How to Fix Uninitialized Disk Mac Without Losing Data

This post discusses how to recover data from uninitialized disks on Mac and how to fix the issue. Additionally, it offers a method of initiating the disk, accessing its contents, and instructing how to use EaseUS Data Recovery to recover data from uninitialized disks on a Mac.

Seeing an "uninitialized disk" error on your Mac? Start by checking if the drive shows up in Finder (you might need to adjust its preferences) and within the Disk Utility app. If you can see it there, try using the First Aid tool to fix any issues. If the drive doesn't appear at all, or if First Aid doesn't work, you'll probably need to erase and reformat it in Disk Utility. Just remember: formatting will make the drive usable again, but it also erases everything on it.

Anyone who owns an external hard drive could one day encounter an uninitialized disk on a Mac. When you connect an SSD, HDD, SD card, USB flash drive, or other storage device that you have used before and see that it is "uninitialized." You might face system errors and find that all data saved on the drive is unavailable. So this article will help you learn how to fix an uninitialized disk on a Mac and recover data from it.

Uninitialized Disk on Mac: Common Reasons

The reason why the disk is uninitialized on Mac depends on the usage conditions. The macOS will need to activate it and assign a variable in its own unique language whenever you connect it for the first time. The drive should then function as intended. The drive and any data saved on it cannot be accessed or read by the system due to this error.

Mac's disk may become uninitialized for a variety of reasons. These are a few causes.

• ⚠️File system corruption or incompatibility. If the file system of your storage device is corrupted or the file system is unsupported, you may encounter this issue. macOS support APFS, HFS+, exFAT, FAT32, etc.
• ⚠️Malware or virus infection: the drive will be harmed and become uninitialized due to a virus infection.
• ⚠️Defective partition or disk: the external hard disk's partition is lost, and the disk is not initialized.
• ⚠️System errors: the Mac Finder cannot recognize the attached USB flash drive, or the disk you inserted is not readable by Mac.
• ⚠️Damaged or bad sector: If certain problematic sectors exist, it will result in an unanticipated problem.
• ⚠️Physical harm: the problems relating to the improper connection, sudden loss of electricity, or hard disk crack can be regarded as physical issues.

Send the hard disk to the seller for replacement or repair if it has physical damage. You can locate the appropriate ways to fix an uninitialized hard disk on a Mac for various additional causes. We'll guide you to fix this uninitialization problem, but before that you should stop using your hard drive and perform data recovery. Keep reading to find a workable recovery plan.

Important: Recover Data from an Uninitialized Disk on a Mac

As previously stated, a Mac cannot access files that are located on an uninitialized disk. The good news is that those files are still present on the device and are easily recoverable using professional data recovery software, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. The software provides a preview so you can select only the required data, accelerating the recovery procedure.

• ✅Recover data from an uninitialized disk on a Mac, whether SSD or HDD, as it supports various device types.
• ✅Recover data from uninitialized partitions on Mac. It can quickly find your lost, deleted, or uninitialized partition and let you recover data from it.
• ✅Recover deleted files on Mac, like files on the unmountable hard drive on Mac, even though you can't access the contents directly.

Technically, the data recovery software can considerably improve the chances of retrieving all of the lost data, even if Disk Utility shows that your drive partition is greyed out.

To recover data from uninitialized external disks or perform Mac external hard drive recovery, follow these steps:

Step 1. Search for lost files

Correctly connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, and select the external hard drive. Then, click "Search for lost files" to find lost/deleted files on your external devices.

Step 2. Filter and find lost files

After the scan, all file types will be presented in the left panel. Select the file type to find wanted files on your external devices.

Step 3. Preview and recover

Click the file and preview it. Then, select the files you want to recover and click the "Recover" button. You can save your data to local and cloud drives.

You can also follow this video tutorial to learn more about EaseUS data recovery software for Mac:

• 00:00 Is It Possible to Recover Deleted Files on Mac
• 00:36 Why EaseUS Mac Data Recovery Software
• 01:06 Using Mac Data Recovery to Restore Files

Many users trust this professional Mac recovery tool; here are some reviews about EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac:

💡Reviews

I had a great experience using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. The installation was quick, and the interface was incredibly user-friendly, even for someone with limited technical skills. I was able to scan my drive, preview lost files, and recover them with just a few clicks. The software did exactly what it promised—recovering important documents I thought were gone for good. from Trustpilot I had a positive experience using EaseUS. The software was easy to install and very intuitive, even for someone who doesn't usually deal with technical tools. It helped me recover my files quickly and efficiently, saving time and reducing stress. Overall, I found it reliable, user-friendly, and definitely worth recommending. from Trustpilot

You can share this reliable hard drive recovery software on social media and help more Mac users who encounter an external hard drive that is not initialized!

How to Fix an Uninitialized Disk on a Mac | 6 Ways

If the external hard drive is not initialized, you can try the following approaches to solve the problem and restore the disk's functionality. And performing data recovery before fixing the disk is a safe way to protect your files from potential data loss.

1. Method 1. Reconnect the Not Initialized Disk to Check Again
2. Method 2. Restart Your Mac in Safe Mode
3. Method 3. Repair Uninitialized Disk via First Aid
4. Method 4. Reinstall or Upgrade macOS
5. Method 5. Initialize or Format the Uninitialized Disk
6. Method 6. Scan and Remove Virus

Method 1. Reconnect the Not Initialized Disk to Check Again

Checking the external hard drive's connection is always a good idea before continuing with more difficult processes, because sometimes it's the USB cable issues or the USB ports are dysfunctional, which can cause an uninitialized disk. To properly initialize the disk, unplug the device and reconnect the drive to the Mac. You could also try using a different USB cable and another USB port.

Method 2. Restart Your Mac in Safe Mode

Restarting your Mac is an effective way to restore things to normal. Simply unplug all peripherals from your Mac, and reboot your Mac in these ways:

• Choose Apple - Restart
• Or you can press Command+Control+Power
• If it sticks, try to reboot in macOS Recovery or Mac Safe Mode

Method 3. Repair Uninitialized Disk via First Aid

Disk Utility is the standard diagnostic program for Mac, which is used to handle various types of disk problems. On a Mac, you can boot Mac into Disk Utility and use it to initialize the disk if there are any additional problems, such as file system crashes.

Step 1. You can select Disk Utility under Go - Utilities.

Step 2. The uninitialized external hard disk will thereafter be visible.

Step 3. You can either select the drive and click the First Aid button at the top of the Disk Utility window

Step 4. Or you can right-click the drive and select First Aid. It will automatically begin to fix the problems.

Method 4. Reinstall or Upgrade macOS

You can reinstall macOS on your Mac to fix the error if the hard disk becomes uninitialized after you upgrade the operating system. After that, you can install the preferred operating system and restore any important files to the disk. You may lose data because of macOS reinstallation; it's better to back up important files in advance. To reinstall macOS:

Step 1. Turn off your Mac.

Step 2. Press and hold Command+R to boot your Mac into Recovery Mode.

Step 3. Select "Reinstall macOS" under the macOS Utilities window.

Step 4. Choose Install to start the process.

If you forget to create a backup and lose important files after a macOS reinstall, download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover data.

Method 5. Initialize or Format the Uninitialized Disk

If none of the above fixes for your uninitialized external hard disk on a Mac work, formatting might be necessary. It is an effective technique to cure your uninitialized disk. Here are the steps on how to format the disk on Mac:

Step 1. Select Disk Utility under Applications - Utilities.

Step 2. From the left sidebar, select the uninitialized drive.

Step 3. Click "Erase" at the top and follow the prompts.

Step 4. To see if the problem has been resolved, reconnect the drive.

Method 6. Scan and Remove Virus

Acquiring the disk infected with the virus is relatively simple if it has previously been linked to a different computer or device. In this situation, you should immediately launch security software on your Mac to check for and eliminate viruses from the drive.

You can share all six of these methods to help users who encounter issues like disk not initialized, not mounting, not recognized, etc.

To Wrap It Up

Your hard drive will lose its initialization, making the data inaccessible without necessarily erasing it. You can first use EaseUS Data Recovery for Mac to easily recover data from uninitialized disks to prevent data loss. Then, you can follow the instructions above to fix the uninitialized disk issues on Mac.

Recover Data from Uninitialized Disk Mac FAQs

Here are 4 additional questions about recovering data from an uninitialized disk on Mac. Check here for the answers.

1. How can I recover data from an uninitialized disk?

Using Mac data recovery software is the most efficient and reliable approach to recovering files from a Mac hard drive. A smart choice is EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

You can follow the steps:

Step 1. Search for lost files.

Step 2. Go through the scanning results.

Step 3. Select the file(s) and recover.

2. How do I access my uninitialized hard drive?

It is not feasible to open an uninitialized drive since macOS cannot access or read it. Before seeing and handling the content, you must initialize the disk. If this is impossible, you can restore the files on an uninitialized disk using data recovery software.

3. Does initializing a disk erase data on Mac?

The data on a disk will be completely erased when it is initialized. You can try some of the methods listed in this post before fixing your hard drive if you discover it has become uninitialized. Maybe one of them makes the disk usable.

4. How to initialize an external hard drive on Mac?

macOS tries to initialize a new hard drive automatically when you attach it for the first time. To begin this process, you might click Initialize. You can use Disk Utility to create a partition on this drive if this isn't happening.