Easy Ways To Fix Disk Not Ejected Properly on Mac

The Disk Not Ejected Properly error message usually appears if you disconnect your external hard drive from your Mac without safely ejecting it. But, sometimes, the error message can pop up for seemingly no reason.

In this article, we are going to look at how to fix unwanted Disk Not Ejected Properly error messages. Then let us check out steps to eject your external hard drive safely.

What Is the Disk Not Ejected Properly Error Message

When you disconnect your external hard disk from your Mac without safely ejecting it, you will find the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message in the top right corner of your Mac screen.

Sometimes, this error message keeps popping up even if you do not disconnect the hard drive. This happens mostly after you restart Mac or wake it up from Sleep Mode.

Why Does It Occur?

This error message can pop up randomly on your Mac for quite a few reasons. Let us have a look at the main reasons why this happens.

• Bugs in your macOS or other operating system errors can cause the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message to pop up.

• Hard drives are comprised of moving parts, unlike a Solid-state drive (SSD). So, they have considerably lower life spans. And if anything is wrong inside your hard drive, it can show up as an error message on your Mac.

• If your hard disk was running in the background when you disconnected it, you can see this error message.

• Your external cable is damaged and is failing to connect your hard disk properly to your Mac.

• The USB ports on your Mac cannot recognize and connect to the external hard drive. If this happens, an error message will pop up.

How To Fix the Disk Not Ejected Properly Issue

You do not need to worry if the error message appears on your Mac without any valid reasons. There are a number of ways through which you can easily solve the issue. Let us have a look at these methods.

Try out these solutions in the order that they appear.

1. Adjust Sleep Settings

Sometimes when your computer goes to sleep, and you wake it up later, you can see the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message on the screen. This means that your Mac is having trouble connecting to the external drive after it wakes up. One way of solving the issue is to adjust the Sleep Settings on your Mac.

Now, you will see that even if the display turns off, your computer will not go to sleep. So, when you turn your display back on, you will no longer find the error message. In case it still keeps appearing, move on to the next solution.

2. Reset NVRAM

NVRAM stands for non-volatile random-access memory. It is a small section of your Mac’s memory. It stores the system-related settings on your Mac. If the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message keeps popping up due to some system errors, resetting NVRAM is a good idea.

Here are the steps to access NVRAM.

1. Shut down your Mac completely.

2. Now, press the power button. Press and hold the Option + Command + P + R keys for around 20 seconds as soon as your Mac starts up.

3. Release the key combination once you hear the startup chime and see the Apple logo appear and fade away twice(for T2-based Macs), release the combination of keys.

This solution doesn’t apply to M1 Macs as they test NVRAM on startup. If the system detects a need to resent, it will reset the NVRAM automatically.

3. Reset SMC

SMC stands for the System Management Controller on a Mac. Sometimes the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message appears due to issues in the SMC. Here are the steps to reset the SMC on your Mac.

1. Turn off your Mac.

2. Now press and hold the Ctrl + Option + left Shift keys for about 10 seconds.

3. Then turn your Mac on.

Note: SMC is only available on Intel Macs. M1 and M2 Macs do not have SMC.

4. Check Your External HDD With First Aid

Sometimes the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message can pop up if there is an issue with your hard disk or USB device. In such cases, running a thorough diagnostic of your hard drive can help you pinpoint the cause of the error.

Here is how to check for errors on your external hard drive through First Aid.

1. Go to Menu > Utilities > Disk Utility.

2. In the Disk Utility window, go to the left sidebar and select the external hard drive.

3. Click First Aid and then select Run on the pop-up window.

Wait for First Aid to finish running.

5. Format External Hard Disk Drive

Your external hard disk can malfunction at times. This can trigger the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message. You can solve the issue by formatting the drive. Here is how to do so.

1. Go to Disk Utility and select the external drive that you wish to format.

2. Select the Format and Scheme.

3. Now click on Erase. Then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the task.

Note: You will lose all your data on the hard disk. So, before formatting, you should back up all the necessary data on the external hard disk.

Simple Tricks To Fix Disk Not Ejected Properly Error Message

Apart from the solutions given above, there are a couple of generic solutions that can help you in case all else fails.

• System Update: Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Software Update. If you have any pending updates, they will appear here. Now follow the on-screen instructions to update your software to the latest version available.

• Check Hardware: Sometimes, the Disk Not Ejected Properly error message can pop up due to faulty cable wire, loose USB ports, and other various hardware issues. In such cases, take your Mac to a service center to get it repaired. If there is an issue with the cable, you can buy a new cable or contact the customer support of your external hard disk company for assistance.

Got Rid of the Disk Not Ejected Properly Pop Up?

Did you manage to get rid of the popup on your Mac screen? Please let us know which solution worked for you. If you have any more questions regarding Mac or other Apple products, do reach out to us in the comments.

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