External Hard drive not being recognized in OS X

[xtbfx]

I have a friend whose external hard drive (formatted for Mac) isn't being recognized whenever he plugs it in.
OS X asks him to initialize it or eject it.

Is there a way to "fix" this drive without initializing it?

 

[Queso]

It could be that the drive requires a firmware upgrade. Visit the manufacturer's website and check.