Every user of computer equipment will have come across a case in which their computer has not recognized a peripheral. This moment of frustration can be most unpleasant for its many reasons. Especially for not knowing what the cause is or how to fix it. Knowing what to do if your Mac does not recognize a USB is something you should know in case this happens to you in the future.
In today’s article we will see all the possible problems of a USB that is not recognized on a Mac and its possible solutions. We will see them in an orderly manner, from the simplest to solve to the most complicated. Although this last case may require technical service.
Check the USB that your Mac does not recognize
First of all, what we will have to rule out is that the USB or peripheral that we have tried to connect to our Mac is in good condition. Before looking for a more specific problem on the Mac in question We must rule out that it is not a failure of the connected device itself.
Check the cable and connector
The first step in these cases will always be verify the USB connector that we are trying to connect to our Mac. It will especially be important if it is a USB-A, since due to its size it is more exposed to entry. dirt or foreign objects that may cause damage or a poor connection.
What we will look for will first be visually that the connector is not obstructed by any object or fragment. If this is not the case, we can visually check if its condition looks good. That there are no bent connectors, that there is no rust, etc… If everything seems correct, we will move on to the cable. In it we will look for breaks, very pronounced bends, or if the insulation of the cable has been broken, especially near the ends.
Check the peripheral
If we are trying to connect an external storage device, we will have few options to check. If it is a pendrive, once we have ruled out the correct state of its connector, we will only be left with visually check its condition or smell. A possible problem is that the peripheral has been bumped or smells burnt.
If, on the other hand, we are reviewing another type of peripheral, we will proceed to the previous step, since it can also explain the reason for the problem. Later we will have additional steps. We could look for other types of damage, such as liquidFor example.
Check Mac that does not recognize USB
When we have ruled out the peripheral with the previous steps, everything could point to a problem on the Mac. First of all we will focus on a possible physical failure. This is because they are always much easier to detect than a software failure. That is why they should always be our next point to discard.
Check the connector
With the equipment turned off. We will verify, just as we did in the case of the peripheral, that the connector is in good condition. We can use a flashlight if necessary to make sure. We will also look to ensure that there are no bent connectors or foreign bodies inside. In no case will we put anything inside to check that there is nothing inside, as we could bend a connector and cause very serious damage to the equipment such as a short circuit.
You can choose in this case, as in the case of the peripheral revision, by blowing into the connector. This is the typical popular trick that solves a large number of problems caused by dust. In no case will we use compressed air. Many users can recommend this type of product. However, it is somewhat aggressive and may generate a small liquid residue that turning on the equipment could cause damage to it.
If you find any physical problem with your Mac’s USB, the best thing to do would be to turn it off and request an appointment with a technical service to resolve it. This is because a short circuit in the USB port could cause an irreversible problem on the Mac’s motherboard and render it unusable.
Check Mac operating system that does not recognize USB
At this point, we can now be certain that the problem is caused by the Mac system. The first and easiest step will be to check the updates on our Mac.
Update to the latest supported version of macOS
Once everything indicates that the culprit of the problem is our Mac, it will be check that you are updated to the latest supported version of macOS. In many cases this can solve the problem. Perhaps some action on the equipment drivers that is included in a pending update will solve the problem. It is always recommended to ensure that the device is up to date with updates. to avoid this and many other possible problems.
Reset Mac USB ports
To perform this action we will need to be administrator users of the Mac. Next, we will go to open the Mac Terminal.
Once in the Terminal application, we will proceed to paste the following command: sudo kextunload IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext
It will require the device’s administrator password, as we mentioned. Subsequently, the system will proceed to restore the Mac USBs. This will not affect you in any way in terms of functionality with respect to your connected peripherals. Only they will disconnect and reconnect quickly after reset.
Reset CGS on Mac
If none of the above has worked, we have a couple of tricks left up our sleeve. The first will be Reset the System Management Controller (CGS) on your Mac.
To do it we will have to start from the Mac turned off. Later we will have to hold down the keys Shift + Control + Left Option while we turn on our Mac.
We will continue holding the keys until we hear the Mac boot sound. Technicians usually keep pressing until we hear it two or three times, to be absolutely sure that the CGS has been completely restored.
In case you have an iMac, Mac mini or Mac Pro computer, although you can do it this way too, It could simply serve as disconnecting the equipment from the electrical current for about 5 seconds. Again, a technician’s custom is to leave it for about 30 seconds to be even more sure.
Reset NVRAM
The other ace in the game that we have if the Mac still does not recognize the USB will be reset NVRAM. The process is very simple, since it is very similar to the previous point. The only thing that will change will be the key combination. In this case we will have to hold down the Command (⌘) + Option + P + R keys while the device turns on. As in the previous case, we will wait to hear the startup sound of our Mac one or more times.
If you have reached this point reading, and your Mac still does not recognize a USB, we provide you with a link to the official Apple support page where you can find some additional steps to try.
