Time Machine problem(s) with Portable SSD ....i'm moving on but i have a question or two for the community.

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Level 1

13 points

Time Machine problem(s) with Portable SSD ....i'm moving on but i have a question or two for the community.

I'm Running an iMac (late 2013) , Catalina 10.15, Time Machine version 1.3.

I am no longer going to try to make my Samsung SSD_T5 Drive work with Time Machine.

I just get it working acceptably with Time Machine (with one minor glitch)....but as soon as i shut down my iMac, which i like to do maybe 2x per month, it's awful getting it back up and running the way it was before shutdown & no, it's not after a Catalina Update and the SSD was ejected properly. It works OK when the iMac is put to sleep, but not iMac Shutdown.

Note this is not my first post on the Samsung SSD T5 problems. The Higher Level people of the Community noted Samsung / Apple Software incompatibility & I was given the advice to use CCC instead of Time Machine. I don't argue with that. I hesitate to download 3rd Party Apps unless absolutely necessary. I don't have a need for complex back up capability. I will look at CCC again after i have a new iMac & make the transition to OS Big Sur and beyond in the next year or so. I just don't like the idea of 3rd Party CCC having to continually keep up with Apple macOS changes, not to mention the $55.

Apple's Time Machine Software problems definitely need to be addressed. But How good can a Time Machine App ( vintage ?2009 ?) be thats 1.4 MB sized ? Maybe Apple will come out with a Time Machine (2022) version that works seamlessly with APFS & 3rd Party SSD , now that they no longer offer Airport Time Capsule's.

I'm going to go with Manually Backing up my Data on the Portable Samsung SSD T5.

(but i will continue running TM & my vintage 2013 Apple Time Capsule to Failure just for fun or until i feel it's stressing my iMac HD with hours of activity. I don't use TM in Auto BackUp Mode for the ATC).

_ Using TM you have to accept Format mac OS Journaled .

_ Catalina 10.15 , iMac (late 2013 ) HD Disk Format is APFS. (Apple says it's optimized for SSD)

Thinking about reducing Complexity of BackUp Data & Transfer Rates ( iMac USB throttling etc) ......

Q1: When i ReFormat my Portable SSD T5 for Manual BackUp, Should i go with go with APFS? I would say Yes but is there any problem ?

Q2: I need Encryption....Should i go with Apple APFS Encrypted Format, instead of the Samsung encryption Tool on-board the SSD T5 ?

Q3: is the Apple Catalina OSx Encryption Engine problem free and does it allow Access to Data on any Mac running Catalina and above ( with encryption Password of course) ?

Q4 : when i move Files between iMac HD and my iCloud Documents, i use the "Right click Copy > Paste". But moving Files to my Portable SSD from iMac ...it's Drag and Drop. Is that the easiest way

?

Thanks in Advance for your in-sight & i hope posting my experience helps other Users out there.

Posted on Dec 31, 2021 10:24 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

steve626

Level 6

13,713 points

Dec 31, 2021 3:27 PM in response to _Buster_

What you are describing sounds overly complex. I have multiple T5 and T7 Samsung external SSDs. None are the "push button" versions.

Here's what I have done:

Take out the new T5 or T7 SSD from their boxes. Connect to Mac and immediately run Disk Utility and erase/format to either GUID/HFS+ or GUID/APFS. GUID is the partition map and it is used for all Intel and Silicon Macs. It is an option for erasing/formatting and should be what is selected. You DO need GUID. Selecting either Apple Partition Map (which is for old powerPC Macs) or Master Boot Record (PC type partition map) would be wrong. Then select either HFS+ or APFS for the file system. Catalina requires HFS+ for Time Machine disks, Big Sur and Monterey are best used with APFS for the Time Machine disk. APFS can be used with any MacOS from High Sierra or later for simple miscellaneous storage on an external drive.

Immediately formatting the disk when taken new out of the box removes all software that came with it.

I have never seen pop ups or anything like that with the T5 or T7 SSDs I have purchased.

If you installed any of the Samsung utilities that came on the disk then those utilities will be active regardless of what you "disable" and will have their hooks into your disks and possibly cause the issues.

I have used the same process just as described above for other makes of external SSDs and HDDs (from WD, G-Drive, Samsung, Sandisk etc.) and have never had the problems you experienced. The immediate erase/format turns the disk into a generic vanilla external drive. You manage it though Disk Utility.

"... what i found was the Samsung Encryption Engine was re-enabled ... I think what I will do is ...leave SSD T5 Security Mode disabled"

Those comments mean it is still installed both on your Mac and on the external drive and potentially conflicting with the MacOS and should be completely uninstalled and removed. This software/firmware will be a constant source of complications in the future every time there is a MacOS update or upgrade or even just Security Update.

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Answer 2

steve626

Level 6

13,713 points

Dec 31, 2021 12:19 PM in response to _Buster_

I have been using Samsung SSD T5 and T7 external drives for both Time Machine and Clone (SuperDuper, not CCC) backups on Macs running Catalina, Big Sur, and Monterey. Several things to note which may be affecting your situation:

Do not use the Samsung disk utility third party software that is an optional install and comes with the drives. That has been known to interfere with Time Machine and other MacOS functions in some instances. There is no need for anything aside from Apple MacOS software (Disk Utility, FileVault, etc.) for working with, formatting, and encrypting drives for use with Macs. It sounds like you have been using that Samsung software, which may explain your issues.
The external drives must be formatted as APFS/GUID for using cloning software that makes bootable clones.
The external drive must be formatted HFS+/GUID for Time Machine under Catalina.
The external drive should be formatted APFS/GUID for Time Machine under Big Sur and Monterey. Under some circumstances, an already existing Time Machine drive that is HFS+ may still be usable under Big Sur or Monterey, but APFS is recommended by Apple for Time Machine under Big Sur and Monterey.

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Answer 3

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,054 points

Dec 31, 2021 11:16 AM in response to _Buster_

I will not answer all your questions but I will comment that CCC is not a substitute for TM. You would ideally want both. I have used Samsung and WD SSD's for TM and CCC and no issues. Also your external SSD should be formatted to APFS to be the most efficient with Catalina and later.

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Answer 4

_Buster_ Author

Level 1

13 points

Dec 31, 2021 1:33 PM in response to steve626

" Do not use the Samsung disk utility third party software that is an optional install and comes with the drives. "

Answer:

I think their is a Chip on board the SSD T5, ....the Software Pops up as soon as you plug the SSD in.

I figured I need this Software to rename the Disk and check for Firmware updates.

The way i saw it the only choice you have is to proceed with Security Enabled or Not Enabled .

I tried once to do as you suggested ( no Samsung Software or at least no encryption ), after unsuccessfully trying with Samsung Security Enabled ( with no Time Machine Encryption).

I disabled the SSD T5 Security Mode which turns off the Samsung SSD T5 Encryption Engine.

Then i used iMac Disk Utility & Re-Formatted the SSD T5 and i chose Mac OS Journaled.

I also then chose the Time Machine Option to Encrypt.

The Format came out Mac OS Journaled (encryption). OK makes sense.

The first BackUp took like over 6 Hours ( for 250 GB ) and what i found was the Samsung Encryption Engine was re-enabled somehow so the Mac Data Encryption then must have been encrypted again by the SSD Engine.

Then i ended up having to enter two complex passwords to get Data access again after sleep or shutdown (i forget if it's one or both).

A 6 hour experiment that I didn't try it again.

I never heard that GUID term before ( shows you my level of knowledge). Sounds like a complication that i do not need.

What you said about Big Sur and beyond is Time Machine Format APFS friendly , and Yes thats where i'm headed.

So i figured Go with the SSD Manual Catalina Backups in the APFS Format that i will migrate to in the Future on a new Mac.

I tried to get some advice from Samsung , wasn't easy , first answer was take the SSD back to where i bought it.

Then later, another enquiry....for what it's worth they advised they are aware of the software incompatibility and "the Team is Working on it ".

So i figure if they fix it with a firmware update then it may affect something like Catalina / HFS+ GUID BackUp being used to Restore Data to APFS on Big Sur.

I think what i will do is Disk Utility Erase SSD.

Leave SSD T5 Security Mode disabled .

Use MacOS to Format SSD to APFS encrypted Format.

Set the Pswd .

Move some small Files onto SSD and see how it works.

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Answer 5

steve626

Level 6

13,713 points

Jan 13, 2022 8:01 PM in response to _Buster_

_Buster_ wrote:

Q1: I think you have said that you do have or do not use the Fingerprint feature on your Samsung SSD T7 Portables. Is there any reason to Purchase Samsung SSD T7 over the less expensive SSD T5 Portable Drives ?

Q2: So....When Samsung offers Firmware Updates for the SSD T5's ...it's OK to not even know and not do a firmware Update , in the Future (when i am running the SSD T5 as a dedicated Time Machine Drive) ?

Glad to see you have made some progress!

Your Q1 regarding Samsung T7 vs. T5 ... I have both models and neither has the one touch button. I avoided that because it requires the special firmware/software to be active on both the Mac and the external SSD, neither of which I wanted at all. The T7 is rated to be about twice as fast as the T5 (1000 MB/s versus 500 MB/s).

For your Q2, as far as I know, if you are not using any of the custom features (like touch button, use of Samsung utilities/tools, use of Samsung encryption, disk locks, etc.) there should be no need to update the firmware. If I am wrong, maybe someone more knowledgeable will chime in and correct me. I have various Western Digital, Samsung, Seagate etc. external drives and have always first erased/formatted them when new with Disk Utility and never installed any of the firmware nor manufacturer software, nor updated it. I have been doing this for more than 10 years and never had an issue ...

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Answer 6

_Buster_ Author

Level 1

13 points

Jan 13, 2022 7:56 AM in response to steve626

Steve626 ...Thanks! ( Your 31 Dec 2021 detailed advice)

Removing the Samsung SetUp & Security Apps from my iMac (late 2013) running Catalina was the key to solving my problem.

So as you advise ... "The immediate erase/format turns the disk into a generic vanilla external drive. You manage it though Disk Utility. "

I used Time Machine ..."Mac OS Extended Journaled Encryption "

Also.... that annoying Notice i was getting ..." Disk Not Ejected Properly" no longer appears.

Q1: I think you have said that you do have or do not use the Fingerprint feature on your Samsung SSD T7 Portables. Is there any reason to Purchase Samsung SSD T7 over the less expensive SSD T5 Portable Drives ?

Q2: So....When Samsung offers Firmware Updates for the SSD T5's ...it's OK to not even know and not do a firmware Update , in the Future (when i am running the SSD T5 as a dedicated Time Machine Drive) ?

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Time Machine problem(s) with Portable SSD ....i'm moving on but i have a question or two for the community.

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