External Hard Drive and Web Cam disconnect (Mac mini 2020)

Question

Level 1

4 points

External Hard Drive and Web Cam disconnect (Mac mini 2020)

Greetings all,

I recently purchased a certified refurbished M1 Mac mini 2020 from apple.com and installed a web camera and external SSD via the 2 USB C ports. Recently however, I am having issues with my webcam/mic combo disconnecting in the middle of a zoom call or getting the, "Disk Not Ejected Properly" message upward of 20 times in a 5 minute span. In the case of the hard drive I have replaced the cable twice and for the webcam, have moved it to the USB 3.0 ports and have no longer had issues. Is this a potential hardware issue with the C ports on the back or maybe a software issue?

System:

macOS Monterey 12.5.1

Mac mini (M1, 2020)

Chip Apple M1

Memory 8GB

HD: 256 (251) GB

External 1TB NVME SSD via USB C

Posted on Aug 27, 2022 9:19 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Aug 28, 2022 8:50 AM in response to FrostyWhat

Hello FrostyWhat,

Just to confirm, do these issues only happen when using certain apps, or does it happen randomly? Do you experience issues when connecting other devices to your Mac as well?

You can find some helpful information and options on connecting storage devices to Mac here: Connect and use other storage devices with Mac

Connect a storage device

• Connect the device to your Mac using the cable that came with it, then use the Finder to view the connected device.

If the cable doesn’t have a connector that fits in your Mac, you may be able to use an adapter. See the documentation that came with the device.

For help with connecting and using an external camera with Mac, please check out the information here as well: Use an external camera with Mac

Connect an external camera

1. Connect the camera’s cable to a port on your Mac. See About the video ports on Mac.

If the camera has a connector that doesn’t match the port you want to connect it to, you may be able to use it with an adapter. See the Apple Support article Adapters for the Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, or USB-C port on your Mac.

2. Wait 10 to 15 seconds for your Mac to recognize the camera.

For more information about connecting your external camera, see the manufacturer’s instructions.

Thanks!

Reply

Answer 2

mario49

Community Specialist

Aug 28, 2022 10:33 AM in response to FrostyWhat

Hey FrostyWhat,

If there is trouble with the USB port, one thing you could try is to reset the SMC. The second article has more information that may help the devices connected to the USB ports.

If you have a Mac with Apple silicon

Find out if you have a Mac with Apple silicon

Make sure that your Mac is plugged into power. Then either restart it or shut it down and turn it on again. No other steps are necessary for Mac computers with Apple silicon.

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

If a USB device doesn’t work with Mac - Apple Support

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Have a nice day.

Reply

Answer 3

FrostyWhat Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 28, 2022 10:07 AM in response to Brittany1416

It happens randomly, however I never notice the camera disconnect except for when using zoom/webex/etc as the camera is powered down when not using an app. The hard drive disconnects randomly, sometimes I can go a day without a disconnect, other times it begins it’s disconnect/reconnect cycle as soon as I boot up or sign in.

The external drive and webcam are the only items I’ve had plugged into the USB C as all other peripherals until use the old USB 3.0.

Reply

Answer 4

FrostyWhat Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 6, 2022 8:33 AM in response to hcsitas

Thank you so much! So far so good, have no had an issue with the disconnect since. I'll post a follow up should anything change but wanted to thank every for taking the time to read the post and offering their support!

Reply