MacBook Error Code 50: How to Fix the Mac Error on External Hard Drive?

Summary: Error Code 50 occurs when transferring files to/from external drives and can be caused by corrupted files, power issues, or incompatible formats. Fix it using five methods: power cycling your device, unmounting the drive safely, running First Aid utility, resetting NVRAM/PRAM, or booting in Safe Mode. If data loss occurs, Stellar Data Recovery software can help recover your files.

On macOS devices, error code 50 can crop up when you attempt to copy files from an external drive to the device. While frustrating, or even concerning to some users, it is quite a common error and nothing to worry about.

This guide will cover the main causes of Mac error code 50, and also how to fix it.

Table of Content:

• What is Mac Error Code 50?
• What Causes Mac Error Code 50?
• How to Fix Mac Error Code 50?
• How to Recover Data with Stellar Data Recovery? 

What is Mac Error Code 50?

Mac error code 50 is a data transfer error that happens occurs when copying, deleting, or moving files. 

It occurs exclusively when working with files on external storage devices such as USB flash drives, hard disk drives, or solid state drives. Users have also reported facing error code 50 when working with files on connected phones and iPods as well. 

The error message typically also states, “The operation can’t be completed because an unexpected error occurred” (error code -50).

In the next section, we’ll talk about the underlying causes of the error.

Also Read: What is the Mac Finder and How Do You Use It?

What Causes Mac Error Code 50?

Here are the most common causes of error code 50 on macOS devices:

1. Corrupted or Damaged Files

File corruption and damage are primarily caused by improper system shutdowns or hardware failures. In rare cases, malware like viruses can also cause file damage. If your files get corrupted, you could face error 50 for whatever reason.

2. Power Loss during the Operation

As mentioned above, improper system shutdowns can cause file corruption, leading to error code 50. However, this is also true of the external drive itself losing power. For example, if you have a large hard drive that needs external power or is powered using a USB hub, you can also face the error. In fact, if you’re using a USB hub to power your external drive, try connecting the drive directly to your device, and that may solve the problem.

3. Invalid File Metadata

If the metadata attached to the file is not what Finder (a macOS utility) expects, then it will block the operation and throw up an error 50 message. File metadata includes, among other things, the file name, creation/ modification dates, and extensions.

4. Incompatible Disk Formats

If your external hard drive is not set to a file format that macOS recognizes, the computer will struggle to read the files. However, if your macOS device does manage to read the files, you will probably face an error 50 message when you attempt an operation on the files.

5. Damaged NVRAM and PRAM Data

NVRAM stands for “Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory”, and PRAM for “Parameter RAM”. These store various system settings, including connected device information, so any errors here can lead to error code 50.

Also Read: macOS Sonoma vs. Ventura: Should You Upgrade macOS 14

How to Fix Mac Error Code 50?

Now, let’s learn how to fix external drive error code 50. We’ll show you five ways, from the easiest to the most complicated.

Method 1: Power Cycle your Device

Power cycling is a troubleshooting process that involves completely shutting down a device and restarting it. Here’s how to power cycle the three main types of macOS devices:

1. To power cycle a MacBook:

• Plug your MacBook into its charger to ensure it has power.
• Press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds.
• Release the power button. This action cuts all power to the MacBook, like removing the battery.
• Wait a few seconds.
• Press the power button again to start your MacBook.

2. For an iMac, follow these steps:

• Shut down the iMac.
• Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet or the back of the iMac. Important: if your macOS device was bought in or after 2015, you cannot unplug it from the device — only the outlet.
• Wait for about 15 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back in.
• Wait a few more seconds, then press the power button to turn on your iMac.

3. For a Mac mini, follow these steps:

• Shut down the Mac mini.
• Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet or the back of the Mac mini.
• Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. This step helps discharge any remaining power in the system.
• Wait for about 15 seconds.
• Plug the Mac mini back in.
• Press the power button to turn on your Mac mini.

If you’ve power cycled your device and are still facing error code 50, the problem is likely with the drive or drive connection. Let’s learn how to fix that.

Also Read: How to Recover Lost Photos after Installing Sonoma?

Method 2: Unmount the External Hard Drive

You can achieve this by unplugging and replugging the external drive. However, you can also unmount it without removing the drive. This could be beneficial if you get the error in the middle of operation, and you don’t want to risk data loss. Here’s how:

• Open Disk Utility. You can find it by going to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. You can also open a spotlight search bar (Command + Space) and type in “Disk Utility”.
  
  
• In the Disk Utility window, locate the hard drive you want to unmount in the left sidebar. If it’s an external drive, it will be listed under “External”.

• Select the drive you want to unmount by clicking on it.
• At the top of the Disk Utility window, click on the “Unmount” button. It looks like an eject symbol.
• The drive will say “Not mounted” and the “Unmount” button will be replaced with one that says “Mount”. Click it.
• If you physically disconnected the drive, reconnect it at this point. 

Then, retry the file operation—in all likelihood, it’s probably been fixed now. If not, you can use a built-in macOS troubleshooting tool called “First Aid”.

Also Read: How to Recover Emptied Trash on Mac without Software?

Method 3: Run the “First Aid” Disk Utility

Before running first aid, remember to save all open work on your device. That said, here’s how to run the First Aid:

• Open Spotlight Search by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner of your screen or pressing Command + Space.

• Type “Disk Utility” and press Enter to open the Disk Utility application.

• In Disk Utility, you’ll see a list of drives on the left side. Select the drive you want to check (we have used the Macintosh HD main drive, but the process is same for external drives).

• Click on the “First Aid” button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
• A pop-up window will appear. Click “Run” to start the First Aid process.

• You’ll see a warning message. Click “Continue” to proceed.

• First Aid will now check your disk for errors. This process may take several minutes.

• Once complete, you’ll see a summary of the results. Click “Show Details” to view more information if desired.

• Click “Done” to close the summary window.

Note: First aid may take a long while (3+ hours) to complete depending on the age of your device and the type of disk drive in question. If First Aid finds and fixes any issues, restart your Mac to ensure the changes take effect.

Once restarted, attempt your file operation again. If it still fails, try resetting your NVRAM.

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Chrome Bookmarks on Mac?

Method 4: Reset your NVRAM / PRAM Settings

Here’s how to reset your NVRAM and PRAM settings:

1. For devices with M chipsets:

• Shut off your device.
• Wait for a few seconds.
• Turn it on.
• The macOS will automatically reset NVRAM if needed during startup.

2. For devices with Intel processors:

• Turn off your device completely, then press the power button.
• Immediately after, hold down Option + Command + P + R at the same time.

• Keep these keys pressed for 20 seconds.
• The Apple logo may appear and disappear, or the startup chime could sound twice. Once either of those things happen, release the keys.

• Let the device start up as normal.

Once you’ve reset the NVRAM and PRAM, retry your operation. If you still get error code 50, the solution is to attempt to boot your macOS device into safe mode.

More about that in the next section.

Also Read: Mac Documents Folder Emptied Suddenly – How to Recover Data?

Method 5: Start your macOS Device in “Safe Mode”

This section explains how to boot your macOS device into safe mode. The process differs for silicon (M-series chipped) devices and ones that use Intel-processors.

1. For Apple Silicon Macs:

• Shut down your device.
• Press down the power button until “Loading startup options” appears on the screen.

• Next, select your startup disk, and hold down “shift”.
• Select “Continue in Safe Mode”.

• Release the Shift key.
• Log in to your Mac (you may need to log in twice).

• You’ll see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar, indicating you’re in safe mode.

2. For Intel-based devices:

• Shut down the device completely.
• Turn on your Mac.
• Immediately press and hold the Shift key.
• Release the Shift key when you see the login window.
• Log in to your Mac (you may need to log in twice).
• You’ll see “Safe Boot” in the top-right corner of the screen, indicating you’re in safe mode.

Once logged into safe mode, retry the operation causing the Mac error code 50. In all likelihood, you’ll have solved the problem.

Also Read: How to use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac?

How to Recover Data with Stellar Data Recovery? 

The fixes we’ve listed above are quite safe, but some underlying problems may cause instabilities or even data loss. You could lose important files, and if you haven’t backed them up, this could be a problem.

If that is the case, you will need a robust, easy to use free data recovery software tool to help get your files back. And that’s exactly what the free Stellar Data Recovery for Mac is. 

• It has a free plan (no credit card required).
• It is very easy to use and requires no technical knowledge.
• It can recover video, audio, documents, and other types of files.
• It lets you preview all files that can be recovered before purchasing a license.
• It can recover data from internal and external hard drives, even when lost due to corruption, encryption, and file deletion.
• And lastly, it supports more than a thousand file types, formats and extensions.

Stellar Data Recovery can get your files back if the error was software-based. If the damage was physical, such as from being dropped or because of temperature damage, you’ll need help from one of our data recovery technicians. Our experts will call you back within a couple of working days at the maximum.

With that, we come to the end of this article on macOS or MacBook error code 50. We hope you found it useful, and we’ll see you in the next one.

Also Read: Top 10 Data Recovery Software for Mac

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will I lose my files if I force quit during Error Code 50?

Yes, force quitting during a file transfer when Error Code 50 appears can corrupt your files or cause data loss. It’s better to wait for the operation to time out naturally or use the proper unmounting procedure described in the article.

2. Does Error Code 50 mean my external drive is failing?

Not necessarily. While Error Code 50 can sometimes indicate drive issues, it’s often a temporary communication error between your Mac and the external drive. However, if you experience this error frequently with the same drive, it could be an early warning sign of drive failure and you should back up your data.

3. Can using a USB hub cause repeated Error Code 50 issues?

Yes. USB hubs, especially unpowered ones, can cause unstable power delivery to external drives, leading to frequent Error Code 50 occurrences. Using a powered USB hub or connecting directly to your Mac’s USB port can help prevent these issues.

4. Is using Third-Party disk repair tools to fix Error Code 50 safe?

While third-party tools can help, trying Apple’s built-in First Aid tool first is recommended, as it’s designed specifically for macOS and won’t void your warranty. Use third-party tools only from reputable brands like Stellar.

5. Can antivirus software trigger Error Code 50?

Yes, some antivirus software can interfere with file operations by scanning files during transfer, which can trigger Error Code 50. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus during the file transfer to see if it resolves the issue. If it does, you may need to adjust your antivirus settings to exclude certain types of file operations.

Also Read: How to Recover Data after macOS update?