M1 MacBook Not Recognizing External SSD

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M1 MacBook Not Recognizing External SSD

Hello,

I'm experiencing an issue with my 2020 M1 MacBook (7-core GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM) not recognizing an ORICO M234C3-U4 external SSD. Here are the details:

The external SSD in question is an ORICO M234C3-U4 with a Hynix P31 1TB SSD.
The SSD functions perfectly when connected to a Windows desktop and an iPad Air 4. It is formatted with the exFAT file system.
My MacBook, running the latest software updates, fails to recognize the SSD in Disk Utility and Tuxera NTFS.
Running the diskutil list command in Terminal does not list the external SSD.
Attempts to use diskutil mountDisk with different disk identifiers in Terminal were unsuccessful.
The SSD appears in the System Report under Hardware > Thunderbolt/USB4.
Multiple attempts at resetting the Mac, changing cables, and connecting the SSD to different ports have not resolved the issue.
Booting the Mac in Safe Mode also did not make a difference.
I have performed a factory reset on the MacBook twice in an attempt to get it to recognize the external SSD, both times without success.

Given that the SSD is functioning normally on other devices and numerous troubleshooting steps on my Mac have not resolved the issue, I am currently at a loss. I would greatly appreciate any insight or assistance that could help address this issue.

Thank you.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 13.4

Posted on May 20, 2023 9:29 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Zhadzic

Level 1

19 points

Apr 30, 2024 1:39 AM in response to 남훈from경기도

Hello,

I have device ORICO-DPM2P9 but similar problem. ORICO-DPM2P9 is 10 in 1 enclosure device (with Kingstone ssd with 1 TB of memory) and sometimes my mac (2020 M1, Sonoma 14.4.1 ) recongnise it and sometimes not. Formated as APFS. I tried everything you sugested above and can not figure out what happen all the time. I do not know how to resolve problem. Any new suggestion will be welcomed.

Thank you

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Answer 2

TheLittles

Level 10

195,533 points

May 20, 2023 9:37 PM in response to 남훈from경기도

"M1 MacBook Not Recognizing External SSD: [...]fails to recognize the SSD in Disk Utility and Tuxera NTFS.[...]"

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Format this to APFS:

NTFS is for PCs. You are using a Mac. So, you need to format this in Disk Utility to APFS. So, if it is macOS 13.4, then only an APFS format would be readable.

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Answer 3

TheLittles

Level 10

195,533 points

May 20, 2023 10:12 PM in response to 남훈from경기도

"Please let me know if you have any other suggestions or insights."

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Troubleshooting Drive Compatibility:

A. Research Compatibly:

Research the drive compatibility, by find the model number. Then, visit the manufacturer's site, seeing if it mentions that it is compatible with a Mac. I might say it on the box. If nothing is shown, then contact the manufacturer (i.e. by texting, or by eMail), asking them if this Is compatible with your Mac. Note that you may need to install software for this to operate with the macOS, and Mac model.

B. Must Format for Time Machine Backup:

Note that to use a drive with Time Machine backup, that you must use a drive formatted with APFS.

C. Single-Out this User:

What happens when you create a new Administrator user? do you still get this error? If not, then it it like an issue with the configurations of the current user. If so, then it is an issue of the macOS, in which case, you'd need to reinstall it.

D. Single-Out this Mac:

What do other devices give you for this connection? If this Mac is only that is giving you this error, then it's an issue why your device --not the entire network.

E. Remove Login Items:

What happens when you view login items? If items exist, then remove all. Go Here: Open Items Automatically when you Log In on Mac - Apple Support

F. Reinstalling the macOS:

Another option would be to reinstall the macOS. Perhaps an install was not 100% successful? Sometimes, when major changes are made to your Mac(i.e. update installations), system settings (i.e. for the fan) become manipulated, technically. So, when reinstalling, nothing would be deleted. It's just that items that have become corrupted or deleted, would be replaced or reinstalled back to where they should be. Go Here: How to Reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support. Important: Be certain you back up your Mac prior to the installation, as I mentioned in C.

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Answer 4

May 20, 2023 9:47 PM in response to TheLittles

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your suggestion.

However, my SSD is formatted as exFAT, which should be compatible with both Windows and Mac systems. This is to ensure that I can use it interchangeably on both types of systems. Furthermore, the SSD works fine when connected to my iPad. So it seems that the issue is not with the file system format.

Please let me know if you have any other suggestions or insights.

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Answer 5

May 21, 2023 5:15 AM in response to 남훈from경기도

• Hello,

...

The external SSD in question is an ORICO M234C3-U4 with a Hynix P31 1TB SSD.

....

Have you verified with Orico that the combination with he enclosure and the Hynix SSD are compatible with the MacBook Air and the version of macOS that is on your MacBook Air?

It is a well known fact that not all SSD drive/enclosures are compatible with different computers or operating systems. Some combos that work fine on a PC may be problematic on a Mac and some combos that work fine on a Mac don't work well on PCs. Sometimes even the same computer but with different OS versions can be a problem. For manufacturers that do not specifically state compatible SSD/Enclosure/Computer/OS combos, often experimentation will be required to find the right combo that will work.

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M1 MacBook Not Recognizing External SSD

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