How to Fix a Corrupted Hard Drive on Your Mac (Repair Tips)
Does your Mac slow down or fail to recognize your hard drive? These are common signs of a corrupted hard drive, which can lead to data loss if you do not address them promptly. We developed structured solutions to diagnose and repair corrupted hard drives on a Mac. This guide helps you identify the symptoms, protect data, and apply proven repair techniques.
What Are the Symptoms of a Corrupt Mac Hard Drive?
Although we briefly mentioned the signs of a corrupted hard drive in the introduction, there are many more. Below, we describe these symptoms and explain their potential causes and risks to your data integrity.
Your Mac might not start up correctly. This problem usually happens when system files do not load or become unreachable because of a corrupted drive. You might see a spinning wheel or a blank screen during startup.
Files might disappear or become inaccessible. If you find files missing or can’t open them, this may point to damaged sectors or errors in the hard drive’s file system. These problems typically arise from improper shutting down, physical damage, or malware attacks.
Another sign of a damaged disk is when your hard drive is not mounting, and your Mac fails to recognize it. This happens when corruption or physical damage prevents the system from accessing the hard drive, so it doesn’t appear on your desktop or Finder. This issue often indicates serious damage to the file system or hardware failure.
You may see continuous error messages about disk usage. These warnings could relate to problems with the disk’s read or write operations or to other less clear system alerts. All these signs show possible corruption in the drive’s structure. Such errors often stem from software conflicts, recent system updates, or failing hardware components.
Another common symptom is slow file access and poor system performance. If your Mac takes longer than usual to open files or applications, a failing hard drive might be the cause. This slowdown often results from file fragmentation or numerous bad sectors on the disk.
Never ignore unusual noises like clicking or grinding from the hard drive. These sounds typically signal mechanical failures, such as problems with the drive’s read/write heads or spindle motor, often due to physical shocks or wear over time.
If your system crashes or freezes more often, it may indicate stability issues from problems with the hard drive. These frequent crashes or freezes can happen because of corrupted data sectors or severe damage to the file system, disrupting normal operations and system stability.
First Step: Protect Your Data on Hard Drive
If you’ve noticed signs of corruption on your hard drive, consider backing up your data before you start any disk repairs on your Mac. The repair methods we discuss later could result in further data loss.
You can manually back up your data or utilize Time Machine. But if corruption to your disk has resulted in file loss, you should use a data recovery tool that can create complete hard drive copies and scan this copy for lost data. A backup is a precautionary measure and reduces the strain on your disk during standard scanning. We detail how to use Disk Drill for this process, which allows free backup creation. However, you must purchase the software’s pro version to restore data. Alternatively, you can opt for a different software solution.
Visit the official Disk Drill website and download the software to your Mac. Connect an external drive to your Mac to prepare for the backup as you download.
Note: If accessing your Mac’s internal drive is problematic, install Disk Drill directly onto an external drive or vice versa. This way, you can manage recovery operations without overloading the corrupted hard drive.
Once installed, open Disk Drill.
In the left sidebar, navigate to the ‘Byte-to-byte Backup’ section to create a complete backup of the existing data.
Choose the internal or external hard drive you need to backup. Make sure the software correctly detects and selects it.
Click the ‘Create Backup’ button to begin the backup. Select the drive as the destination for the backup file.
After the backup finishes, check the integrity of the data. This step guarantees the backup was successful and your data is safely stored.
Note: We recommend Disk Drill for system disk backups on Macs without M1-M3 or T2 chips or for external drives; backing up the system disk on Macs with M1-M3 or T2 chips may not work well because these models use disk encryption.
How to Fix a Corrupted Hard Drive on a Mac
Now that your data is secure, you can repair your hard drive. We offer six tips to help fix your Mac’s hard drive issues. Follow these tips in order to address all possible causes of corruption thoroughly. This systematic way guarantees you cover all the important steps for successful hard drive restoration.
Tip 1. Perform Basic Physical Checks
Although an unrecognized hard drive might indicate corruption, the issue could also arise from minor problems with ports or cables. Simple checks can help you determine if the real issue is with the hard drive itself.
Here’s a list of basic physical checks you should perform:
Check that your Mac and external hard drives (if applicable) are connected to a working power source. A faulty power supply can prevent hard drives from operating correctly.
Examine all cables for signs of damage, such as fraying or cuts. Replace any suspect cables and try different USB or Thunderbolt ports to avoid connection issues.
Power on your hard drive and listen for unusual noises such as clicks, grinds, or whirs. These noises can indicate mechanical failures inside the drive.
Check the ports on your Mac and the hard drive for dirt, debris, or physical damage. Then, clean the ports carefully with a soft, dry brush or compressed air.
Connect the hard drive to a different computer. This can help determine if the issue is with the hard drive or your Mac.
Open Disk Utility to see if the drive appears there, even if it doesn’t appear on your desktop or Finder. If it appears in Disk Utility, there might be an issue with the drive’s format or partitions that require further actions.
Tip 2. Run First Aid on Disk Utility
If you have trouble mounting your hard drive, receive error messages, or notice missing files, consider using First Aid. This utility, found in macOS’s Disk Utility, checks and repairs file system errors on your hard drive. First Aid examines the file system’s data structures, like directories and files, and tries to fix any issues it detects.
Open Finder. Navigate to Applications, then to Utilities, and select Disk Utility.
In Disk Utility, select the hard drive from the sidebar that needs repair.
ʼClick the “First Aid” button at the top of the Disk Utility window. When prompted, confirm that you want to run First Aid.
Disk Utility begins checking the disk for errors and attempts to repair any issues found. Monitor the progress in the Disk Utility window.
After First Aid completes the process, review the details in the Disk Utility output. It informs you whether the utility successfully repaired the disk or if further action is necessary.
If Disk Utility reports a successful repair, close Disk Utility. Additional steps may be suggested if the tool cannot repair the disk.
Tip 3. Repair Your Hard Drive with FSCK Command
If your Mac fails to start up correctly or if Disk Utility’s First Aid is unable to resolve disk errors, you should use the FSCK (File System Consistency Check) command. FSCK scans the file system on your hard drive, checks for errors, and attempts to repair them. FSCK can often resolve issues that prevent the system from booting or that prevent access to files.
Before you run FSCK, identify your disk’s device identifier with these steps:
Find Disk Utility under Applications > Utilities.
In Disk Utility, select the hard drive from the sidebar you wish to repair.
Click on the ‘Info’ button or right-click the disk and choose ‘Get Info’ to see detailed information about the disk.
Look for a field labeled ‘BSD device node’ and note the value (e.g., disk1s1).
Once you have your device identifier, you can run FSCK:
You can find Terminal in the same Utilities folder as Disk Utility.
Note: You must perform this action in Recovery Mode when working with the system disk. To enter Recovery Mode, restart your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘) + R until the Apple logo appears.
Type sudo /sbin/fsck_hfs -fy /dev/[partition number] in the Terminal, replace [partition number] with your noted identifier, and press Enter (for HFS file systems)
Enter sudo /sbin/fsck_apfs -fy /dev/[partition number], replace [partition number] with your drive’s identifier, and press Enter (for APFS file systems)
Note: These commands instruct FSCK f – to force the check and ignore the initial system state that suggests no issues; y – automatically agrees to make any necessary repairs found during the scan.
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After you type the command, you must enter the administrator password.
FSCK will report back on any repairs made or if it was unable to fix specific errors. If FSCK successfully repairs the disk, exit the Terminal and restart your Mac.
Tip 4. Diagnose Issues with Drive Diagnostic Software
When you encounter persistent performance problems or receive warnings from your Mac’s system regarding the hard drive, you must use specialized drive diagnostic software like DriveDx. This software identifies potential hardware failures before they cause catastrophic data loss.
DriveDx acts as a complete health analyzer for your hard drives and SSDs. It proves:
Advanced drive health diagnostics with S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology).
Real-time monitoring that alerts you to temperature spikes, hardware malfunctions, or degradation over time.
Detailed reports that highlight potential issues and provide early warnings of imminent drive failures.
Steps to use drive diagnostic software:
Visit the DriveDx website or the site of your chosen diagnostic tool, download the application, and install it on your Mac.
Launch the software and select the drive you want to analyze. Start the diagnostic process, which will assess the health of your drive using various metrics.
After the scan is completed, review the detailed report provided by the software. This report will indicate potential issues, their severity, and possible next steps if a problem is detected.
Based on the diagnostic results, decide whether you need further action. You may need to back up data, replace the drive, or obtain professional help.
Tip 5. Format Your Hard Drive to Resolve Persistent Issues
If earlier methods haven’t fixed your hard drive’s issues and it still shows signs of corruption, your last option is to format it. Formatting erases all data and resets the hard drive to its original state, which can clear up deep-rooted file system errors or corrupt data, causing problems. This process often resolves ongoing errors and gives you a clean slate.
Note: While formatting can resolve many hard drive issues, it doesn’t guarantee that problems won’t return. The formatting might only be a temporary solution if the drive’s problems stem from physical damage or significant wear.
Before formatting, verify you back up any recoverable data to avoid permanent data loss.
You can access Disk Utility by navigating to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
In Disk Utility, select the hard drive you wish to format from the sidebar.
Click the ‘Erase’ button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
Choose a format from the available list.
Note: For most Mac users, ‘APFS’ or ‘Mac OS Extended (Journaled)’ are suitable choices. Select a scheme; typically, a ‘GUID Partition Map’ is recommended.
Click ‘Erase’ to begin the formatting process. Disk Utility will warn you that this process will delete all data on the drive. Confirm to proceed.
Once the formatting is complete, you can close Disk Utility. Your hard drive is now in a “like new” state and ready for use.
If needed, you can restore the data you backed up before formatting.
Tip 6. Consult Professional Repair Services
If your hard drive still performs poorly or is not recognized by your Mac even after formatting, or if signs of damage continue, or if you saw warnings or errors during diagnostics in Tip 4, consider seeking help from professional repair services. These experts provide advanced diagnostics and repairs you can not do at home. They possess the necessary tools and expertise to address complex issues. They can save a failing drive or recover more data than standard software tools.
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Conclusion
In this article, we discussed how to address a corrupted hard drive on your Mac and provided several tips to fix these issues. However, not all methods guarantee a lasting solution, especially if the drive has physical damage or severe corruption. You should consult professional repair services or replace the drive in such cases. If you follow the tips provided, you can better decide when to handle repairs independently and when to seek expert help.
FAQ
What causes a hard drive on a Mac to become corrupted?
Several factors can corrupt a Mac’s hard drive. These include sudden power failures, physical damage to the drive, exposure to extreme temperatures, software malfunctions, or virus infections. Over time, normal wear and tear can also contribute to a drive’s decline in health.
Does Disk Utility First Aid erase data from my hard drive?
No, running First Aid from Disk Utility does not erase data from your hard drive. It checks and repairs the file system without deleting data. However, if First Aid finds problems that it cannot fix, it may recommend that you erase the disk and restore data from a backup.
What are the typical costs associated with professional hard drive repair services?
The cost of professional hard drive repair services can vary widely depending on the severity of the damage and the provider’s expertise. Minor repairs may cost between $100 and $300, while more extensive damage that requires data recovery may cost from $500 to $2,000 or more. Always request a detailed quote before you proceed with any repairs.
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