How to fix external SSD not working on M1

M1 Mac Data Protection Guide: Responding to SSD Failures and External SSD Issues

Storage device failure is a frustrating nightmare, and precious Mac data can disappear instantly! Especially for Macs equipped with M1 chips, internal SSD failures will lead to the inability to start the system, and the risks cannot be ignored. This article will guide you in backing up and restoring valuable data and resolving external SSD issues.

Reasons why the M1 Mac cannot boot from an external drive

Macs equipped with Apple silicon chips cannot start macOS in case of internal SSD failure. This is because a new security policy revolutionizes the startup and recovery process for the M1 Mac, which is based on the so-called "1 True Recovery (1TR)" mechanism.

In short, 1TR ensures that the 1TR partition where security information is started is stored internally. Therefore, if internal storage fails, the Apple silicon chip Mac will not boot.

Although Apple's SSDs usually last longer, SSD wear problems still exist, posing a threat to the M1 Mac. Although users have reported this problem less (many think Apple has fixed it with the macOS 11.4 update), there are some exceptions—the amount of data written to the SSD is extremely large. There may be many reasons, such as errors in SSD monitoring tools or difficulties in transitioning to Apple silicon chips for Intel applications.

Quickly check internal SSD health status

The following methods can detect SSD problems as early as possible:

1. Open Disk Drill.
2. In the sidebar, select SMART Monitor.
3. Select your SSD volume and run the scan.
4. A green indicator indicates that the SSD is running well.

iStat Menus is a tool for real-time monitoring of SSDs. It adds an SSD module to the menu bar to facilitate you to track SSD usage of disks (including internal and external SSDs) and provides information such as the remaining SSD life.

How to make an external SSD work properly on an M1 Mac

The transition to the M1 chip inevitably leads to many compatibility issues in software and hardware. An external hard drive not working on an M1 Mac may be one of the results of this incompatibility. Here are some effective solutions:

Check external disk drive information

This step helps you determine if it is a hardware problem or a software problem that causes the external drive to fail to mount:

1. In the Apple menu, select About this unit.
2. Click "System Report".
3. Find your external SSD in the sidebar (under USB or Thunderbolt).

If the external SSD is not found, it is likely that the SSD or port failure (hardware issue). If the Mac recognizes the SSD, there is no problem with the SSD itself, but there are problems with the way the SSD interacts with the system - it is recommended to check if the drive is encrypted and make sure that the macOS is updated.

Tip: Always back up external drives – whether it is a bootable clone of the disk, or a few files you don't want to lose. If you encounter the problem that M1 cannot mount a portable SSD, you can ensure your data is secure.

Get Backup Pro ensures the most flexible backup process:

• Create a bootable clone to easily reinstall macOS.
• Complete control over the backup plan.
• Backup only the selected files, not the entire disk.
• 60% higher backup compression than Time Machine.

Check the USB port

If your Mac cannot "see" your SSD, check if the port is normal. Mac users often use USB adapters and hubs to connect external devices, which can cause problems because external SSDs may require more power to mount on the M1 Mac. Alternatively, the Mac's own port may fail. We recommend you:

• Disconnect the hub/adapter and try to connect the SSD to the native port of your Mac.
• Connect the SSD to a different port.
• Disconnect and reconnect the SSD.
• If using a self-powered hub, make sure it is connected to the AC adapter.

Check if the SSD is encrypted

Depending on the SSD provider, encryption may be enabled by default. Therefore, the following may occur: Your external SSD requires a password to mount on an M1 Mac, but the software used to enter the password is outdated and incompatible with M1. As a result, the Mac will display an error message, prompting that the SSD cannot be mounted.

To check if encryption is the problem, try connecting the SSD to another computer (preferably an Intel computer). Alternatively, you can try installing a third-party extension to help you update the SSD software and unlock external drives on your M1 Mac (see the instructions for your SSD provider).

Run Disk Utility to repair the SSD drive

Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to fix an external SSD (mainly if there is some kind of file system corruption). Disk Utility can help resolve this issue:

1. Open Finder > Go to > Utility.
2. Select Disk Utility.
3. Select your external SSD and click "First Aid".
4. Click Run to fix the SSD (it may take several minutes).

Update macOS to the latest version

The newer the macOS version, the fewer compatibility issues you encounter. So make sure you keep it updated at all times. On an M1 Mac, you can run macOS updates directly from the Apple menu > About this machine > Software Update, which is very convenient. Just make sure you have prepared an external bootable data backup using Get Backup Pro in advance.

Recover data and reformat the SSD

Reformatting a drive always sounds scary because it usually means you have to erase all the data on the drive. But the following reasons are you don't need to worry about:

1. Before reformatting, you can try to make the SSD mountable using tools such as iBoysoft NTFS for Mac. Of course, this only applies to SSDs formatted to NTFS (formats that are not supported by macOS itself). iBoysoft enables read and write support for NTFS drives on Mac, so you can resolve the issue without erasing the SSD!
2. You can always use Disk Drill to recover data. It has very reliable data recovery tools that can help you recover data before erasing the SSD. Connect the SSD to your Mac, select it in Disk Drill, and click "Recover" - that's that simple.

After ensuring data is secure, you can continue to wipe the SSD (if nothing else can solve the problem):

1. After connecting to an external SSD, access Disk Utility via Spotlight.
2. In Disk Utility, select the SSD drive from the sidebar.
3. Visit the "Erase" tab.
4. Select APFS/HFS and click "Erase".

Is M1 Mac mini SSD upgradeable?

While some Chinese technicians have reportedly successfully expanded the SSD of the M1 Mac, Apple does not allow any changes to the internal processor, RAM, and SSD of the Apple silicon chip. You can use an external SSD to expand storage, or use CleanMyMac X, a Mac junk cleaning and optimization tool, to upgrade internal storage.

How to boot an M1 Mac from an external SSD

Due to new security measures, Apple has also added a new recovery option called System Recovery. In fact, booting from an external drive is still the best option, especially if you don't want to lose data.

Here is how to create a bootable installer for an M1 Mac:

1. Prepare a native Thunderbolt 3 drive formatted as APFS.
2. Download the macOS installer from the App Store.
3. Save the installer directly to the external SSD. If you want to make it a bootable clone, Get Backup Pro offers this feature.
4. After the Mac restarts, it will automatically boot from the external SSD.
5. Uninstall the SSD and switch to the internal drive.

Here is how to start an M1 Mac from an external SSD:

1. Turn off your Mac and connect a bootable drive.
2. Press and hold the power button to turn on the M1 Mac.
3. Select a bootable drive from the boot options.
4. The Mac will boot from an external SSD.

Ensure the smooth operation of the SSD on the M1 Mac

If internal storage fails, the Apple silicon chip Mac will not boot. But you don't have to worry too much! The internal SSD can be used for many years and the possibility of complete failure is very small. Additionally, you can always rely on an external SSD, which should work fine as long as you follow the advice shared in this article.

Disk Drill can recover data from a failed external drive (and is a great tool to monitor the health of internal SSDs!), and we recommend iBoysoft NTFS for Mac (so you don't have problems with incompatible NTFS formats); CleanMyMac X (optimized internal storage); and Get Backup Pro (creating a secure bootable clone of files that can be used even if the internal drive fails).

Setapp offers all of these apps, and you can try them for 7 days for free. Of course, Setapp also offers ready-to-use toolkits for Mac security and stability, so you don't have to look around for the tools you need. Hope you make the most of it!

The above is the detailed content of How to fix external SSD not working on M1. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!