Stays on the Mac
The app doesn’t call home. No account, no analytics. If this site is down, the lists are still on your Mac.
Everyday Guide
Short checklists. Clear steps.
I kept getting the same USB-drive questions, so I wrote them down. Everyday Guide is a small Mac app with eight lists. This site is the same notes, plus a way to reach me if you’re still stuck.
Search the symptom
Type what you actually see — missing in Finder, won’t mount, keeps dropping — and open the matching list.
Cable first, erase last
I put the boring checks first on purpose. Disk Utility and First Aid come next. Formatting is the last page, not the first.
Guides
Eight USB problems
Same titles as in the app. The site versions are longer — more of the “why”, not just the taps.
External Drive Not Showing
Plugged in, but missing from the desktop.
Drive Not Showing in Finder
macOS sees it, but Finder won’t list it.
Drive Missing From Disk Utility
Not listed, even with Show All Devices.
External Drive Won’t Mount
In Disk Utility, but it won’t open.
Mac Not Recognizing USB Drive
No icon, no alert, nothing detected.
USB Drive Not Working or Disconnecting
Connects, then drops or loses power.
Drive Detected but Not Working?
Visible, but files won’t open or copy.
Before You Format the Drive
Erase can help — and deletes everything.
Mac app
A quiet Mac app
macOS 11 or later. No ads. I built it as a reference window, not a dashboard.
