMC or PRAM does not stop the fans running, only replacing the battery will). Also it appears that the MacBook Pro will reduce its own clock speed in this situation, thereby reducing performance. Built right into OS X, OS X Recovery lets you repair disks or reinstall OS X without the need for a physical disc. The OS X Recovery Disk Assistant lets you create OS X Recovery on an external drive that has all of the same capabilities as the built-in OS X Recovery: reinstall Lion or Mountain Lion, repair the disk using Disk Utility, restore from a Time Machine backup, or browse the web with. I also had an issue with a locked disc when I was in recovery mode. I ended up installing High Serria on a thumb drive, rebooting the mac holding down command, and selected the thumb drive to boot from. From there I was able to erase the mac's hard drive with JOURNALED selected. Exit disc utility and installed High Serria. It's installing now. Sometimes you also hear the loud noise coming from the fan (if you are using an old MacBook with an HDD inside). Reasons: It happens on rare occasions, but the issue could result from over-used system resources, MacBook Pro uptime too long, hard disk errors, etc. How to Fix: You’ll have to do a hard reboot. So you’ll need to either download and setup a bootable Sierra OS installer or using Disk Utility wipe your drive down and setup with GUID - APFS Also make sure you delete all of the volumes on your drive. How to create a bootable macOS Sierra installer drive. Apple messed up on the OS installer images certificates so your old image may not work!
Summary: Unable to mount Macintosh HD in Disk Utility in macOS High Sierra/Mojave/Catalina? Cannot access the data stored on the Mac hard drive? Don't worry. This article will show you 7 efficient solutions to fix Macintosh HD not mounted/showing up in Disk Utility in macOS Catalina/Mojave/High Sierra issue without losing data.
Mounting a hard drive on Mac means to make the drive available for the operating system, which requires a mount point to read and write this hard drive. If the internal hard drive of Mac, the disk0s2, or the Macintosh HD is not mounted on Mac, you'll see one of these:
![Disk Disk](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118891093/596992321.jpg)
- All the data on the Mac hard drive becomes inaccessible.
- Most of the operations in Disk Utility are greyed out or disabled except the Erase button.
- The Macintosh HD will be grayed out, and you cannot repair it but only back up files.
- No Macintosh HD showing up in Disk Utility.
- Mac computer stops working, or your Mac won't turn on at all.
In fact, Macintosh HD - Data (in macOS Catalina and macOS Big Sur) or Macintosh HD not mounted problem is quite common on Apple computers. If you have met the same situation above, what can you do to fix the problem without worrying about data loss? Now, read on to learn the solutions.
Why does Macintosh HD not mounted/showing in Disk Utility?
The volume Macintosh HD is found corrupt and needs to be repaired before mounting for those 5 primary reasons.
- File system damage. File system is responsible for how data is organized and stored in a drive. If the file system of the Macintosh HD is corrupted, the master file table will be impacted in a direct manner so the Mac won't mount the drive.
- Virus attacks. Perhaps, your Mac system or the Macintosh HD is attacked by virus or malware, resulting in data corruption. Then your Mac won't mount the Macintosh HD, neither.
- Catalog file corruption. Catalog files contains the record files of partitioned volumes. So if any catalog file becomes corrupt, the Mac won't be able to get volume size location, description of volume content and other volume information, let alone mount the drive.
- Disk Utility failures The Macintosh HD not mounted issue may be caused by Disk Utility faults, too.
- System malfunctions. System malfunctions include machine malfunctions and operating system errors. If the Mac operating system crashes, it cannot mount any drive.
Unmountable Macintosh HD Data Recovery
Note: Before fixing the Macintosh HD not showing up in Disk Utility issue, please stop using the Mac computer and make sure you have a backup copy of the Mac hard drive.
That's because, your any further operation on the Mac computer, including troubleshooting the hard drive not mounting errors, may write new data to the unmounted Mac hard drive and overwrite the original data. Without backups, you need to recover lost data from crashed/dead Mac hard disk or use Target Disk Mode
Method 1: Recover lost data from unmountable Macintosh HD with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is free Mac hard drive data recovery software which helps yourecover lost data from the unmountable Macintosh HD. It also helps retrieve files from corrupted Mac hard drive when there is a boot issue, and recover data from T2-secured Mac , like MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac introduced in and after 2018.
It is fully compatible with macOS Big Sur 11/Catalina 10.15/Mojave 10.14/High Sierra 10.13/10.12 and OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8/10.7. It supports Mac photo recovery as well as documents, videos, audio files and emails recovery.
Within three steps - select, scan and recover, you can get all lost data back. Moreover, it also provide with powerful preview features and different filtering functions. After scanning, it allows you to preview all recoverable files no matter what file types you have lost, including documents, photos, videos, music files, emails, etc. The filtering and sorting functions enable you to quickly target the right content from a mass of scanning results.
Tutorial to recover data from the unbootable Macintosh HD
Though it's unbootable, you can still rescue your data by running iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac in Recovery Mode. You can also refer to this tutorial: How to run iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac through iBoysoft Server. This method is highly recommended because it is a lot easier and time-saving.
Note: Before you follow the steps below, you have to make sure your Mac has Internet connection.
- 1. Restart your Mac and immediately hold down COMMAND+OPTION+R keys at startup.
- 2. Choose a network for your Mac. You need to make your Mac connected to the Internet all the time.
- 3. Go to Utilities > Terminal from the menu bar.
- 4. Run the following command:
- This will launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac through iBoysoft Server.
- 5. After launching iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, please select the Mac hard drive, usually Macintosh HD, and click Scan button.
- 6. Preview the scanning results and choose the files you want to get back.
- 7. Click Recover button. Here please select a different location to store the recovered files.
Method 2: Use Target Disk Mode
Target disk mode is a boot mode which allows you to browse and transfer files to and from a Mac internal hard drive without booting macOS. It can be used for troubleshooting the internal hard drive not showing up on Mac.
• How to transfer files to and from a Mac with Target Disk Mode?
How to fix Macintosh HD not mounted in Disk Utility?
After recovering data from the Mac hard drive that is not mounted in Disk Utility, you can follow the solutions to fix the issue.
Solution 1: Restart your Mac computer
Macbook Pro A1286 Os
No matter what happens to your Mac computer and makes your Macintosh HD unmounted, the first and foremost solution is to shut down your Mac computer and restart it up again. Simply holding down the on/off key until the computer turns off, waiting a few minutes, and then turning it back on. Sometimes when you turn it back on, everything returns to normal.
Solution 2: Repair the unmountable Macintosh HD in Recovery Mode
If the Macintosh HD is unable to be mounted in Disk Utility normally, you can try to repair it with Disk Utility's First Aid in Recovery Mode.
- 1. Boot your Mac into Recovery Mode. Start your Mac and hold down the Command and R keys simultaneously until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe. Then release the keys.
- 2. Select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu and click Continue.
- 3. Select the unmounted Macintosh HD from the left-hand panel.
- 4. Click First Aid on the top of the window and wait while it verifying and repairing errors.
Solution 3: Fix Macintosh HD not mounted by Terminal
Macbook Pro A1286 Specifications
If Disk Utility stopped repairing Macintosh HD in macOS, you can then try to fix it with Terminal.
- 1. Boot your Mac into Recovery Mode.
- 2. Click Utilities from the menu bar and select Terminal from the drop-down list.
- 3. Enter diskutil list. This will list out the available volumes.
- 4. Check the volume identifier from the table that appears. (For example disk 2s1)
- 5. Enter diskutil repairVolume/disk 2s1. (Replace disk 2s1 with the volume identifier of your Macintosh HD)
Solution 4: Run FSCK command in Single User Mode
FSCK is a command-line tool to check the consistency of a hard drive and repair disk errors. If the solutions above are unable to fix Macintosh HD or the Mac internal hard drive not mounted issue, you can have a try.
- 1. Restart your Mac and, before the Apple logo appears, hold down Command and S keys. This will boot your Mac into Single User Mode.
- 2. Type in:
- 3. If you see 'File system was modified', then re-type in the command again until you see 'The volume [name] appears to be OK'.
- 4. Type in the command to restart your Mac:
Solution 5: Try Safe Mode
When trying to boot into Safe Mode, macOS will scan and repair any errors it finds on the disk. To boot into Safe Mode, you need to shut the Mac down and start it up while holding down Shift. Release the Shift key when you see the login window. Should your computer boot properly, try restarting and booting as normal.
Solution 6: Reset NVRAM on your Mac
NVRAM is a small amount of memory used to store certain settings for quick access on Mac. The corrupted NVRAM can cause Mac glitches or even prevent macOS from starting. Thereby if your Mac computer won't boot properly, you can attempt to reset the NVRAM. Reboot your Mac and hold down the 'Command + Option + P + R' key buttons. After resetting, you can retry to mount the Macintosh HD on Mac.
Solution 7: Erase the unmountable Macintosh HD and reinstall macOS
If the Macintosh HD won't mount, and your Mac still cannot recognize the Mac internal hard drive, the final chance is to factory reset the Mac - format the Macintosh HD and reinstall macOS on it. But as you know, reformatting will erase all the data stored on the Macintosh HD. Please make sure you have recovered data with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac as above.
- 1. Boot your Mac to Recovery Mode.
- 2. Select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
- 3. Select the unmountable Macintosh HD from the side bar.
- 4. Click Erase from the top.
- 5. Setup the required information (i.e. Name, Scheme, Format, etc.) to reformat the disk and click Done when finished.
- 6. Go back to macOS Utilities screen and select Reinstall macOS.
What to keep in mind: Once you encountered the Macintosh HD not mounted error, the first thing you should do is to save your data on the Mac hard drive. Without regular backups, a data recovery program like iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac will help you recover lost data from the unmounted Mac hard drive. Then, try to fix the Macintosh HD not mounted issue.
Final thoughts
It's so frustrating that Macintosh HD greyed out in Disk Utility in Recovery Mode, especially when you have important data stored on the Mac. But the good news is that quite a few feasible solutions are available to fix this issue. Before that, if you care about data on the Macintosh HD, you should recover lost data from the unmountable Macintosh HD with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac. Download and install this free Mac data recovery software, you won't be bothered by any data loss scenarios.
Read Content Hub for: hard drives not showing up/mounting issues
Which solution helps you the most? Do you have any other solutions to fix Macintosh HD not mounted issue or have any question? Please don't hesitate to email us.
/PowerMyMac /Guide on How to Clone Mac Hard Drive to SSD
When it comes to the cloning topic, what do you expect from the process? If you are planning to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at what is the cloning process all about. Generally, it is recommended to clone the hard drive of your Mac in case you decide to upgrade the hard drive with a solid state drive (SSD), replace an old or corrupted drive with a new one or if you are going to create a bootable hard drive.
In most cases, all these demands can be achieved with the help of cloning. Essentially, when you clone the hard drive, you will no longer worry about reinstalling the operating system as well as transfer folders, files, applications and some configurations on the new hard disk. Another advantage with the cloning process is that if you have a duplicate hard drive with setup volume, it can aid in booting your Mac easily in case of unexpected disasters.
Article GuideWhat are solid state drives (SSDs)?How to clone Mac hard drive to SSDShould I backup or clone?Let's wrap it up
What are solid state drives (SSDs)?
Before you decide to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, let us take a close look at SSDs. Solid state drives or SSDs utilize flash memory to keep data. If built into a computer, they are usually seen as chips on the circuit board. You can also find them in 2.5” format that you can install in a laptop or an external enclosure.
Generally, SSDs are quiet, compact and fast, especially if you are starting up a computer or waking up the device. Remember that hard disks might go into sleep mode when not used for a certain span of time and takes a few seconds to spin up. SSDs also utilize less power, run cooler, lighter and do not have any movable parts which make them suitable for laptops.
When you accidentally drop your laptop when the hard drive is spinning, there is a likelihood for the drive to be damaged and lose data. SSDs are generally more dependable, and in case they fail, you can still read data whereas you cannot do this with a hard disk.
Nevertheless, SSDs are considered as a costly option if you are considering the cost to storage ratio. At present, you can purchase an 8TB external drive for less than $150 while that same amount of money will only provide you with a 500GB SSD.
People Also Read:How to Partition A Hard Drive on Mac?How to upgrade your MacBook Pro with an SSD?
How to clone Mac hard drive to SSD
There are several reasons why it is best to boot from an external hard drive. In case you prefer to keep your files synchronized from a desktop and laptop, enlarge your storage or have an on-hand bootable backup duplicate of your system, there is an unseen feature in Disk Utility that makes the process an easy task.
Essentially, booting from an external hard drive is usually slower, even if you are using the latest Thunderbolt or the USB-C drives. They are relatively sluggish than the solid state drives (SSDs) that are found in most of the latest Macs. Although this is not suggested for daily use, it is a possible option.
Using Disk Utility
If you are going to clone Mac hard drive to SSD, it is recommended to use Disk Utility.Simply open Disk Utility from the Spotlight (Command+Space) or on the Utility folder in your applications. You will be presented with a list of all the volumes including the internal hard drive and the external hard drive.
It is important to note that the “Restore” option in Disk Utility will work by copying the files from the backup to your core drive. It is ideally intended to the utilized for Recovery mode to reinstate the hard drive in case a failure occurs.
Once you decide to set your external drive as the restore target, you can switch that action around and copy files from the main drive to the backup. Choose your external drive in the sidebar, tap on the “Restore” button in the menu and select your main drive as the “Restore From” option. You have the option to choose an ISO image, but it does not have much use.
Tap on the “Restore” button and Disk Utility will initiate the copying process. In most cases, the process is relatively a long one which is based on the speediness of your external drive as well as its link to your Mac. Due to this, it is recommended to have a rapid hard drive with USB-C, Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 connections.
Once Disk Utility completes the task, you can turn off your Mac and press on the Option when it starts to restart again. You will be presented with the boot switcher and you are allowed to boot from the external hard drive. You can utilize your Mac as usual but remember that it is separate from the installation on the main internal hard drive. Take note that any settings that you alter or files that are saved there will not be reflected on the primary installation.
You can perform the same process in a reverse manner if there is a need to copy the files back over or to restore the backup in case your computer malfunctions.
Should I backup or clone?
Generally, hard disks can be backed up or cloned. Remember that there are differences between the two with their own advantages and drawbacks.
Backing up a hard drive
If you are going to back up a hard drive, the entire content of the chosen drive or partition is backed up into a file on the targeted location. All data is saved into a single file. When a complete backup of the hard drive is carried out, the whole operating system along with the installed applications and settings are also set aside. The file can be protected or encrypted with a password.
The advantage of this approach is no other than simple management since a single file contains the whole backup. You can also compress the backup file so that it utilizes less space.
I got it to work on a macbook air!! I got really p$%&ed when I saw this post, not at you but at not being able to use this with our tablet and laptop, as we predominantly use a MacBook Air. I felt I wasted my money again, I purchased one of these when they first came out and had so many issues connecting I. However, Chromecast App is no longer available for download on Computers and currently the only way to Setup Chromecast Device is by downloading Google Home App on a Mobile Device. Once the Setup process is completed, your Mobile Phone and the Home App is no longer required to project media from MacBook to TV using Chromecast. Finally, the Chromecast app should detect the device and help you download and install the necessary Google Chrome extension. Cast Google Chrome tabs and play content directly on your TV Once the Google Cast extension has been installed, you can press the Cast button to begin sending a. Download chromecast for macbook pro.
As for a drawback, you need a backup software to be able to reinstate the system or data to a previous state or to access documents and files.
Cloning the hard drive
If you are going to duplicate or clone Mac hard drive to SSD, a copy of the drive is created directly on the target location. This simply means that you have an instant copy including the hard disk structure. A cloned disk or drive includes all the partitions from the source drive or disk.
An advantage with cloning is that the data is directly copied to the specified location and can be utilized and edited directly. The duplicated system drive which includes the operating system can be mounted as a fresh drive and booted right away.
As for the drawbacks, a clone requires more space since the partitions are created immediately on the targeted disk. Due to this, it is not likely to compress or add encryption to the data.
Let's wrap it up
If there is a need for a backup to be created regularly, it is recommended to opt for the hard drive backup. This usually takes up less space and allows the creation of extra backups.
In case you require a bootable extra drive to be operational after an unforeseen crash and to lessen the downtime period, it is best to clone Mac hard drive to SSD.
Generally, both methods have been proven to be the ideal choice. A consistent drive backup for daily data along with a clone of the system drive is essential for easy accessibility in case of emergencies.
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