Disk Utility Not Loading on Mac

Why Disk Utility won’t open or load on Mac?

There are several reasons why Disk Utility may not load on Mac, such as software issues, a lack of storage space, and problems with external storage devices. We’ve also found that Disk Utility will refuse to open or load on Mac when certain macOS system files have become corrupted.

A note from our experts: 

 

When you find Disk Utility not loading on Mac, we recommend that you contact MacKeeper’s Premium Services from Clario Tech for expert help. Our team is trained to tackle almost any problem your Mac might be facing, and we’re available 24/7. Here’s how to contact us:

1. Install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Select Premium Services in the sidebar, then click Chat Now.
3. Explain your issue to our team to quickly get help.

How to fix Disk Utility not loading on Mac?

If Disk Utility on Mac isn’t working, we always recommend restarting your computer first. If this doesn’t fix the issue, we advise you to try booting into Apple’s built-in Recovery mode by using Disk Utility there and to repair any potentially corrupted macOS system files preventing the program from running, as this is what we usually do.

A personal story to share: 

 

A user recently contacted MacKeeper’s Premium Services for help with their Mac after noticing that it became slow and unstable as soon as they tried opening an app. We noticed their system was low on storage, which meant that software was unable to write new data, causing it to freeze almost immediately. We showed the user how to clear system storage on Mac to quickly fix the issue.

In addition to clearing space on your Mac, these are the methods that we’ve found to be most successful in getting Disk Utility working:

1. Restart your Mac to refresh all processes that may have become stuck.
2. Close conflicting apps or background processes to ensure that nothing is interfering with Disk Utility.
3. Free up system storage space to give software room to write new data.
4. Boot into Safe Mode to stop third-party processes from running to rule out conflicts.
5. Open Disk Utility from macOS Recovery to use it even if installed macOS system files are corrupted.
6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM and SMC on your Mac to return certain hardware and system settings to default values.
7. Check for macOS updates and install any new releases to fix system files and patch bugs.
8. Use Terminal for disk management when you need to manage storage devices quickly.

1. Restart your Mac

We always suggest restarting your Mac whenever you run into strange software glitches. Here’s how:

1. Open the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then select Restart.
2. Click Restart again to confirm.

2. Close conflicting apps or background processes

We’ve noticed that certain software can conflict with Apple’s Disk Utility and prevent it from working properly. Here’s how to close potentially problematic apps and background processes using Activity Monitor:

1. In Finder, go to Applications > Utilities and open Activity Monitor.
2. Under Process Name, you’ll see all running apps and processes. Select anything that could conflict with Disk Utility, then click the X button.
3. Click Force Quit to confirm you want to close the process.

When quitting apps, we focus on antivirus programs and third-party disk management tools. We also close any programs using significant CPU and RAM resources, which can indicate they’re frozen.

3. Free up system storage space

If you don’t free up space on Mac regularly, you’ll eventually run out and apps won’t be able to write new data, which stops them from running properly. Here’s how we like to check storage and clear space:

1. In Apple’s System Settings app, select General > Storage.
2. Here, you’ll see how your Mac’s storage is being used, and how much is free. Click the i next to each item in the list to see a breakdown of disk usage.
3. Select any unwanted items, then click Delete to remove them.
4. Select Delete again to confirm.

Ideally, you should keep at least 10-15% of your Mac’s startup disk empty. We also recommend the following to free up space:

• Empty the trash.
• Enable iCloud Drive to send photos and other content to the cloud.
• Use MacKeeper’s Safe Cleanup tool, developed by Clario Tech, to get rid of unnecessary system junk, like old cache and log files, unused language packs, and old Mail attachments.

4. Boot into Safe Mode

We can boot a MacBook Pro into Safe Mode to prevent third-party apps and extensions from running. This allows us to run Disk Utility without interference from other software. Try our instructions below.

On an Apple Silicon Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button until you see Loading startup options.
3. Select your Mac’s startup disk.
4. Hold down the shift key, then select Continue in Safe Mode.

On an Intel Mac:

1. Restart your Mac, then immediately hold down the shift key.
2. Log in when prompted to get into Safe Mode.

Now that you know how to boot a Mac into Safe Mode, you can try to use Disk Utility to manage your storage devices. If it works, it’s likely that other software is causing issues when your Mac isn’t in Safe Mode. If it still doesn’t work, this indicates a bigger problem with macOS.

5. Open Disk Utility from macOS Recovery

If you can’t run Disk Utility in Safe Mode, your macOS install is likely corrupted. In other words, important system files have become damaged, and the OS needs a reinstall. In the meantime, you can run Disk Utility in Recovery mode by following the steps described by our team below.

On an Apple Silicon Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold power until you see Loading startup options.
3. Click Options, then select Continue.
4. If prompted, select your startup disk and log in.
5. Once the list of Recovery options appears, select Disk Utility > Continue.

On an Intel Mac:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press the power button, then press and hold Command + R.
3. When you see the list of Recovery options, choose Disk Utility > Continue.

A question from us: 

 

Wondering what is Recovery mode on Mac? It’s essentially a separate environment that includes some essential tools for fixing issues with your MacBook. Recovery mode typically runs from its own drive partition, so we can use it even when macOS is corrupted.

6. Reset NVRAM/PRAM and SMC

We’ve found that many macOS glitches, including Disk Utility issues, can be fixed by resetting a Mac’s PRAM/NVRAM and SMC. To do this on an Apple Silicon Mac, you simply need to restart your computer. If you have an Intel Mac, follow the steps we’ve left below.

To reset PRAM/NVRAM:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command + Option + P + R.
3. Keep holding the keys for 20 seconds while your Mac restarts; when you see the Apple logo for a second time, you can release them.

To reset the SMC:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold Control + Option on the left side of the keyboard, plus Shift on the right side of the keyboard.
3. After holding all three keys for about 7 seconds, press and hold the power button simultaneously.
4. Wait another 7 seconds, then release all keys.
5. After a few more seconds, turn on your Mac.

7. Check for macOS updates

It’s best to update your Mac whenever a new macOS release is available to get the latest bug fixes. This can also restore potentially corrupted system files. Follow these steps:

1. In System Settings, go to General > Software Update.
2. If an update is available, click Update Now to install it.

8. Use Terminal for disk management

When we need to manage disks quickly and Disk Utility isn’t working, we can use Terminal from Applications > Utilities. Simply type in diskutil and press enter to see a list of possible commands. Here are some of the most useful ones:

• diskutil list — shows a list of connected storage drives and their device identifiers
• diskutil info — shows more detailed information about the selected disk
• diskutil partition — partitions the selected disk using the name, format, and size specified
• diskutil umount — unmounts the selected disk
• diskutil eject — unmounts removable drives like USB sticks and SD cards
• diskutil repairVolume — repairs the selected disk
• diskutil eraseVolume — erases the selected volume.

A helpful explanation from our team: When using the above commands in Terminal, items within angle brackets should be replaced with the associated information. For instance, diskutil partition < identifier > < name > < format > < size > should be something like diskutil partition disk0s2 MyNewPartition APFS 25%.

Conclusion

When Disk Utility isn’t working on Mac, there are several ways we can fix it, like restarting, booting into Safe Mode, or running Disk Utility in Recovery mode. Alternatively, we can manage disks using Terminal.

If you need help using these fixes for Disk Utility, or with any other problem your MacBook might be facing, contact our professional team through MacKeeper’s Premium Services. Built by Clario Tech and notarized by Apple, our app provides expert support for a wide range of macOS issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.