Why Choose Keith Thomas
• 20 years of experience as a Senior Apple Support Specialist at Apple Computer UK HQ.
• Former Apple Computer UK Mac Support Specialist and Apple Authorised Service Provider background.
• Established and Independent since 2010 for on‑site Apple Support Service – no call centres, no outsourcing, no hardware repairs. Over 25,000+ Apple problems resolved. Unique on-site Apple Support Service. backed up with Independent Apple Telephone Support Assistance.
• Trusted by home users, small businesses, and professionals across London and the South East UK.• Clear, honest, software‑only support. No Hardware Repairs. Expert Apple Consultancy Service.
On‑site Apple Mac Support in London and the South East UK
What this page covers
This guide explains the real reasons a Mac won’t connect to an external drive, the steps you can try yourself, and when it’s time to get professional on‑site help. It applies to:
• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• iMac
• Mac mini
• Mac Studio
If your Mac won’t recognise a USB, SSD, HDD, Time Machine drive or external storage device, this page is for you.
The most common reasons a Mac won’t connect to an external drive
These are the issues that Keith Thomas identifies most often during on‑site visits:
• Faulty cable or adapter
• Drive not receiving enough power
• Drive formatted incorrectly
• Damaged drive directory
• macOS update issues
• USB port or hub problems
• Damaged system files
• Corrupted user account
Quick checks you can do yourself
These steps solve around 70% of external drive issues.
Check 1 – Restart the Mac
A restart resets USB and drive mounting services.
Check 2 – Try another cable
Most external drive failures are caused by faulty cables.
Check 3 – Try another USB port
Some ports provide more power than others.
Check 4 – Try the drive on another device
This confirms whether the drive itself is working.
If the drive does not appear in Finder
This usually means:
• Finder preferences hiding external drives
• Drive not mounting
• Damaged drive directory
Try:
• Finder → Settings → Sidebar → enable External Disks
• Restarting the Mac
• Opening Disk Utility to check if the drive appears
If the drive appears in Disk Utility but won’t mount
This usually means:
• Damaged drive directory
• Incorrect drive format
• Drive corruption
Try:
• Running Disk Utility First Aid
• Restarting the Mac
• Testing the drive on another device
If the drive is read‑only
This usually means:
• Drive formatted as NTFS (Windows format)
• Permissions issue
• Damaged file system
Try:
• Copying files to the Mac
• Checking drive format in Disk Utility
• Restarting the Mac
If the drive disconnects randomly
This usually means:
• Faulty cable
• USB hub power issues
• macOS sleep settings
Try:
• Connecting the drive directly to the Mac
• Using a powered USB hub
• Restarting the Mac
If external drive issues started after a macOS update
This usually means:
• USB driver reset
• Spotlight indexing
• System extension conflicts
Try:
• Restarting the Mac
• Leaving the Mac plugged in for a few hours
• Updating all apps
If the drive works on another user account
This usually means:
• Corrupted user account
• Damaged preferences
• Permissions issues
Try:
• Testing the drive on another user account
• Restarting the Mac
• Reinstalling macOS without erasing data
When DIY stops working
You should get on‑site help if:
• The drive won’t mount at all
• Disk Utility shows errors
• The drive disconnects repeatedly
• macOS reinstall does not fix the issue
• You need your data preserved
These issues usually require:
• External drive and USB configuration repair
• macOS recovery
• Data‑safe macOS reinstall
• User account repair
• Permissions and system file diagnostics
On‑Site Apple Mac Support – London & South East UK
If your Mac is not connecting to an external drive, Keith Thomas provides an often same‑day on‑site support service across:
• Central London
• West, North, South and East London
• Surrey
• Berkshire
• Hampshire
• Wiltshire
Keith Thomas is a Mac Support Specialist in:
• External drive and USB issues
• macOS configuration repair
• Data‑safe macOS recovery
• macOS reinstall and repair
• iCloud and Apple Account issues
• New Mac setup and migration
• User account and permissions diagnostics
Book on‑site help in London and the South East UK
If your Mac is not connecting to an external drive, Keith Thomas can visit your home or office and get you working again.
Keith Thomas – Apple Mac Support Specialist
Established 2010 – Open 09:30–20:30, 7 Days
Contact Keith Thomas by Telephone: 07800 940756 or by Text to: 07800 940756, or simply complete an online website contact form 24/7