Samsung Portable SSD software doesn't work properly on MacBook Air M1

First mistake was installing the Samsung software in the first place.

No computer made today, that includes windows machines, require

any special software or drivers to use and external USB drive.

There are always numerous complaints all over Apple Communities

about external drive problems that all eventually boil down

to installing the manufacturer's drivers or software as they tend

to circumvent what macOS does when accessing disks.

Follow factory instruction and fully uninstall the software and

start over.

And as far as any special "security software" they may offer,

it is not needed either as Apple already supplies you with

File Vault disk encryption utility.

I had the same issue. This is not a Samsung issue, its a Big Sur issue. The first time you are to install the software it prompts you to go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and under the General tab you are to find a Notification under the "Allow apps downloaded from:" section. If you miss that at the first installation it will never appear again unless you switch macOs in recovery mode and disable kernel extensions blocking. Unistall the Samsung Portable SSD utility using the script inside the Application contents. Follow the guidelines in the medium article to disable the feature mentioned above. Then reinstall the Samsung Portable SSD utility and you will get the notification saying the extension has been blocked. Click on go to Security & Privacy settings and under The General tab you will see the text I described earlier. Unlock the settings and click on details. Tick on Samsung Electronics close the details window and restart your Mac as prompted. Then, remove your Samsung Portable SSD and open the Samsung Portable SSD utility. Connect your SSD press refresh and you should be fine. Lastly, reboot to recovery mode and enable the kernel extensions blocking feature.

Enjoy!

Hey, I ran into the same issue as well, but did the following and it worked:

1. Uninstall any current versions you have already installed (not by dragging and dropping into the recycling bin) but by following the steps below:

Steps to remove:

1. Click/Open Finder
2. Click on your name
3. Show hidden folders by clicking SHIFT + Command + Period
4. Open the library folder
5. click on Application Support
6. Click on Portable_SSD folder
7. Double click on the file called CleanupT7PlusAll.scpt
8. This will open like a terminal and click on the play button to run/uninstall all current versions of the Samsung software.

Once that is done you need to ensure you are installing the correct version of the T7 Touch SSD found at https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/portable/

Note: There are 3 options to download for Mac and the correct one if you're using Mac Big Sur is the 3rd option which has the version beside it that mentions 1.7.3

The exact name: Portable SSD Software 1.0 for Mac (The macOS Big Sur user's only)

Version 1.7.3 | 22.8M

Install that and the final step in your installation it will ask you go to the Security and Privacy options in your Mac and allow the software from being blocked.

Once that is done, reboot your PC and test it out, it should work.

having seen this in macrumors forums, as well as in iBoysoft's new post about "Fix Samsung External SSD Not Working on Apple Silicon M1 Mac". The password unlocking and the updating Samsung Portable SSD Software parts should be helpful.

@K Shaffer: how is this an answer to the OP's question? He didn't say anything about using the Samsung T7 as a system drive, or the disk format he's using, or third party software. Where on earth did you pull all of that from???

The OP's problem is that the T7 drive is not recognized when he plugs it in (presumably after booting into Big Sur from the internal drive)

Seems kinda silly after all this time, an answer to the initial problem:

simply was "Do not install proprietary software from Samsung."

(Or erase & reformat pre-formatted drives, to avoid overzealous pitfalls.)

Macs have always been able to make better use hardware + software.

And nowadays, with layered-protection and walled-gardens. Sheesh!

Samsung over-engineered a fruit-fly and made you buy insecticide.

A few decades of previous experience, have taught those older survivors

to use best practice with good knowledge & get rid of the main problem.

And so I never had the issues that plagued misdirected M1 users here.

Understand: you don't even have to enter into M1 or Big Sur, to answer.

Earlier slams to my initial suggestions (avoid Samsung software/drivers,

Erase if installed, &/or reformat SSD) was based on early timely fact. And

now can be said 'resolved' by Samsung 'latest software' fix? Busywork!😜

There should be no need to pollute the Apple system with something

not designed for newest Apple M1; nor in an older Intel-based Mac.

By installing some third party software on the drive, can cause issues

in the APFS file system, and require erase and install from root level.

IF this was to be used as Storage, that's one thing; for System, another.

For latter, you may need to start the Mac from macOS Recovery; newer

instructions for Apple Silicon M1 Macs are quite different from Intel mac.

Good luck!🌿🐢⛵️🌤

The mention was made in the original post, of Samsung Portable SSD "software".

Are you representative of Samsung customer relations?

That's who'd I expect to reply; if not the OP with clarification of the situation.

As such, nothing from Samsung should be utilized in an external or other drive

to alter how the APFS or GUID (among other native formats) & effects unknown.

That is where I get what I wrote.

Misinformed? Though it may be.

Even so, how do you represent OP?

How would you format an external drive with non-Apple SW?

Certainly careful if a third-party utility; or a 'Samsung' utility.

The newest Apple system has greater means to use resources.

However your quiz is not adequate in this regard.

What is your point, exactly; after this micro-second?

{An open-ended topic such as it appears to be left, could imply

the storage drive SSD may later be used as external boot drive.}

[If you are Samsung representative/customer relations, post a link.

Then we can further a discussion on their site; it's not Apple issue.]

Good luck & happy trails!

🐌🌞🌻⛵️🐝🌎🌿🐢

Hello,

I have four Samsung T5s that are working on my MBA M1 and 2018 Mac mini Big Sur.

Today, I updated the SamsungPortableSSD application to the current version and installed it on both the MBA M1 and Mac mini.

The SamsungPortableSSD application works correctly on the Mac mini, allowing to me set a password on the T5 drive.

However, the SamsungPortableSSD application does not work on the MBA M1 in that I cannot "see" the T5 drive in the SamsungPortableSSD window. Surprisingly, though, a T5 drive with a SamsungPortableSSD set password works on the MBA M1 since I'm getting a pop-up window asking for the T5 password when I connect the drive to the MBA M1. Once the password is entered, the drive shows up in Finder.

I'll do more experimenting tomorrow. Sorry, I don't have a T7 to test, perhaps there's something unique to the newer Samsung drives.

Cheers

Craig

Not sure if this helps but I tried to use a Samsung 840 SSD as a external boot drive and it would error out. Switched to a Samsung 850 series all worked fine. I suspect some drives are not compatible with the new M1 design.

I could make my Samsung Portable SSD T3 recognized by my MacBook Pro M1 by removing its specific Samsung Password, because the Samsung software to use password-protected SSD can't be installed under Mac Os Big Sur.

As you said, missing, or not grasping, the point of the security prompt is where I screwed up. Before going through all the acrobatics of getting the install to prompt, once again, for the all important setting can you define what functions the app actually provide? Is it purely security? Or, is there drive management/health etc. in there as well?

My intent is to use the drive for Time Machine and I don’t really care about security, locking, encryption, etc. Since I can access the drive now, without the failed add on app, does it really need to be installed?

I can't provide an update other than to add you are not alone. The included Samsung PSSD simply does not work IF you miss the prompt that sends you over to appropriate settings to allow it to do so. There is an article describing the in depth process of trying to recover from this oversight. I went through the steps diligently but it still wouldn't work for me. In the end, since I was using the drive as my TimeMachine storage space, I blew off the PSSD software.

I have a Samsung 850 SSD in portable drive case that is fine on my older MacAir but is not recognized by my Mac Air M1 with Big Sur. I've read all the posts and tried what they suggested and nothing works. I did NOT install and Samsung software. HELP

I experienced the same issue. A bit of web searching turned up a post that shines a light on the issue. At the time of first installation, there is an alert that appears once, and only once, regarding the need for you to jump over into System Preferences > Security & Privacy to grant a permission. If you miss doing that in the sequence, the software fails to work and the opportunity to have granted the permission is gone.

The OP of the post walks through a process for totally cleaning house on the PSSD software so as to cause it to believe that it is once again performing a first installation, and therefore prompt you again. When I tried the process, it failed to prompt me, but others in the thread reported success.

In the end, I am using my T7 as my TimeMachine. Once I knew that the PSSD software was not necessary, or even desired, for that function I just wiped the app from my system and have not looked back. Obviously a major lack of effort and clarity on Samsung's part when it comes to the PSSD app on Mac Big Sur.