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MPB doesn't recognize Sandisk SSD anymore

MPB doesn't recognize Sandisk SSD anymore. I thought I formatted it for this Mac and for PC. I've used files from this SSD on my MBP before. I did plug the SSD into a PC recently and it read fine. Now my MBP doesn't recognize it anymore. What happened, and how can I fix this?

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on Jun 17, 2023 5:07 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 17, 2023 5:11 PM


We occasionally see drives fail when they were not ERASEd when new, but the maker's Utilities, including Paragon or Tuxiera NTFS Drivers were installed. All proceeds fine until that Driver is not included in the MacOS image being used, then the drive 'mysteriously' stops working.


A drive set up by the maker as Windows New Technology File System (NTFS) can have MacOS Volumes created on it, either MacOS extended or APFS, when those Utilities are present. But when the Utilities are not there (a different Mac, a different MacOS, or something else) the drive won't mount. But It will show up in Disk Utility.

13 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 17, 2023 5:11 PM in response to Potumba


We occasionally see drives fail when they were not ERASEd when new, but the maker's Utilities, including Paragon or Tuxiera NTFS Drivers were installed. All proceeds fine until that Driver is not included in the MacOS image being used, then the drive 'mysteriously' stops working.


A drive set up by the maker as Windows New Technology File System (NTFS) can have MacOS Volumes created on it, either MacOS extended or APFS, when those Utilities are present. But when the Utilities are not there (a different Mac, a different MacOS, or something else) the drive won't mount. But It will show up in Disk Utility.

Jun 18, 2023 7:34 PM in response to Potumba

<< I did plug the SSD into a PC recently and it read fine. Now my MBP doesn't recognize it anymore. >>


Look at the last line of the report:


It looks like the PC changed the partition TYPE, which is now "Microsoft Basic Data" partition.


MacOS has no clue how to Mount a drive of that partition-type.

It can create and read and write and format exFAT drives, a common PC format.

Jun 18, 2023 7:39 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Ugh.


Looks like I will have to use that SSD for work stuff- which is done on PC.

Thanks so much for your help. It helps me to understand what NOT to do! (That means stay away from PCs, I guess. never the twain shall meet.....haha!!)


Off-topic, but what is a good-affordable- 1 or 2TB SSD for my MBP? I'll need to transfer all my docs from my 2015 MBP- AGAIN.

Jul 6, 2024 4:50 PM in response to Potumba

FYI for whoever comes upon this in the future. I have the Sandisk 4TB Extreme SSD drive, bought at B&H Photo in June 2024. This is what I did to resolve.. I restarted my MBP, running Intel, and had to wait for a bit but the drive finally showed up again. I was able to confirm that it was there running `diskutil list` in Terminal window as someone had suggested (thanks to them). I may have formatted the drive the first time I plugged it into my MBP. I never plugged it into a Windows PC.

Jul 6, 2024 6:05 PM in response to joefromithaca

the diskutil list posted above shows the stark difference between a drive set up for APFS with MacOS installed (the first several entries) including a multi-layer container setup and a virtual drive inside the container.


Contrast to the second drive which may have been modified by a PC and has ONLY a Micrsoft Basic Volume, not directly Mountable on a Mac.

MPB doesn't recognize Sandisk SSD anymore

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