Sandisk 1TB ssd not getting detected.

I have found the solution!! I've plugged in ssd to windows and on that ssd was InstallSanDiskSoftware.dmg. After installation DMG on Mac it becomes visible.

In conclusion, I would recommend to install software for your External SSD. In my case I had SanDisk Extreme

How old is this SanDisk SSD? I know that some older drives may not be compatible with an Apple Silicon Mac since the USB chipset used by some older devices are not compatible (at least this was the case when the Apple Silicon Macs were first introduced in 2020).

See if your SanDisk SSD is affected by this known firmware issue (I think it only affects more recent 2TB & 4TB SanDisk Extreme SSDs though):

https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/50763/~/sandisk-extreme-portable-ssd-v2%2C-sandisk-extreme-pro-portable-ssd-v2%2C-and-wd-my

Sometimes macOS and Disk Utility get confused if there is something unexpected going on with the partition table, so sometimes you must destroy the partition table on the drive before macOS & Disk Utility will work properly. On the Windows PC, use Disk Management to delete all partitions from the SSD. There is also a Windows command line option which will clear the SSD which will do a better job. See this article for instructions:

https://www.crucial.com/support/articles-faq-ssd/reset-ssd-with-windows-diskpart

After deleting all partitions or using the Windows command line to clean the SSD, connect the SSD to your Mac and use Disk Utility to erase it as GUID partition and the file system of your choice (MacOS Extended Journaled, APFS, or exFAT). Personally I would try MacOS Extended (Journaled) first, then try exFAT if you want to use the drive with Windows as well. FYI, macOS is not always able to read an exFAT drive formatted on Windows since Windows may use a file allocation size which is not compatible with macOS.

If you still have issues, then you may want to check the health of the SSD by using DriveDx on macOS (will need to install a special USB driver), or using GSmartControl on Windows (portable version of the app available so no installation is necessary). Even with the special USB driver on macOS there is no guarantee that the SSD's enclosure will allow the necessary communication to access the SSD's health information). If you can gather the SSD's health information, then post the full text report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper.

I had the same exact issue. I tried the SSD on other devices and it worked, but my MacBook Air M2 was not mounting the Sandisk and my Lexar external hard drives. I was able to solve the problem by using the original cable that came with the drive (thicker, possibly thunderbolt) USB-C USB-C cable. Hope this helps

For me it was the cable. I have a Sandisk extreme 2TB SSD external that worked just fine on my macbook in the past (I used it for backups). It suddenly stopped working - want to bet it was connected to compatibility issues thru an update?... Anyways, I tried a ton of stuff: plugged into a pc to diagnose, used the apple brand dongle thru usb and usb-c, checked the usb-c ports, ran repairs, etc. It all came down to just using an apple brand usb-c to usb-c cable and it was back to normal.

There are several reasons why your SanDisk 1TB SSD may not be getting detected on your MacBook Air M2. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check the USB-C port: Make sure the USB-C port you are using on your MacBook Air M2 is working properly. Try connecting other USB-C devices to the same port to see if they are recognized by your MacBook Air M2. If the port is not working, you may need to get it repaired or replaced.

2. Check the cable: Ensure that the USB-C cable you are using is compatible with your MacBook Air M2 and the SanDisk SSD. Try using a different USB-C cable to see if the issue persists.

3. Check the SanDisk SSD on another Mac: Try connecting the SanDisk SSD to another Mac to see if it is recognized. If it is recognized on another Mac, the issue may be with your MacBook Air M2.

4. Check the formatting: Ensure that the SanDisk SSD is formatted in a compatible format for your MacBook Air M2. Ex-FAT is generally compatible with both Windows and Mac, but you can try formatting it in a different format, such as HFS+ or APFS, to see if that resolves the issue.

5. Check for driver updates: Ensure that your MacBook Air M2 has the latest software updates installed. Also, check for any driver updates for the SanDisk SSD on the SanDisk website.

6. Try resetting SMC and NVRAM: Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) and NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory) on your MacBook Air M2 may help resolve the issue. You can find instructions on how to do this on the Apple support website.

If none of these steps work, you may need to contact SanDisk support or Apple support for further assistance.

I had this issue, too.

SSD: SanDisk 2T external 1000mb version.

Cable: USB C to USB C from SanDisk

Computer: MacBook Pro 16 M2 2023

Software: MacOS Sonoma 14.0

Issue: External drive can't be detected, the driver doesn't show on the desktop.

Solution:

• Plug the external drive into a Windows computer.
• There should be a alert message pop out: "This disk have xxx error, repare it now?"
• Click repair, wait the process to complete, mine took me about 3 mins.
• Try the drive on Mac again, it should shows up.
• No data is missing for me.

Hope it works for you.

The same issue for me! MacBook Pro M1 2020 and the solution was plug the SSD using the original cable and a USB A -USB C adapter. Then I used the utility disk, erased the volume and worked!!!

Just consider that before all this great solution, I formatted my Mac and reinstalled macOS :(. Maybe that helped

[Por si lo requieres en español]

Tuve el mismo problema en una MacBook Pro M1 2020 y la solución fue conectar el SSD usando el cable original y un adaptador USB A - USB C. Luego usé la app Utilidad de Discos, borré el volumen y funcionó!!!

Solo considera que antes de toda esta gran solución, tuve que formatear mi Mac y reinstalar macOS :(. Tal vez eso ayudó

Check on the PC to see if it if formatted with MBR partitioning or GUID partitioning. If GUID, you may want to try reformatting with MBR partitioning. You will need to do this in Widows Disk Management I believe the simple formatting in Windows Explorer does not give that option. If MBR, then reformat with GUID. Also, make sure that permissions are set for all to read/write.

If that works and you do no intend to use it with a Windows machine anymore, reformat on Mac to GUID and APFS.

Thx. That worked! I used and Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter, then connected USB-A to USB-C cable to Sandisk.

when used on the PC, did you install any Sandisk drivers? They were not needed as Windows can handle external SSDs without drivers. If you did, this may be causing some odd formatting issues that makes it incompatible with other computers.

Did you at anytime encrypt or otherwise protect the disk? This can also cause issues using with other machines.

FWIW, I have a couple SanDisk Extreme v2 SSDs and they are working without issue. However, they were never used on a Windows machine.

This has happened on 2 Sandisk Extreme Drives for me. My only work around was to get a usb-c to usb-a adapter and plug-in to a hub / not directly to the computer.

try this. it worked for me. go into Disc Utilities and see if the SanDisk is there. if it is, click on it wait a bit and it will appear on your desktop. unfortunately, u have to do this every time, but it's worth it for folks like me who cannot find a PC easily.

Please be advised that "chatbot" generated text has regrettably been posted to your Discussion. It contains information that can harm your Mac and may result in rendering it permanently unbootable.

Start with the basics: does your Sandisk SSD appear in Disk Utility?

Disk Utility User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Mauktik_P Said:

"Sandisk 1TB ssd not getting detected in my MacBook Air-M2. Model no : SDSSDE30-1T00.[...]"

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Troubleshooting and External Drive:



See if your Hard drive is Failing:

Some Tips that may Help:

• Verify your Drive: Repair your Disk in Disk Utility - Apple Support

• Go Here: If your Mac Starts Up to an Apple Logo or Progress Bar - Apple Support

• Perform the following in Recovery Mode:

1. Boot: into Recovery Mode. Go Here:  How to Use Safe Mode on your Mac- Apple Support
2. Select: Disk Utility
3. Select: the Drive
4. Click: First Aid button

DanielFatieiev wrote:

I have found the solution!! I've plugged in ssd to windows and on that ssd was InstallSanDiskSoftware.dmg. After installation DMG on Mac it becomes visible.

In conclusion, I would recommend to install software for your External SSD. In my case I had SanDisk Extreme

There should be no need to run any third party software in order to use an external drive unless the external SSD is has hardware encryption enabled which does not seem to be the case for the OP since we can see the storage being utilized....208GB used out of 280GB. If the SSD had hardware encryption enabled, then we would not be able to see that information.

The only other time the manufacturer's software needs to be used is when you want to write to an NTFS volume. macOS is able to read an NTFS volume....just not able to write to an NTFS volume. The OP clearly stated they erased the drive as exFAT so no third party software is needed.

FYI, People using third party software to manage their external drives will sooner or later find that a macOS update may prevent access to their external drive which has happened several times over the last couple of years where users had to wait months before someone fixed their software. Best to avoid using third party software to manage an external drive if at all possible.