Macworld USA – August 2019

(vip2019) #1

116 MACWORLD AUGUST 2019


HELPDESK MAC 911

that your previously reliable external hard
disk drive or SSD starts ejecting itself,
trouble is obviously afoot.
The message “Disk Not Ejected
Properly” usually appears when you
unplug a cable or disconnect power to a
drive without making sure the disk has
unmounted from the Finder after
selecting it and choosing File → Eject
[Name] or
clicking the
Eject icon next
to its name in
the sidebar.
If happens other times, it’s never good.
Some readers have found this problem is
related to system software, and they go
through the standard set of hardware
parameter troubleshooting, such as
resetting NVRAM (go.macworld.com/nvrm)
and resetting SMC (go.macworld.com/
rsmc).
It’s worth trying, because it’s non-
destructive. If unexpected unmountings
continue, try to make a backup
immediately. This may reveal other
problems, but it’s important you have as
current a copy of what’s on that drive as
possible, as the hardware may be about to
die—or the drive may at least be hard to
access while you work through solutions.
Here are five other possibilities and
some accompanying ideas for
troubleshooting:



  1. A bad cable
    Even if you haven’t touched the cable
    since you attached an external drive years
    ago to a desktop computer, cables can fail.
    This is true even if it’s the one included
    with the drive or you purchased one from
    a company with strong positive product
    reviews. Cable failure is more likely for
    drives that are routinely connected and
    disconnected
    to a computer.
    Swap another
    identical cable,
    as it’s the
    cheapest way to isolate the problem.

  2. A faulty power connection
    Check that the adapter is plugged in to the
    drive firmly and that the AC power plug
    isn’t jiggling in the outlet or surge
    protector. If the drive has a power light
    separate from an activity LED, observe it
    and see if it’s flickering or otherwise
    inconstant.
    Even with a power light, it can be tough
    to monitor and hard to test if a power
    adapter is the culprit, because AC power
    adapters are rarely the same among
    different companies (or even models of
    drive from the same company). You may
    need to call the company or use online
    tech support to get additional
    troubleshooting. The company may be
    able to send you free or for a small fee a

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