Monterey struggling with External SSD

I have issues in taking backup with Samsung Portable SSD (1 TB) after upgrading my MacBook Pro 15 to Monterey macOS. The SSD is connected to the system using a Type C to Type C cable (without any dock).

When I connect the SSD to my laptop, I get a "Software Installation" popup "Samsung Portable SSD drivers are mandatory in order to use Samsung Portable SSD Software. Do you want to install the drivers?". After clicking on all steps for installing it, I get a message, "This package is incompatible with this version of macOS. The package is trying to install content to the system volume. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance."

I have been backing up in the SSD for 2-3 years. I backed up the last time in September 2021, and now I'm trying to back up again in January 2022. Furthermore, I can not afford to format the disk.

Also, trying to enter into the Time machine application hangs my system. I had to restart it.

The Samsung Portable SSD software (automatically opened) does not recognize the SSD and shows no SSD is connected.

I have a Samsung T5 500GB external SSD which I use without Samsung software. My understanding is that the Samsung software is only needed if encryption (for the whole the device) is enabled.

The SSD is connected to a Mac mini (2018) using a USB 3.1 (Gen 2) port using a Type C to Type C cable. The SSD is formatted with an APFS Container with multiple volumes, including a Time Machine backup volume (which itself is encrypted).

- Pie Lover

I have been having this issue on my 2020 M1 Mini, still running Big Sur. Heavy data transfer can cause one of the drives connected via Thunderbolt/USB-C to disconnect. I don't see it happening on drives connected via USB 3

I'm using Mac Air 2020, Monterey, and its software is up to date. I Connected WD 1TB elements external hard drive to transfer items. The hard drive keeps disconnecting automatically. Get a message to say I've eject it incorrectly. Also connected WD 1TB My Passport hard drive to back up, it also is automatically ejected after a few minutes. I have my Mac connected to a mains plug.

I only have this Mac so unable to have a temporary fix, like some others on this site, and I'm not as technically confident as some on this site. It would seem from reading through previous posts, that the error is with Apple. Can you advise please, I need to back up frequently as working from home due to Covid.

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Monterey has serious problem with external HD, not just SDD. It corrupted my simple single-partition HFS+ disk TWICE in a week right after upgrading to Monterey. In both cases, I could not use FirstAid in Disk Utility to fix the disk in both occurrences. Only way to recover is to reformat the disk. In both cases,

I now reverted my MAC mini back to Catalina. It's been a week, and my external HD is fine.

I have a two day old MBP M1 Max. 10/32/15 2TB. When I connect my Samsung 2TB T5 SSD, it sometimes takes a minute to mount. Accessing the files can take many minutes. The 3000+ NEF files can't be read in Lightroom Classic with any consistency. When I attempt to eject the drive, it'll will not eject and ask if I'd like to force-eject. When I force-eject the drive, it will not mount again unless I reboot the MBP M1 Max. My early 2013 MBP will easily read the drive with no issues.

I use 2 x Samsung T5 500GB SSDs with my Mac mini (2018). I have noticed that it takes longer to mount these devices (when newly connected to the computer) especially for encrypted Time Machine backup volumes. I'm guessing it can take as long as 1-2 minutes.

I use a volume (in an APFS Container) on one of the SSDs to backup photographs. Many are jpg but I also have DNG and CR3 (Canon RAW format) images. I haven't experienced any of the issues that you mention. I also use Lightroom (LR V6.14 which is a quite old).

One thing to note is that I haven't installed the Samsung supplied software since it's my understanding that it is only required for hardware-based encryption of an entire SSD.

Hope this helps.

- Pie Lover

P.S. I exclusively use APFS Containers and volumes

Updated to Monterey12.2

Problem still present.... 😣

SSD drive worked flawlessly in Big Sur.

Has not worked properly on Monterey when directly connected via USB-C.

Works fine via a USB-C dock, just slower...

Thank you for reporting. Was about to update to 12.2 to check if the external SSD with macOS monterey 12.2 boot times via usb3.1 would improve, but upon seeing your comment, I cancelled the installation immediately.

external SSD via USB3.1

Boot time on macOS BigSur 29 seconds

monterey 12.1 on the same drive 3+ minutes

blackmagic speed test results are also significantly slower and inconsistent on monterey

I had an issue with my 3.1 USB-C and Monterey 12.2. I purchased a Thunderbolt 3 external SSD and it worked perfectly. I thought to try the Thunderbolt 3 cable that came with the new drive on the old USB SSD and it worked PERFECTLY. The USB-C cable didn't work on the M1 Max with the 3.1 SSD but the new Thunderbolt 3 cable plugged in to the old SSD on the M1 Max worked.

Updated to 12.2.

I tried one more time with my 4TB Samsung EVO. I formatted it with Disk Utility to APFS. After that I unmounted it. Then when I tried to remount it, I got : "Impossible de monter « Test ». (erreur 49218 dans com.apple.DiskManagement.disenter.)"

So 12.2 did not solve the problem.

I have an intermittent eject/reading problem with an external Samsung SSD 860 EVO 2TB formatted as exFAT.

Within a few minutes of accessing the drive, it ejects and I have to use Windows to repair the drive to get my Air M1 to read it again, but then it's lather, rinse, repeat. Pretty much useless at this point.

Never had this problem before Monterey, so it definitely seems like a Monterey issue; it's as simple as that.

EDIT: It might be a bit too early to be 100% sure what the problem is but it might be Spotlight indexing.

Usually the light on my enclosure is constantly blinking when it's plugged into the Air. Since I turned off indexing for the drive, it isn't blinking anymore and it's been >10 minutes and the disk hasn't involuntarily ejected yet.

Maybe Monterey can't index the whole SSD because my Air doesn't have enough space on the 256gb internal drive (it's been between 10-20gb left) to index....

but so far not having problems since I turned off indexing (go into preferences > spotlight > privacy > add the external drive to prevent indexing)

The problem is not only external SSD. I have regular LaCie HDs or 2TB and two of 5TB. I have problems with all of them. What problems?

1) Cannot erase

2) Cannot do First Aid

3) Cannot run TimeMachine on any of them

4) On the one drive where I have my live TimeMachine I can no longer run TM again. It snaps out of it.

etc.

I am at wits end. Apple support is useless, sent me to LaCie. LaCie yesterday succeeded to reformat one drive, and I could put TM on. Then today the same drive is again as sick as all others.

Apple, you either messed up Monterrey, or you worse, is it my fancy 16" MBP M1 Mac that has hiccups?

Btw....I confirm ultra slow loading of devices on DiskUtility. Weird.

Can anyone at Apple acknowledge that we are not all seeing ghosts, and that someone is fixing the problems I mentioned? As I see, I am far from alone, comforting me.

Thanks.

Based upon detail from another forum ( see link ), which although I'm unfamiliar, a post sheds light on Monterey & Spotlight indexing pertaining to Time Machine external drives. {I'm using a 2020 Intel iMac & now, macOS 12.2 & a 2TB SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD, that has been in continuous use since 2019}

When I attempted adding my external Time Machine drive, I received an error message... "xxx is a Time Machine backup folder. You can not add it to the privacy list." This corroborates what the forum's link points out... Monterey's Spotlight does not index network drives. (Although the guy in that forum wanted to index his Music Library on an external drive & figured out a Terminal procedure to do so.)

I've been using my SanDisk SSD for Time Machine without issue, until Monterey. As I previously did have my SanDisk SSD added to the Privacy window in pre-Monterey Spotlight, I deleted the SanDisk SSD as part of the process getting Time Machine functioning as it should (& as it did prior to Monterey).

Let me add a couple of recommends which might help others... a caveat to those using newer, M1 Macs.

1. My SanDisk SSD (and, Time Machine) was rendered unusable post, Monterey install. I found the best way to erase the SSD (essentially starting over) was by erasing the top-level disk, using Monterey's Disk Utility, and reset the SSD to Untitled, ExFAT, & Master Boot Record. [Note: I was very fortunate I had a good, Carbon Copy Clone on another SanDisk SSD - so, my loss of all prior, Time Machine backups was not a big problem as I could not get access to any of that backup Data.] ...Then, I erased the nested drive to Untitled, Mac OS Extended (Journaled), GUID Partition Map; and then, Converted the nested drive to... APFS. ...Once conversion was complete, I used Get Info to rename it as I wanted. ...I can say that with the completion of this process, I no longer experienced any issues mounting & dismounting (using Disk Utility) the SSD. When I re-selected the newly converted, SSD for Time Machine, it set up & completed the 1st backup quickly. Time Machine backups have since been running smoothly.

2. I have found macOS Disk Utility has been the more reliable way to dismount an external SSD, instead of using Finder. ...And as result, I use a created, Automator app that employs a Terminal command {to Disk Utility} for dismounting my Time Machine SSD. {The SSD gets too hot to leave continuously connected; a pain, but so it goes.} ...I keep this Automator app in my Dock for easy access to dismount the Time Machine SSD.

Having employed the above for the last 5 days (from this Post), I'm confident the external SSD, Time Machine drive will continue running well. ...When the next macOS update takes place, I will find out if the current, Time Machine set-up transitions & works with the newly updated, Monterey, or the Update causes problems {meaning, hasn't yet resolved the basic, Time Machine issue with external SSDs}. ...And, we'll have to again sort out Time Machine.