How to Repair APFS and HFS Partition on Mac?
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Written By Vishal
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Approved By Tanushree Chatterjee
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Updated on 14 Feb, 2024 -
Min Reading 3 Min - Share
Summary: This blog helps you repair your APFS or HFS partition on Mac SSD or hard drive. Download the free-to-try data recovery software for Mac to rescue APFS or HFS partition data.
If you are using macOS Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave, then most likely, your internal storage drive is partitioned in APFS format. In case your Mac is running on macOS Sierra or OS X Lion, the internal drive partition may be in the HFS+ format. Many users, these days, are upgrading their macOS and moving to APFS to be on par with the current technology.
If your APFS or HFS partition is not functioning properly due to aging or usage, repair the partition immediately to avoid data loss. The next section describes how to fix an APFS or HFS+ partition.
1. Repair Damaged APFS or HFS Partition by Using Disk Utility
You must be using Disk Utility in your system to perform disk management tasks. You can also use it to repair your logically damaged APFS or HFS partition.
To fix your APFS or HFS partition using Disk Utility, do the following:
- Press Command + Space Bar to launch Spotlight, and then type ‘disk utility’ and press Return. The Disk Utility window will open. Or else, navigate to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Double-click the Disk Utility icon to launch it on your Mac.
- Select an APFS or HFS partition from the left pane of the Disk Utility window. From the top pane, click the First Aid tab, then click Run. Disk Utility will analyze the partition and repair any logical errors.
- If Disk Utility can’t repair the partition, it suggests the next action course. For instance, “Disk Utility fails to repair the startup disk. Backup as much data as possible and erase this drive.”
To repair “Macintosh HD,” the partition that stores your macOS, perform the following steps:
- Start or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command + R keys; release the keys when the Apple logo appears. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recovery mode.
- From macOS Utilities, select Disk Utility, then click Continue. From the sidebar of Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD the startup disk, then click the First Aid tab. Next, click Run to initiate the repair process.
- When the repair is unsuccessful, recover data from the drive using a data recovery software for Mac (as explained next). Next, erase the drive and reinstall macOS. Finally, restore the recovered data.
2. Recover Failing or Irreparable Partition Data by Using Software
When your non-startup Mac APFS or HFS volume is severely corrupt or inaccessible, you won’t be able to back up its data as you would typically do. In such a scenario, you need to recover your data using a data recovery software for Mac. The recovery steps are as follows:
- Download and install the *trial version of Stellar Data Recovery Premium for Mac on your MacBook Pro/Air, iMac, or Mac mini.
- Launch the software, and from the “Select What to Recover screen,” specify the type of file that you wish to recover, then click Next.
- From the “Select Location” screen, select the non-startup APFS or HFS partition, toggle on Deep Scan, and then click Scan. Allow the software to scan your drive.
- Preview the scanned files, select the required ones, then click Recover. Specify a different drive location, then click Save. Navigate to the save location to check all your recovered data.
*Trial version of Stellar Data Recovery Premium for Mac allows free scan and preview but needs activation to recover data. Activate the software with complete assurance as it has a 30-day money-back guarantee.*
In case your Macintosh HD is severely corrupt or inaccessible, your Mac won’t boot. In such a case, use a working Mac to run the activated software, then create a recovery USB drive. Connect the recovery drive to your non-booting Mac and access your data. Read More.
Apart from recovering data, Stellar Data Recovery Premium for Mac helps you repair your corrupt photos and videos. Use the file repair feature in case you find some of your recovered photo and video files corrupted due to bad sectors on the Mac partition.
Conclusion
This blog focused exclusively on repairing a corrupt Mac startup or non-startup APFS or HFS partition. But if macOS can’t fix your disk, you need to use Stellar Data Recovery Premium for Mac to salvage your data. The software has four unique features to provide you with data recovery, drive monitoring, and repair module for photos and videos. For any query related to APFS or HFS partition repair and recovery, ask us in the comment box below.
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NO About The Author
Vishal is a data recovery expert @Stellar. He addresses data loss scenarios on a Mac. He intends to help people solve their macOS problems. Besides, Vishal prefers to read about astronomy and autobiography, and his favorite is Steve Jobs - The man who thought different written by Karen Bluementhal.
36 comments
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I have an APFS formatted external drive which I’m using as time machine drive, will your software help recovering data from corrupted time machine drive? kindly suggest……
Hi Kelvin,
Yes, Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac will surely help you recover data from corrupted time machine hard drive. I suggest you to check this link (Read More) for steps and solution to fix the drive corruption issue.
Hope it helps!
Hello Author,
I applied your steps for the repair startup disk. But disk utility fails to repair the start-up disk. I am in inaccessible mode. Will stellar work in my case?
Hi Randy,
You can use Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac. It will recover your data which you can store in an external hard drive. Then you will be able to erase the affected Mac start up disk or volume via disk utility in recovery mode. Thanks
Hi i downloaded the volume repair and it says the volume is severely damaged. How do I fix my external hard drive. i just bought it and tried to format it to use on my mac and since its not been working. I have been getting partition error messages.
Hello Sara,
We request you to get in touch with our technical support team to check the possibility of volume repairing. The drive could be severely corrupted and the logical repairing might not be possible using the software. For any further information, you may write our technical support team at: support[@]stellarinfo.com
Hi
I am new to this forum.
Please excuse my humble question: does anyone know where to buy the software?
Hello Ronald,
To purchase Stellar Volume Repair software visit here
One of the finest Mac OS recovery software for HFS file system.
Hello Melvin,
Thanks for using Stellar Mac Data Recovery software.
I need data recovery done on 32 GB USB having corrupt partition map. How can Terminal command line help recover files and create new partition map? Is Sudo is the correct Terminal for data recovery and partition map repair. Pls advice.
Hi Blair,
No such Terminal command especially ‘SUDO’ can recover lost data from inaccessible or corrupt USB having damaged partition map. I recommend you scan your 32 GB USB with Stellar Mac Data Recovery Software. The demo version will show you all the recoverable files it can restore from USB having corrupted partition map.
Regards
Vishal
Hi – i accidentally ran the following command on my bootable Yosemite 1TB HDD (I am pretty sure I did not update it to Sierra) .
> diskutil partitionDisk /dev/disk2 1 “Free Space” “unused” “100%”
>diskutil list sees
/dev/disk2 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.1 TB disk2
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk2s1
and I know it should be like this:
/dev/disk2 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.1 TB disk2
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk2s1
2: Apple_HFS MacDrive 1.0 TB disk2s2
I tried using mac diskutil to repair it and of course it did not help. All the data is there from what I can see from other other tools. The volume does not load in finder and I download Stellar Volume Repair but it does not see the physical disk on the side to repair it. How can I restore the partition table and make this disk bootable again? What is the right tool/steps? Thanks for any help in advance!
George
Hi George,
In the case of the corrupt partition table, the Stellar Volume Repair software will not work. It rebuilds corrupt directory structure and not the partition table. For you problem, I have another solution. Please free download the trial version of Stellar Mac Data Recovery tool and scan your hard drive to preview all the recoverable files. With the registered version of the software, you can save all the data from this disk drive. Once all data extracted you can reformat the drive and repair it using correct methods. Data recovery should done prior disk repair. Hope this helps.
I put a new HD into my iMac. I went to use Time Machine and, the iMac started erasing an external drive that, had many of my Pro Tools sessions and wav files on it. Now, the iMac says it can’t initialize the disk and, other software says that, it can’t find the partitions (and, it’s really important that, I get back the actual session data and, original file names.) Can this software help?
Hi Jody,
Please connect the external hard drive to iMac and go to your Disk Utility. Do you see the external hard drive listed on the left panel of the Disk Utility application (even as unmounted)?
If you have installed Stellar Mac Data Recovery application, then click ‘Start Scan’ and verify if the software shows your troubled external hard drive on the software UI?
If the ext-HDD is shown in the software, then choose a ‘data recovery method’ and start the scan. Let the software complete the scan and get ready for the file(s) preview. Read More Mac data recovery support section
Hope it helps.