Thunderbolt 2 for External Drive

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Level 1

8 points

Thunderbolt 2 for External Drive

I have a mid-2012 iMac and just bought a new external SSD which works fine from the USB ports but using a Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter and a male/male thunderbolt cable it won't power up. Do those Thunderbolt ports have any power? Are they somehow turned off and can be turned back on? I see the ports in my hardware configuration but they show nothing connected. The whole point of buying this hard drive was to use the Thunderbolt port because two of my USB2 ports aren't working properly.

I also have a 2014 Mac Mini and tried it there too with no luck.

Thanks for any help with this.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jul 13, 2019 8:23 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

woodmeister50

Level 7

21,015 points

Jul 14, 2019 3:18 AM in response to OahuHandyman

What is the exact model of the SSD?

If it does not specifically state that it is a Thunderbolt3 drive,

then you must use it on USB ports.

If it does specifically state that it is Thunderbolt3, what you need is

a Thunderbolt3 to Thunderbolt2 adapter, not USB-C like this:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter?fnode=85

The decision to use the USB-C "connector" as a standard for "Thunderbolt3"

and the compatibility of "Thunderbolt3 ports" on computers with USB 3.1

which can also use the "USB-C connector" has created a world of confusion

with common, non-techie users.

Remember, USB-C only denotes a type of connector and does not indicate

anything else about a device. You need to read the specifications of a device to

know what signal types are actually used in the device->computer connection.

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Answer 2

OahuHandyman Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 14, 2019 3:45 AM in response to woodmeister50

Thanks for the response, but it's exactly as described. It's purely a USB-C drive with no other connections. It won't work with my Thunderbolt 2 port because, as described by Apple, it would only work if the drive has an outside power source because it won't get power through the Thunderbolt 2 ports on the iMac,and this SSD enclosure has no additional power source.

I'm planning to just look for a used LaCie HDD with built-in Thunderbolt 2 cable and swap the drive with my SSD.

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