Finder fixes and how-tos

Getting Macintosh HD back into view

Updated 2026-10-30 · 3 min read

Macintosh HD has not gone anywhere. Finder just isn't set to show your startup disk, and two settings bring it back. Here they are, plus the keyboard routes that skip the settings entirely.

Show it in the sidebar and on the Desktop

Finder only shows what it is told to show. Open Finder, then Finder > Settings (called Preferences on macOS 12 and earlier), and change two tabs:

1. Sidebar tab: under Locations, tick Hard disks. Your startup disk then appears in the sidebar. Some versions list the Mac's own name there as well; that entry is the Computer view, not the disk.
2. General tab: next to Show these items on the desktop:, tick Hard disks. The disk icon appears on the Desktop.

The wording is the one Finder uses on macOS 15 Sequoia. If a setting is missing on your version, look in the same two tabs for the closest name.

Open it without changing anything

• ⇧⌘C opens the Computer window, which lists your startup disk and any connected drives.
• ⇧⌘G opens Go to Folder. Type / and press Return; Finder opens the top of the startup disk.
• In Terminal, open / does the same.

To keep it handy without touching Settings, open the Computer window, select Macintosh HD and press ⌃⌘T. Apple's shortcut list describes that as adding the selected item to the sidebar.

Check the disk's name

The disk is only called Macintosh HD if nobody renamed it. To see the current name:

diskutil info / | grep "Volume Name"

On the Mac used for this guide that printed Volume Name: Macintosh HD. If yours prints something else, that is what to look for in the sidebar and on the Desktop. Disks are also listed in /Volumes, where ls -la /Volumes showed Macintosh HD -> /: the entry is a link to the top of the startup disk, not a second copy.

Where is Macintosh HD - Data?

Since macOS Catalina, the startup disk has been two volumes: a sealed, read-only system volume and a Data volume that holds your files. Finder shows the pair as one Macintosh HD, so there is no second disk to look for in the sidebar. If you spot the Data volume in Disk Utility, leave it alone. See APFS explained for how the volumes share space.

If other drives are missing too

The same two tabs control more than the startup disk. Each has its own boxes for Hard disks, External disks, CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices and Connected servers, and the Sidebar tab adds Cloud Storage and Bonjour computers. A USB drive that doesn't appear in Finder after you plug it in may only need External disks ticked. If it still doesn't show, the drive may not be mounting at all, which is a separate fault: see external drive not showing up on a Mac. Disk Utility lists drives whether or not Finder shows them.

Why it's hidden in the first place

Most people never need to browse the top of the startup disk. Their files are under their home folder, and the system folders are better left alone, so a Mac can easily have both Hard disks boxes unticked, whether from the start or after someone tidied the sidebar. Nothing is wrong when the disk is hidden, and showing it changes no data.

What is safe to do once you are there

Browsing is safe. The top-level folders (System, Library, Users, Applications) hold what the Mac needs to run, so do not move, rename or delete any of them. Most of the system's own files are on the sealed volume and macOS won't let you change them anyway, but /Library and /Applications are writable, so take care there. Your own files are under Users, in the folder named after you. What each home folder is for walks through them.

Skipping the browse altogether

Often the reason to open the startup disk is one file somewhere under it. Everywhere already covers the startup disk from /, system folders such as /Library included, so typing part of the name gets you there without the browse; ⌘↵ opens the result's folder in Finder. Files in Desktop, Documents and Downloads are only included once Everywhere has Full Disk Access.

Common questions

How do I show Macintosh HD in Finder?

Open Finder > Settings. On the Sidebar tab, tick Hard disks under Locations. On the General tab, tick Hard disks to show it on the Desktop as well.

Where is Macintosh HD on a Mac?

Press ⇧⌘C to open the Computer window, or use Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) and type /. It is the top level of your startup disk.

Why is Macintosh HD not on my Desktop?

The Hard disks box under Finder > Settings > General is off. Tick it and the disk icon appears on the Desktop.

Why is my Mac's hard drive not showing in the Finder sidebar?

The Hard disks option under Finder > Settings > Sidebar is probably off, or the disk was renamed and you're looking for the wrong name. Run diskutil info / | grep "Volume Name" to see its current name.