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Disk Not Ejected Properly on Mac

Are you constantly seeing “Disk Not Ejected Properly” errors on your Mac? It’s certainly not unusual, and in most cases, it’s nothing to worry about. It simply means that an external storage device, such as a hard disk drive or USB flash drive, has been unplugged without being properly unmounted first.

 

In this guide, we’ll look at the Disk Not Ejected Properly on Mac message in more detail, and I’ll show you all the different ways you can fix it in the future.

Before we start:

 

If you need support fixing Disk Not Ejected Properly errors or any other problems you might be facing on your Mac, check out MacKeeper’s Premium Services. Our team of experts is trained to diagnose and fix just about any issue you might run into with macOS, and they’re available 24/7.

 

Here’s how to get in touch with our support specialists:

  1. Download and install MacKeeper.
  2. Select Premium Services in the sidebar, then click Chat Now.
  3. Describe the issue you’re facing to your MacKeeper expert to get help right away.

Why does your Mac keep saying “Disk Not Ejected Properly”

The “Disk Not Ejected Properly” on Mac error usually occurs when an external storage device has been disconnected from your Mac without being ejected within macOS. However, the notification can also appear when a drive or other hardware is encountering issues.

 

For instance, if you’re using an external hard drive to get more storage on Mac, and it’s beginning to fail, it’ll likely start disconnecting itself randomly, which is the equivalent of a disk ejected improperly on Mac. We’ve also found that faulty cables, the wrong sleep settings, and bugs on macOS may cause the error.

How to fix “Disk Not Ejected Properly” on Mac

If you’ve tried properly ejecting your external storage devices, and you’re still seeing errors, you’ll be pleased to know that there are many easy ways you can fix “Disk Not Ejected Properly” on Mac notifications from popping up in the corner of your screen. Our experts recommend trying these methods:

  1. Update your macOS
  2. Set up sleep settings
  3. Check the connections
  4. Run First Aid to check your external HDD
  5. Reset SMC and NVRAM
  6. Format the external hard drive

1. Update your macOS

When you encounter disk errors, or an external drive not showing up on Mac, it can sometimes be an issue with macOS. I’ve run into this problem before and found that installing the latest macOS update usually fixes the problem. Now, I’ll share how to update macOS with you:

  1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
  2. Select General in the sidebar, then choose Software Update.
  3. macOS will automatically look for new updates. If one shows up, click Update Now to install it.
Software Update inside the General menu in System Settings on Mac. If you see a lot of Disk Not Ejected Properly errors, try updating yout Mac to see if that fixes it.
Step 1. In System Settings, go to General > Software Update
The Software Update menu in System Settings on Mac. If an update is available, install it to avoid Disk Not Ejected Properly errors on Mac.
Step 2. Select Update Now to proceed

2. Set up sleep settings

External drives can become ejected when your MacBook Pro goes to sleep, and the only way to prevent this is to set up your sleep settings so that your computer stays awake when it’s inactive. Here’s how:

  1. Open System Settings, then select Lock Screen in the sidebar.
  2. Change the options next to Turn display off on battery when inactive and Turn display off on power adapter when inactive to suit you. We don’t recommend that you never allow your Mac to sleep, but extending the time it stays awake to an hour or two may be enough.
The Lock Screen menu inside System Settings on Mac. Here, you can adjust your Mac's sleep settings when you see Disk Not Ejected Properly errors.
Step 1. In System Settings, select Lock Screen
The Lock Screen menu in System Settings on Mac. Try checking your sleep options to prevent external drives from sleeping, which can cause the Disk Not Ejected Property error.
Step 2. Set your desired power options

Our friendly reminder: In older versions of macOS, prior to the release of Ventura, the sleep settings are in a different place. If you still have the System Preferences app (as opposed to System Settings), you’ll find sleep settings under the Energy Saver option.

3. Check the connections

If your Toshiba external hard drive is not working, or you have another storage device that’s causing disk errors, it may be because of a loose or faulty cable. Check the connections to your drives to ensure that they’re secure and that none of the cables are damaged. Some drives will use two connections for power and data transfer—be sure to check them both. You can also try using different cables altogether.

4. Run First Aid to check your external HDD

Many disk issues can be attributed to errors on the drive that cause it to behave abnormally, and in many cases, these can be resolved if you know how to repair a Mac disk with Disk Utility. The first step to take is to run First Aid to check your HDD for problems:

  1. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities.
  2. Select your external HDD in the sidebar, then click First Aid.
  3. Click Run to proceed. If any errors are found, Disk Utility will try to repair them.
The Utilities folder inside Applications on Mac. When you encounter Disk Not Ejected Properly errors on Mac, run First Aid in Disk Utility to check for potential errors.
Step 1. Launch Disk Utility
The First Aid tool inside Disk Utility on Mac. Run First Aid to check for errors on your drive when you see Disk Not Ejected Properly errors.
Step 2. Select your drive, then click First Aid
The First Aid confirmation prompt inside Disk Utility on Mac. You can use First Aid to check for disk errors when you see Disk Not Ejected Propertly errors your machine.
Step 3. Select Run to confirm

Important: 

 

If you’re a little overwhelmed by Disk Utility, or you’re worried you may delete important data accidentally, our experts can walk you through the process of repairing your external HDD. Simply reach out to MacKeeper’s Premium Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for help:

  1. In MacKeeper, select Premium Services, then click Chat Now.
  2. Tell us what you need help with or the issue you’re facing. Provide as much detail as possible to get the best help.
Premium Services inside MacKeeper on Mac. Use this feature to get expert help from a trained professional when you need to fix Disk Not Ejected Properly errors on Mac.
Step 1. In MacKeeper, select Premium Services > Chat Now
Premium Services inside MacKeeper on Mac. When you encounter Disk Not Ejected Properly errors, use Premium Services to get support from an expert.
Step 2. Describe your problem to get expert help

5. Reset SMC and NVRAM

Disk errors and crashes can sometimes be eliminated with a reset of the SMC and NVRAM on your Mac. Try this:

  1. Shut down your machine.
  2. Turn your computer back on, then immediately press and hold Command + Option + P + R.
  3. Release all keys after 20 seconds.

A helpful note from us: During the process, your Mac may restart several times. Just leave it to do its thing until it boots back to the desktop. If you have a modern Mac with an Apple Silicon chip, there’s no need to try this fix because those machines don’t use SMC/NVRAM in the same way. We’ve checked and can tell you that a simple restart will do the job.

6. Format the external hard drive

If First Aid couldn’t fix your external hard drive, you can try to format it, which will clear all the data it contains—including anything that’s bad. First, backup any files you want to keep, then do this:

  1. In Disk Utility, select your drive in the sidebar, then click Erase.
  2. Choose your format settings, then click Erase again to proceed.
The Erase feature in Disk Utility on Mac. Use Erase to format an external hard drive when you encounter Disk Not Ejected Properly errors on Mac.
Step 1. In Disk Utility, select your drive > click Erase
The Erase confirmation prompt in Disk Utility on Mac. Erase can be used to format an external drive when you see Disk Not Ejected Properly errors on Mac.
Step 2 Click Erase again to confirm

How to avoid the “Disk Not Ejected Properly” error on Mac in the future

Hopefully, by following the solutions outlined above, you’ve been able to resolve whatever was causing “Disk Not Ejected Properly” errors. Still, to avoid the problem in the future, I recommend you follow a few tips from my Mac usage experience:

  • Always eject external drives before disconnecting them
  • Make sure all connections are secure and swap cables if necessary
  • Keep macOS up to date
  • Avoid using other USB ports on your MacBook while transferring large files

Conclusion

“Disk Not Ejected Properly” is an error that’s not uncommon on Mac if you use external storage devices frequently. Fortunately, in most cases, it’s not serious, and it doesn’t mean that you’re going to lose any data. However, it’s best to avoid the error if possible, especially if it appears on a regular basis.

 

The fixes above will help you stop “Disk Not Ejected Properly” from popping up too often. However, if you need help resolving disk issues or any other problem with your Mac, you can reach out to our trained professionals at any time through MacKeeper’s Premium Services. We’re here to help.

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