In order to replicate the issue just connect any external SSD wait for a while and it will be disconnected with message "Disk Not Ejected Properly". SSD is connected to M1 MacBook Pro. It's neither a cable issue because I tried multiple cables, nor an SSD issue as everything worked just fine before upgrade.
Drives like the MyBook came with software, and the manufacturer suggested you install that software.
What that software does is to "spare you the annoyance of having to re-initialize the drive" from its factory set Windows New Technology File System (NTFS, the W is silent because there are no other Operating Systems) or similar unusual (on a Mac) format. Instead, the software they provided would simulate a MacOS drive inside an NTFS file for your Mac.
The downside of using the manufacturer's software is that if the manufacturer's software is not loaded, the Macintosh Volume may not be readable, or may not be writable. This means that in startup manager, Installer, and in Recovery such as after a data loss, the Macintosh Volume may not be visible.
The standard advice given here to all users, including novice users, is to discard the manufacturers software and NEVER use it. "Best Practice" is to erase the physical device when new, using only MacOS Disk Utility, and create the fundamental data structures needed for consistent, reliable use by MacOS.
Be sure to "show all devices" which will allow you to ERASE the entire Physical Device by its immutable manufacturer-given device-name, not just user created Volume-name such as ‘Macintosh HD’.
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The litmus test for 'what format is that drive' is to run this Terminal command, and look for the NAME of your drive in the list. This is the output for an Apple File system drive, first for the (Physical), then for the (synthesized) APFS container-scheme:
diskutil list
...
/dev/disk6 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *240.1 GB disk6
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk6s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk7 239.8 GB disk6s2
/dev/disk7 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +239.8 GB disk7
Physical Store disk6s2
1: APFS Volume X14-SSD240 97.5 GB disk7s1
2: APFS Volume Preboot 26.5 MB disk7s2
3: APFS Volume Recovery 507.6 MB disk7s3
4: APFS Volume VM 20.5 KB disk7s4
my MacOS volume named X14-SSD240 is on a physical SSD drive about 240 GB in size.
It started happening for me too. It happened two times in a week, but only if I `rsync` from the SSD to a `smb` target. Might be a coincidence, but it never happened before. I am using a WD Elements SE SSD. Not sure, which formfactor it has though.
Interesting. YES, def related to thunderbolt ports. What speed SSDs cause issue? Have you noticed any other apparently inexplicable issues? For me it affected not only NVME disks, but -
I always suspected h/w b/c (for me) it started with one port, then 2, then all 4... and happened again the same way after all ports replaced. However, that could also be coincidence I guess.
Good you've reported direct to Apple. Hopefully numbers will get users heard on this...
With Sonoma 14.4.1, I think I have now had external HDD disconnect twice about a week apart. Two different HDD, two different cables, two different ports on my MacBook Pro M3 Pro. This occurred while running Chronosync to backup my internal SSD. Chronosync would run for 7-15 min, then quit with errors. After unplugging the HDD cable, re-connecting it, and re-running Chronosync, backup was completed.
‘...it's likely a deficit of the DRIVE, not the Mac.’
Trying to get my head around this. If this is the case, I’d like to understand why it would be no problem for 18 months, then gradually start to happen on ALL external drives (some own power, some not), first on one port, then on another, then stop being an issue - for a few months - when all the ports were replaced, only to gradually reappear, again on all drives, including a brand new one, replaced after the repeated false ejections fried one drive. Disk Utility didn’t help, data corrupted, and another drive eventually fried too, as did the port on an expensive external monitor.
After a year of misery on Monterrey, then Ventura, I finally got a new Mac. It’s running Sonoma. Fingers X’d.
Just started happening for me, too. Have not had any luck getting it to work; going to try formatting the drive I guess and see if that fixes it.
To add, there is a Reddit thread on the same issue and an interesting comment claiming Apple is aware of the issue and is suggesting to wait for a fix. Which is probably good news.
I have. I have a Toshiba Canivo 2TB external drive that I haven't even had an entire week that keeps disconnecting. It randomly started doing this after updating to 14.4.1.
Has anyone every check in the SMART status, if the drive also logs these unsafe shutdowns? AFAIR SMART should do that. Would be nice to check this. My drive doesn't support SMART unfortunately.
Seems like First Aid is a useless option after all, it can help in 1% of cases out of 99%. Tried both options and both do not work. Formatted SSD using APFS option. The disk stays mounted for a while but when you try to access it let's say 5 minutes later then the same 'Disk Not Ejected Properly' issue happens. So it disconnects when you open it.
There really is not way to fix this for people who have the issue - because it is not the hardware. For some reason, the issue disappeared on my Mac mini M2 and the Samsung SDD after a while - until I was stupid enough to update to Sonoma 14.1. Same issue all over again. I am so upset!
Not sure why you're replying to me with all that, but it's really rubbing me the wrong way. I am a video editor for a living and I use SSD drives every single day of my life. I would like to think I have a pretty firm grasp of how to use, initialize, and format them. Everything was working fine for YEARS until this recent update.. it is without a question a macOS software issue.
By the way, control clicking 'Get Info', will tell you in plain english what the drive's format is.
I've been into this with Apple repeatedly and also been told they haven't had any other reports. Guess either stock response, or maybe the bot only matches identical issues with specific h/w in specific O/S. I agree though, if every one of us on this thread reported it it might be helpful. I'll report again with less precise parameters.
Same issue here. A Samsung T7 which was working fine under Ventura, but since updating to Sonoma has displayed the "Disk Not Ejected Properly" notification at random times. Oddly enough, the disk is, sometimes, still accessible through finder even after the message has been displayed. So, whatever anyone else says, I genuinely believe that this is a Sonoma problem.
It’s not JUST an SSD issue. I have the same problem with a 5TB Seagate One Touch drives that’s been working on my Mac mini for years, but when I plugged it into my new MacBook Pro M3 the screen gets filled with erroneous eject messages.
Plus it won’t easily eject when you try to.
Apple is doing this on purpose because the company does not want you to buy cheap non-apple external drives. They want you to upgrade the internal drive where they make money. If you buy external drives from other non-apple Companies they lose money. They can easily put the blame on the other 100 things that cause the problem. APPLE is a greedy company that lives on hardware (look at the iPhone releases). They will never fix it. The drive will keep disconnecting until it gets corrupted and eventually dies. They are doing this on purpose. People just don't know. They have advanced technologies making their chips, and you think they can't create a driver to support the drive from disconnecting and functioning properly ??? This is laughable. It's all about money.
External SSD keeps disconnecting after upgrading to Sonoma
