If you can't boot to recovery it's possible (and, I believe, likely) that your hard drive mechanism has failed. You didn't say which Mac you have, but if it supports Internet Recovery, then you can hold down ⌘-Option-R to force a boot into Interne. There are numerous solutions to this problem, depending on the reason causing your Mac to get stuck. If the updating process is stuck and you are left with a spinning wheel, restarting your Mac might be an effective way to get rid of the problem. Press the power button, and restart the device to try again.
Macintosh HD, or the MacBook internal hard drive, is basically the startup drive of most Apple computers. That means if your Mac or MacBook Pro can't mount its startup disk, it is likely that you will experience problems, like your computer gets stuck on the login screen or it does not boot at all. Situations like this can be very annoying, especially if you have critical and important files stored on the 'unmountable' hard drive.
Fret not, because we will teach you what to do if your MacBook Pro won't mount its startup disk. But before we do that, you better have a backup of all your data.
Backup, Backup, Backup!
Before you proceed with fixing the problem, it is best that you back up all your data first. That way, you can easily retrieve or recover your important documents and files in case something goes wrong.
Now, you might be wondering if it is possible to create a backup of your data, especially that your Mac is not even booting. Here's what you should know: your Mac has a built-in Disk Utility, which can be accessed before startup. To use this, follow the steps below:
- Get an external hard drive and connect it to your Mac.
- Switch off your Mac. After five seconds, switch it back on.
- After hearing the startup sound, press the CMD and R keys. Hold them until the Apple logo appears.
- The macOS Utilities window will now appear.
- Choose Disk Utility and hit Continue to proceed.
- You can now start backing up your data using the external drive. Once you have backed up all your data, you can try a few fixes to your 'unmountable' hard drive problems.
4 Fixes to a MacBook Pro That Can't Mount Its Startup Disk
In most cases, mounting is an automatic process that happens as soon as the hard drive is connected to a Mac or MacBook Pro. Then again, drive mounting can be performed manually using the Disk Utility of your machine. It will be discussed further below.
Going forward, assuming you already have a backup of your important files and data, let's proceed with resolving the problem. Below are a few ways to fix a MacBook Pro that can't mount its startup disk:
1. Fix Your Hard Drive.
Sometimes, restarting your Mac is more than enough to fix the problem. However, if that does not work, then you might want to look into the angle that there might be something wrong with your hard drive. If that is the case, you have to boot your MacBook Pro in Recovery Mode via Disk Utility.
To hopefully fix your hard drive, follow these steps:
- Switch off your MacBook Pro.
- Turn it back on by pressing the Power button. But while doing that, press the CMD and R keys as well until the Apple logo appears.
- The macOS Utilities window will open. From there, select Disk Utility.
- From the left pane, choose your MacBook Pro hard drive.
- Navigate to the First Aid tab.
- Click the First Aid button to start fixing your drive.
- Wait for the process to finish before restarting your machine.
2. Run Your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode.
When booted in Safe Mode, your MacBook Pro will start only with the minimum requirements and utilities needed. All other programs and apps that are unnecessary will never be loaded. Hence, if the reason why your startup disk cannot be mounted is a faulty app or program, booting your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode might just fix your problem.
To run your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode, do these:
- Restart your MacBook Pro.
- After you hear the startup sound, press the SHIFT key immediately. Continue holding it until the Apple logo appears.
- If your MacBook Pro boots up properly, then uninstall any program or app you suspect is causing the problem.
- Restart your machine.
3. Disconnect All External Peripherals.
It is possible that a faulty peripheral connected to your MacBook Pro could be causing your startup disk problems. To verify this, follow the steps below:
- Switch off your machine.
- Disconnect all external peripherals connected to your MacBook Pro, including printers, external hard drives, USBs, and scanner. You may leave the keyboard and mouse attached in the meantime.
- Switch on your Mac. If it boots properly, then one of the peripherals is causing the problem.
- Identify the exact cause of the problem by connecting each of the peripherals one by one. Make sure you reboot your MacBook Pro every time you connect a peripheral.
4. Reset the SMC and PRAM.
This may sound like a technical solution, but it isn't. In fact, resetting the SMC and the PRAM takes only a few seconds.
To reset the PRAM and SMC, follow these instructions:
- Reboot your MacBook Pro.
- After you hear the startup sound, press the Option, CMD, P, and R keys. Hold them until you hear the second startup tone.
- Release the keys. Your PRAM will then be reset.
- Restart your MacBook Pro and check if the problem persists.
- If resetting the PRAM does not fix the problem, try resetting the SMC. Start by shutting down your MacBook Pro.
- Plug your machine into a wall outlet.
- Next, press the CTRL, SHIFT, Option, and Power keys for 10 seconds and release them together.
- Restart your MacBook Pro and see if it worked.
How to Mount a Startup Disk on MacBook Pro
At this point, you probably want to know how to properly mount a startup disk on your MacBook Pro to avoid problems in the future. Well, mounting a startup disk does not literally suggest physically setting it up with all the wires. It simply means making the startup disk available for your system to perform different read and write operations. Man splits face diving.
If the startup drive is in good shape, your system Disk Utility should see it. Under the Disk Utility window, select your preferred startup disk. Click on it to mount. By now, your new startup disk should be accessible by your operating system.
What's Next?
Now that you know how to deal with your 'unmountable' startup disk problem, it's time that you get your MacBook Pro running fast and smooth by downloading and installing a reliable tool like Outbyte MacRepair. Not only will this tool allow you to conveniently find and fix speed and stability problems, it will also protect your privacy. What more can you ask for from such a powerful tool?
If you know other ways to fix a MacBook Pro that can't mount its startup disk, please share them with us below. We're looking forward to hearing from you.
See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.
The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted Macbook Pro 2010
As a gadget owner, you should be akin to the rare occasion of uncontrolled fit and rage you can experience once your device chooses to have a mind of its own. A recent glitch we noticed with certain Mac computer owners running macOS Sierra was the complaint that mac recovery mode not working.
The first complaint we received was from a user running a Mac mini 2014 who replaced his Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with a Solid State Drive (SDD), he complained of not seeing the Apple logo appearing on the screen to signify his PC was loading. In a bid to fix this glitch, he tried various shortcuts to start the computer in Safe Mode and Recovery Mode to no avail. Hence we pen this article as a detailed solution to the mac recovery mode not working issue.
What is MacBook Recovery Mode?
It would be erroneous to believe all Mac users know what the Mac Recovery Mode is, hence we begin with a basic description of the mode. Mac Recovery Mode is a dedicated partition of the disk that contains a recovery image and an OS X installer duplicate. It is a multifunctional inbuilt Mac utility that enables Mac users safely recover or restore their data from Time Machine, fix or wipe their hard disk, access online help and even to reinstall macOS. Also, with the advent of a software malfunction or issue, the MacBook Recovery Mode helps Mac recover as its name implies. To access macOS Recovery on your Mac, follow the procedure below:
1. Power on your Mac by clicking the Power button.
2. Immediately after 1. above, long press the Command + R key combination on your keyboard until the spinning globe or the Apple logo appears.
3. Wait till you see the macOS utility tab appear then select your preferred course of action.
4. To exit the macOS recovery, select the Shut Down option from the Apple menu.
What to Do when MacBook Recovery Mode won't Work?
In some instances, when it is pertinent for users to restart their MacBook via the recovery mode, they might be distraught to discover that the mac recovery mode is not working. Whenever this happens, more recent Mac computers automatically switch to starting up the macOS from the internet and when this occurs you see the spinning globe in place of the Apple logo.
To save time and to manually induce the macOS recovery over the internet, during startup long press the Option-Command-R buttons or the Shift-Option-Command-R buttons. Should in case the mac recovery mode not working problem still persist, consider executing the following steps:
Method 1: Use Your Time Machine Backup
As a Mac user, it is possible you have Time Machine connected the Backup external drive. If so, follow the below procedure to use its inherent Recovery Mode:
1. Restart your Mac. Click the Options tab when you hear the startup music.
2. Connect your Time Machine and wait. The connected Time Machine should boot after a while.
3. Select the Recovery Drive to boot your Mac.
4 Fixes to a MacBook Pro That Can't Mount Its Startup Disk
In most cases, mounting is an automatic process that happens as soon as the hard drive is connected to a Mac or MacBook Pro. Then again, drive mounting can be performed manually using the Disk Utility of your machine. It will be discussed further below.
Going forward, assuming you already have a backup of your important files and data, let's proceed with resolving the problem. Below are a few ways to fix a MacBook Pro that can't mount its startup disk:
1. Fix Your Hard Drive.
Sometimes, restarting your Mac is more than enough to fix the problem. However, if that does not work, then you might want to look into the angle that there might be something wrong with your hard drive. If that is the case, you have to boot your MacBook Pro in Recovery Mode via Disk Utility.
To hopefully fix your hard drive, follow these steps:
- Switch off your MacBook Pro.
- Turn it back on by pressing the Power button. But while doing that, press the CMD and R keys as well until the Apple logo appears.
- The macOS Utilities window will open. From there, select Disk Utility.
- From the left pane, choose your MacBook Pro hard drive.
- Navigate to the First Aid tab.
- Click the First Aid button to start fixing your drive.
- Wait for the process to finish before restarting your machine.
2. Run Your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode.
When booted in Safe Mode, your MacBook Pro will start only with the minimum requirements and utilities needed. All other programs and apps that are unnecessary will never be loaded. Hence, if the reason why your startup disk cannot be mounted is a faulty app or program, booting your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode might just fix your problem.
To run your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode, do these:
- Restart your MacBook Pro.
- After you hear the startup sound, press the SHIFT key immediately. Continue holding it until the Apple logo appears.
- If your MacBook Pro boots up properly, then uninstall any program or app you suspect is causing the problem.
- Restart your machine.
3. Disconnect All External Peripherals.
It is possible that a faulty peripheral connected to your MacBook Pro could be causing your startup disk problems. To verify this, follow the steps below:
- Switch off your machine.
- Disconnect all external peripherals connected to your MacBook Pro, including printers, external hard drives, USBs, and scanner. You may leave the keyboard and mouse attached in the meantime.
- Switch on your Mac. If it boots properly, then one of the peripherals is causing the problem.
- Identify the exact cause of the problem by connecting each of the peripherals one by one. Make sure you reboot your MacBook Pro every time you connect a peripheral.
4. Reset the SMC and PRAM.
This may sound like a technical solution, but it isn't. In fact, resetting the SMC and the PRAM takes only a few seconds.
To reset the PRAM and SMC, follow these instructions:
- Reboot your MacBook Pro.
- After you hear the startup sound, press the Option, CMD, P, and R keys. Hold them until you hear the second startup tone.
- Release the keys. Your PRAM will then be reset.
- Restart your MacBook Pro and check if the problem persists.
- If resetting the PRAM does not fix the problem, try resetting the SMC. Start by shutting down your MacBook Pro.
- Plug your machine into a wall outlet.
- Next, press the CTRL, SHIFT, Option, and Power keys for 10 seconds and release them together.
- Restart your MacBook Pro and see if it worked.
How to Mount a Startup Disk on MacBook Pro
At this point, you probably want to know how to properly mount a startup disk on your MacBook Pro to avoid problems in the future. Well, mounting a startup disk does not literally suggest physically setting it up with all the wires. It simply means making the startup disk available for your system to perform different read and write operations. Man splits face diving.
If the startup drive is in good shape, your system Disk Utility should see it. Under the Disk Utility window, select your preferred startup disk. Click on it to mount. By now, your new startup disk should be accessible by your operating system.
What's Next?
Now that you know how to deal with your 'unmountable' startup disk problem, it's time that you get your MacBook Pro running fast and smooth by downloading and installing a reliable tool like Outbyte MacRepair. Not only will this tool allow you to conveniently find and fix speed and stability problems, it will also protect your privacy. What more can you ask for from such a powerful tool?
If you know other ways to fix a MacBook Pro that can't mount its startup disk, please share them with us below. We're looking forward to hearing from you.
See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.
The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted Macbook Pro 2010
As a gadget owner, you should be akin to the rare occasion of uncontrolled fit and rage you can experience once your device chooses to have a mind of its own. A recent glitch we noticed with certain Mac computer owners running macOS Sierra was the complaint that mac recovery mode not working.
The first complaint we received was from a user running a Mac mini 2014 who replaced his Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with a Solid State Drive (SDD), he complained of not seeing the Apple logo appearing on the screen to signify his PC was loading. In a bid to fix this glitch, he tried various shortcuts to start the computer in Safe Mode and Recovery Mode to no avail. Hence we pen this article as a detailed solution to the mac recovery mode not working issue.
What is MacBook Recovery Mode?
It would be erroneous to believe all Mac users know what the Mac Recovery Mode is, hence we begin with a basic description of the mode. Mac Recovery Mode is a dedicated partition of the disk that contains a recovery image and an OS X installer duplicate. It is a multifunctional inbuilt Mac utility that enables Mac users safely recover or restore their data from Time Machine, fix or wipe their hard disk, access online help and even to reinstall macOS. Also, with the advent of a software malfunction or issue, the MacBook Recovery Mode helps Mac recover as its name implies. To access macOS Recovery on your Mac, follow the procedure below:
1. Power on your Mac by clicking the Power button.
2. Immediately after 1. above, long press the Command + R key combination on your keyboard until the spinning globe or the Apple logo appears.
3. Wait till you see the macOS utility tab appear then select your preferred course of action.
4. To exit the macOS recovery, select the Shut Down option from the Apple menu.
What to Do when MacBook Recovery Mode won't Work?
In some instances, when it is pertinent for users to restart their MacBook via the recovery mode, they might be distraught to discover that the mac recovery mode is not working. Whenever this happens, more recent Mac computers automatically switch to starting up the macOS from the internet and when this occurs you see the spinning globe in place of the Apple logo.
To save time and to manually induce the macOS recovery over the internet, during startup long press the Option-Command-R buttons or the Shift-Option-Command-R buttons. Should in case the mac recovery mode not working problem still persist, consider executing the following steps:
Method 1: Use Your Time Machine Backup
As a Mac user, it is possible you have Time Machine connected the Backup external drive. If so, follow the below procedure to use its inherent Recovery Mode:
1. Restart your Mac. Click the Options tab when you hear the startup music.
2. Connect your Time Machine and wait. The connected Time Machine should boot after a while.
3. Select the Recovery Drive to boot your Mac.
Method 2: Use a Bootable Disk Drive Utility
It is essential for all Mac users to possess a dedicated USB for this reason that would contain a bootable OS X installer to fix their Mac should the need ever arise. To use a bootable drive in Recovery Mode, follow the steps below:
1. Restart your Mac. Continuously tap the Options button until you hear a chime sound.
2. Connect the bootable installer drive to your Mac.
3. Select the drive from the popup list. Mac will restart then you can repair Mac.
Method 3: Use Mac Internet Recovery
If you have internet connectivity on your mac, then you can successfully try this procedure:
1. Restart your Mac.
2. When you hear the startup music, long press Option + Command + R until you see a globe appear and a status bar.
3. If you use Wi-Fi, select your available Wi-Fi.
4. Wait for the status bar to load completely then follow the prompts to complete the process.
Method 4: Use Third-Party Solutions
Backing up can be a major data for Mac users because its usefulness only becomes important when danger strikes. Hence, certain third-party solutions exist that encourage users to have complete backups as failsafe for their cherished data. An endless myriad of such software exists and can be accessed by using the internet help option in safari upon reboot.
Method 5: Reinstall OS X
Should the frustration of not be able to access your Mac Recovery Mode persist, it might be logical to reinstall your OS X to fix the bugs. This can be achieved by clicking the Reinstall OS X tab and agreeing with the subsequent prompts.
Macbook Pro Recovery Server Cannot Be Contacted
In conclusion, the value we place on our data is only truly felt when we lose them without a backup or failsafe, whether online or on a bootable disk. This highlights that the Mac Recovery Mode not working problem can be solved by accessing your data in the various devices storage entities used before the incidence occurred.