Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adaptor - CLARIFICATIONS NEEDED

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Level 2

301 points

Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adaptor - CLARIFICATIONS NEEDED

I recently purchased the official Apple Tbolt 3-to-2 adaptor., in order to connect a new G-Drive with T3 connectivity to my 27" late-2015 iMac (OS 10.13.6), which has T2 ports.

1) It will not connect the G-Drive, which has an external power supply

2) It will not connect my USB-C backup drive, which requires bus power.

The clarifications I need are:

-WHY won't the G-Drive connect?

-IS IT TRUE that this adaptor will not deliver power over the bus?

iMac 27", macOS 10.13

Posted on May 5, 2020 1:50 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Malcolm J. Rayfield

Level 7

23,095 points

May 5, 2020 2:09 PM in response to Mike Janowski

Are you sure G-Drive is Thunderbolt 3 (lightning bolt icon next to the port), not just USB-C. The Thunderbolt adapter will not work with non-Thunderbolt drives, even if they use the same USB-C connector. G-Drive makes both Thunderbolt 3 and non-Thunderbolt USB-C drives.

The Thunderbolt adapter will not provide power to connected devices.

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Answer 2

Mike Janowski Author

Level 2

301 points

May 5, 2020 3:34 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

Thanks. @rkaufmann87, I've already reset the NVRAM and gone thru all that drill with Apple Chat. @Malcom J. Rayfield, thanks for the info re: bus power. Sad they couldn't do that.

I'm contacting G-Drive support to determine if my unit is C or Tbolt. But why in the WideWideWorldOfSports would you design a connector with 2 distinct functionalities?

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Answer 3

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,500 points

May 5, 2020 5:42 PM in response to Mike Janowski

Then you need a USB 3 (your iMac) to USB C (the External Hard Disk) adapter. When considering new products it is a very good idea to read up on it to see what connections they have to ensure you can connect to it.

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Answer 4

Mike Janowski Author

Level 2

301 points

May 5, 2020 5:30 PM in response to Mike Janowski

WD just responded. This drive is USB-C. Thanks for the information.

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Answer 5

Mike Janowski Author

Level 2

301 points

May 5, 2020 6:05 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Thanks. I received this as a gift from a client, had no idea what it was, other than an external drive.

I'm not a big fan of the "confusion' between USB-C and Tbolt 3.

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

May 5, 2020 7:31 PM in response to Mike Janowski

Couldn't agree more, just USB-C is crazy enough itself...

https://x704.net/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8029

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Answer 7

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,500 points

May 5, 2020 1:59 PM in response to Mike Janowski

Try resetting the NVRAM with the drive and adapters disconnected, then retest. If it still does not work, please contact the G-Drive developers. Instructions for the reset are in NVRAM Reset

Personally I prefer OWC solutions because a) OWC specializes in Macs and b) they sell what works, c) they have terrific support. https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-3-external-drives?_ga=2.68438998.692703429.1588712307-526900626.1576018163

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Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adaptor - CLARIFICATIONS NEEDED

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