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external hard drive ejected repeatedly

I have an almost new Seagate 4T external hard drive connected to my new 2021 iMac which I use as both a Time Machine backup location, and as storage for my video files, music and photo libraries (the new iMac doesn't have enough storage). Since I migrated and transferred data from an early 2019 iMac I keep getting alerts that the "Disc was ejected improperly". Sometimes this happens when the Finder still shows the external drive is connected, and sometimes the drive is booted off and the computer doesn't recognize it until I unplug the device and replug it back in. A few moments later it shows up, and my Music and Photos apps are again usable.


I can still see the Time Machine backups are working, but the reoccurring ejections are a nuisance, and I am concerned something else is afoot. Any thoughts? Thank you!

iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Dec 2, 2021 2:49 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 2, 2021 3:19 PM

Well of course check your cables to ensure they have good connections. Please restart in Safe Mode ( Safe Mode Reset ) with all external wired peripherals disconnected. Then shut down and connect your EHD and restart normally and test.


Unless your Seagate is old, it should be okay for 3-5 years. As a rule of thumb it is good practice to exchange HD's that are 5 years old (or older) with new drives because HD's often give you no warning when they are about to die.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 2, 2021 3:19 PM in response to OffLeash

Well of course check your cables to ensure they have good connections. Please restart in Safe Mode ( Safe Mode Reset ) with all external wired peripherals disconnected. Then shut down and connect your EHD and restart normally and test.


Unless your Seagate is old, it should be okay for 3-5 years. As a rule of thumb it is good practice to exchange HD's that are 5 years old (or older) with new drives because HD's often give you no warning when they are about to die.

Dec 2, 2021 3:00 PM in response to OffLeash

Your strategy of using 1 EHD to use as a Time Machine backup and storage is shortsighted and a 100% guarantee you will lose your libraries stored on it. The reason being is ALL hard drives fail, it is not a matter of if it is a matter of when. The means when it fails you will lose your libraries and all of the back up!!!!!!!!!!!


External HD's are relatively inexpensive. I would first recommend buying a higher quality EHD than a Seagate, Toshiba or WD. These types of drives use very cheap enclosures that tend to overheat and die. What many experienced users use are the OWC Mercury Elite Pro due to their reasonable pricing, great build quality, and excellent support. I have some that are 15 years old that still work, yes the original HD's have died but you can easily fit a new HD inside in less than 5 minutes. With the type of drive you have it is a throw away which will end up in a landfill somewhere.


Please get yourself 2 drives, one for your Time Machine backup and another for your media libraries.

Dec 2, 2021 3:12 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Thank you for all this information. Your reply doesn't explain to me why I am getting these alerts - unless you're inferring that the external hard drive is failing?


I will research your suggestion of a "better" external drive maker.


I am also using Apple USB-C to USB adapters on the drive, and other devices I use. I wonder if that has anything to do with the drive not being recognized properly?


Dec 6, 2021 8:25 PM in response to rkaufmann87

It did help, but what I’ve discovered is that I get the "disc ejected improperly" message after I’ve used either my music, photos, or movies (FCP files), which I’m all keeping on the ehd. I think once I’ve got the libraries properly connected to the Music, Photos, and FCP apps the errors stop, and the ehd doesn’t get disconnected again. I’ll keep monitoring it as I use them more. Thank you!

external hard drive ejected repeatedly

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