1. Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Osx
2. Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Catalina
3. Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Desktop
4. Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Time Machine
5. Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Computer

May 07, 2020 If your Mac is using macOS Catalina and you use Screen Time, make sure your camera is turned on and apps that use the camera have time available. Choose Apple menu  System Preferences, then click Screen Time. Click Content & Privacy in the sidebar, then click Apps. Make sure the checkbox for Camera is selected. If you are attempting to copy image files from your camera to your computer, you need to remove the memory card from the camera and insert it into your Apple computer. Use Finder to copy all the images from the card to a new file folder you name for the subject/location and date so you can find the images years later. Using the camera on your MacBook Pro is easy and can also be a lot of fun. Turning your camera on really is as simple as opening up one of the apps that use the camera or video function. It’s rare that this doesn’t turn your camera on but if so, just follow the troubleshooting steps and you should be good to go with a quick restart or update.

Get a data lifeguard for Mac

Most of the time, when you connect an external hard drive to your Mac’s USB port, you soon see it mount on the desktop. Apple likes to ensure these are easy to find, so they also appear in the Finder in the left-hand column under Devices, since Mac’s treat them the same way as another computer.

However, sometimes, an external hard drive doesn't show up. It’s annoying, especially when you need to transfer something right then. And besides, there can be a risk that data on the external USB pen, hard, or flash drive is corrupt, which means you can’t transfer what you need between devices at all.

Corrupt data can be one reason your Mac won't recognize an external drive, but there are other reasons too. Let’s take a look why this is happening and how you can get an external drive to appear on your Mac and get recover data to access to your documents.

How to fix an external disk drive that won't show up on a Mac

Why an external disk drive is not showing up? There could be a few reasons why a USB flash drive isn’t making an appearance.

Open an External Drive Not Showing on Mac

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Start with the basics:

1. Check whether the drive is properly plugged in. It sounds obvious, but since this relies on a wire - either a USB cable or HDMI cable - if it’s not connected properly then it won’t appear on your desktop.
2. Faulty cable. Assuming it’s plugged in correctly, not wobbly or loose, the cable could be at fault. Try connecting the same device with a different cable.
3. Damaged USB or flash drive port. It could be a hardware issue with the Mac. If you’ve got another port, try connecting the device to that one.
4. Reboot your Mac. Sometimes, if a USB disk won't boot, the cause is macOS issue. Hopefully, some data damage that can be fixed by restarting. Choose the Apple menu > Restart. Or press and hold the power button and, when a dialog box appears, click the Restart or press R. Restarting your Mac essentially clears your macOS’s memory and starts it up fresh.
5. Incorrectly formatted drive. Not every external drive is optimized for Macs. It could be that you are trying to connect something only fit to interact with Windows devices. If you’ve got a PC or laptop, it’s worth connecting and seeing if you can access the files through another device. The best way to look for an incorrectly formatted drive is to go to
   Apple (in the top toolbar menu) > About This Mac > Storage.
   See if the external drive shows up here. For more information, go to the same menu option, then select System Report.
6. Mac not formatted to display external drives on the desktop. It could be that your Mac already recognizes the device, but just isn’t showing its icon on the desktop screen. Even if that is the case, the drive will still appear in the left-hand column of the Finder menu under Devices. You should be able to access your drive that way, and, in the Finder menu under Preferences > General, you can check External Drives to ensure that from now on it shows up on your desktop too.
7. Reset NVRAM. To do this, shut down or restart your Mac, switch it back on and immediately press these four keys together for at least 20 seconds: Option, Command, P, and R. It should look as though your Mac has started again; if it has, release the keys when you hear the second startup chime. Hopefully, the hard drive has shown up now.
8. Check Apple’s Disk Utility to see if an external drive is showing up. Disk Utility is within System Preferences, or you can find it using Spotlight. If it is visible, then click the option to Mount, which should make it visible on the desktop and in the External Drives option in the Finder menu.

Unfortunately, if none of those options has worked and the external drive still isn’t visible, then it could have crashed, or be well and truly broken. But there might still be a way you can recover the data on the external drive.

How to show connected devices in Finder

1. Go to the Finder menu and select Preferences (Cmd+comma).
2. From General tab tick External disks to ensure that from now on it shows on the desktop.

In the Sidebar tab you can choose which folders and devices will be shown in the left-hand column of the Finder window.

How to add cloud storages to Finder

You can also mount cloud storage as local drive on your Mac. By connecting Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon to your computer, you get more space for securely accessing and sharing files. For your ease, add cloud drives to Finder with CloudMounter app, so that you keep them close at hand. You can read detailed instructions on managing cloud storage as local drives here.

Repair the failed external drives with First Aid

If your drive is having problems, you can try to fix them yourself with First Aid and therefore get access to your files. First Aid tool will check the disk for errors and then attempt a repair as needed. It helps to verify and repair a range of issues related to startup HD and external drive problems. If you are able to fix the hard drive or SSD in your Mac (or an external drive) using Disk Utility you will hopefully be able to recover your files.

To run Fist Aid on an external hard drive:

1. Open Disk Utility. You can searching for it using Spotlight Search or via Finder > Application > Utility
2. Check on your external hard drive, click the First Aid tab and select Run to start running diagnostics.

If First Aid successful in fixing errors, the external drive should be available to mount. If the utility unable to repair issues, your drive truly is broken or formatted using a file system that the Mac cannot read - in this way we suggest you follow the next steps to recover data from a damaged disk drive.

How to recover data from a crashed drive

Thankfully, there is an app for that. Disk Drill is the world’s premier data recovery software for Mac OS X. Powerful enough to retrieve long-lost, mistakenly deleted files from Macs, external hard drives and USB drives and camera cards.

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An easy way to recover lost files on an external hard drive

Providing you already have Disk Drill Pro version, which you can get automatically by downloading from Setapp:

1. Connect your drive to the Mac.
2. Quit all other applications on the Mac, especially those that may be trying to access the external drive (e.g. iPhoto, Words)
3. Launch Disk Drill.
4. Click on the external drive that you are trying to recover files from. If it has partitions, you will see all of them. If, however, you still don’t see any volume to the external drive then you may need to try some of the steps above again or read the Disk Drill Scanning FAQs.
5. To avoid the external drive being accessed during the recovery process, click Extras next to the drive or drive partition or file, then select Remount Volume As Read Only. A padlock will appear, protecting the drive during the process.
6. Now click Rebuild (or Recover) next to the file(s) you are trying to recover. Once the scan is finished - it may take some time if the files are large - a list of files will appeal.
7. Next, click Mount Found Items as Disk button on the bottom-left below the scan results.
8. Disk Drill “strongly suggest saving the files to a different drive than the one you are trying to recover files from. Saving to the same drive substantially lowers your chances of recovery.”
9. A drive icon will appear, which once you double click will give you the option to open the files as you would do before they were lost. Drag them to another location, such as your desktop or a folder on your Mac.
10. Open the files to ensure they have been recovered properly and safely eject the external drive.

Disk Drill does have other ways to recover lost files but assuming there aren’t complications, this method is the most effective. Disk Drill Pro recovery app is available from Setapp, along with dozens of Mac apps that will make your life easier. Never have to worry about a crashed or corrupted external drive again.

A few more tips on getting your files back

1. Macs and third-party apps that look after Macs, such as Disk Drill and iStat Menus come with a S.M.A.R.T. (also known as Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) status monitor. If a SMART check reports errors, then it could mean the hard drive is at risk of failing completely. Within Disk Utility and Disk Drill, there are several solutions for this: Repair Disk Permissions and Repair Disk. If neither work, it’s recommended that you backup all of the data from the disk, erase, then run a SMART check again. The external hard drive should show up as Verified.
2. Partitions can get lost within hard drives, temporarily hiding all of the information contained within. Disk Drill can help to identify and restore this information.
3. Within Disk Drill, you can restore data when a hard drive is damaged or add formatting, which is also something Disk Utility can help with.
4. CleanMyMac, another useful app available from Setapp, can help you identify external hard drive errors and repair them. It is an essential tool worth trying when you’re having external hard drive difficulties.

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Alternative ways to recover data from an external hard drive

Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) if your Mac shuts down when you plug in an external hard drive. Then use a different port to connect the external hard drive. If you’ve got a battery that you can’t remove:

• Shut down and unplug the power adapter
• Press Shift-Control-Option and the power button at the same time. Do this for 10 seconds
• Release all keys
• Plug the power adapter back in and switch your Mac back on

For Macs with removable batteries, you need to switch them off, remove the battery, then press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. After that, put the battery back in, plug in the power adapter and switch the power on again.

What’s your file format? One reason your Mac isn’t recognizing the hard drive is the file format. Windows uses NTFS file formats, while Macs, up until the introduction of Sierra, have used HFS+. Now, Apple has introduced the Apple File System (APFS) for newer operating systems. It is possible to format a hard drive so it can be read on Mac and Windows computers, providing you format using exFAT. However, if you’re having problems accessing the files and the issue is due to formatting, you will need to connect it to a device it can be read on, and then format the files correctly for the computer you are going to use it on next.

How to make Ext2/Ext3 drives readable on Mac

The common issue is Ext2- and Ext3-formatted drives are not readable on macOS. There are two ways to access such external drives on your Mac – via Linux OS or FUSE system. The easiest would be installing Linux to a secondary drive or virtual machine.

If you go with Linux installation, dual boot your Mac with Linux on another drive and use FAT32 as a transfer intermediary. If you don’t have a drive to install Linux to, use virtual machine as an interface for it. Transferring can be done the same way – with FAT32, or via network.

Another option for reading Ext2/Ext3 disks is mounting disk with Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE). Basically, it works as an extra interface enabling file system access via specially installed modules. Here’s how to mount drives with FUSE:

1. Install FUSE for macOS or MacFUSE as well as fuse-ext2 module.
2. Use the following Terminal command to enable Disk Utility’s debug menu and see all partitions: defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 1
3. Attach your Ext2/Ext3 drive and locate the device name via Disk Utility.
4. In your user account, create a folder to be used as a mount point.
5. Use the following Terminal command to mount the drive as read-only: fuse-ext2 /dev/disk2s2 /Volumes/mountpoint
6. For write support, use the command: fuse-ext2 -o force /dev/disk2s2 /Volumes/mountpoint

And that’s not the only case where Terminal helps you access external drive.

Employ the handy all-powerful Terminal, which always comes forward with solutions for difficult problems. Especially if System Information does recognize the USB or hard drive, but continues to hide it from you, disconnect the drive and try to find it using the Terminal, which you can find in Applications > Utilities.

• Once in the Terminal, type in the command diskutil list
• A list with information about volumes and drives should appear
• Look for a section labelled /dev/disk_ (external, physical)
• Make a note of the whole line after the word disk
• Now put the following command into the Terminal diskutil info disk followed by the number or digits assigned to that disk
• Now you should see detailed information about the drive, therefore confirming that your Mac can and does recognize it
• Eject using the Terminal by entering the command diskutil eject disk followed by the number or digits assigned to that disk
• Physically remove the disk from you Mac
• Plug it back in and your Mac should recognize it

Console is also reliable when it comes to solving tricky problems, although it isn’t always that easy to use. You can find Console under Applications > Utilities > Console. Console shows if an external drive or any error is detected under the Errors and Faults tab. If no errors show up, then the problem is not caused by the device.

To sum up, there are lots of potential solutions for a Mac not reading an external hard drive. If we were to pick one, Disk Drill seems to be the most well-rounded, offering plenty of customizations and power in an easy-to-use interface. Disk Drill Pro recovery app is available via Setapp, along with 150+ Mac apps that strive to make your life much much easier. At the very least, you’ll never have to worry about a crashed or corrupted external drive ever again.

Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Osx

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Your MacBook Pro comes equipped with many different functions and features that make it a really great computer to have. All of the high-end tech that is built into these computers can allow you to accomplish many different tasks quickly and Apple products are well-known for their intuitive interface and ease of use. If you just got your hands on a new MacBook Pro, congratulations and welcome to the club!

One basic function and piece of equipment that every MacBook Pro comes with is a camera. The quality of these cameras seems to improve with every new generation that Apple puts out and they are very functional and easy to use. These built-in cameras come in handy during a number of different circumstances and are simple to operate once you are familiar with the basic functions of your computer.

Reasons for Using Your MacBook Pro Camera

The camera on your MacBook Pro can be used for a variety of different reasons. It is typically not used in the same way as a common camera on your phone or other devices. It would look pretty hilarious if you help up your computer for a family photo, wouldn’t it?! I suppose it would work for this, but most people use the built-in camera on their computer for other reasons than taking photos.

1. Video Calls & Chats

One of the most common uses for the built-in camera on your MacBook Pro is for video calls and chats. Well known apps such as Facetime and Skype and utilize the camera to record your image in real-time and show it to whoever you are calling with. Since the camera on your laptop is located above your screen, it is easy to adjust the angle to center it on your face or body to make these calls happen. These cameras work really well for these calls and chats.

2. Photo Booth

Although it’s not very common to use your laptop in a similar fashion as a regular camera, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. With the Photo Booth app on your MacBook Pro, you can take fun and creative photos easily from your computer. The app operates similar to an old-school photo booth where you hit a button, hear a countdown, and then a photo or two are taken. Photo Booth can be really fun and I’ve had a bunch of laughs using the program.

Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Catalina

3. Live Streams

Another thing you can use your built-in camera for is live streaming. You won’t have the best high-quality using your computer’s camera but you can easily live stream any talking or informative content if you have a YouTube channel or are currently a video blogger or interested in learning how to do so. Using the camera on your MacBook is an easy way to learn the basics of how to live-stream and video blog and a lot of people use it for this reason.

How to Turn Your Camera On

In order to operate your camera and utilize it for any of the above purposes or whatever other reason you might want it for, you need to turn it on. It’s actually really easy to do and pretty self-explanatory so once you learn how to turn it on, you’ll probably never forget how.

The first step to turning on your camera is to open whatever app you want to use your camera for. This could be any of the apps mentioned above including Facetime, Skype, or Photo Booth. There are other apps that use the camera feature and those can work for turning your camera on too.

Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Desktop

When some of these apps are opened, such as Photo Booth, the camera will come on automatically. For the other apps, like Facetime and Skype, you might need to click on the video icon to turn the camera on. You’ll know that your camera is on because there will be a small green light that comes on right next to the camera lens. You’ll also see the image that the camera is capturing displayed within the window of the app you are using.

If Your Camera Doesn’t Turn On

Sometimes you might open up one of these apps and your camera will not turn on. There are a few troubleshooting tips you can use to try and fix the problem.

First, make sure that you only have one app that uses the camera open at a time. If you have two apps open and both are trying to use the camera, chances are only one will have access and the other won’t work. Close any programs that might be trying to use your camera except the one you want to use.

Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Time Machine

You can also try restarting your computer and then opening up an app that uses the camera. This usually fixes the problem if you don’t know why your camera is not turning on. If the restart doesn’t work, you might need to update your operating system or the photo/video app you are trying to use.

Also Read: How to Turn off Camera On MacBook Pro

Camera Won't Show Up On Mac Computer

Final Thoughts

Using the camera on your MacBook Pro is easy and can also be a lot of fun. Turning your camera on really is as simple as opening up one of the apps that use the camera or video function. It’s rare that this doesn’t turn your camera on but if so, just follow the troubleshooting steps and you should be good to go with a quick restart or update. If you’ve never used your computer’s camera before, give it a shot and you’ll see how nice it is!

What do you use your built-in camera for most often?