Managing External Drives (improving random eject problems)

Tech Support
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Always learning…

As we know, it seems as though external SSD drives are randomly ejecting themselves for unknown reasons (Apple Silicon). Of course that is not good.

So one thing I just learned is that using Carbon Copy Cloner

  • it can automatically mount the drive
  • then run the back up
  • then automatically unmount the drive

(it seems Chronosync can also do things like this, but it’s not quite as easy to set up)

So for this purpose, this really helps solve the external SSD eject problem.

In addition, I created a few Applescripts that can mount various external drives, and also eject various external drives.

Using these techniques, I am not as worried about the external drives randomly ejecting themselves.

If anyone would like to see the Applescripts – just let me know

Dave

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Update -

MacBook Pro M1 - Sonoma

Quite often, I will randomly see this message related to various connected external SSD drives. - Disk Not Ejected Properly

  • after spending some time researching this issue, I might have some good information regarding this.

In my case, I have several hubs connected to this computer.

1 one powered hub with several hard drives attached
1 unpowered hub with generally three external SSD hard drives attached.

For the most part this message - Disk Not Ejected Properly - seem to be always related to the unpowered hub SSD drives.

An important distinction:

At least two SSDs report approximately 896 mA required against the hub’s 900 mA available.

  • so for me, it seems that the big issue here is using an unpowered hub along with several external SSDs that require a large amount of power compared to what is available

  • also, The powered hub has never experienced this error as far as I know.

SO - for me, my resolution is to stop using the unpowered hub and replace it with a powered hub going forward.

I am not sure, but I am hopeful that this will help fix this issue.

  • In addition, possibly related to this I had several external SSD’s go bad, and at today’s prices that is quite disturbing.

The good news is, I believe I was able to reformat the drives APFS - and I am hopeful that this will help keep the drive going – and also I am hopeful there was no hardware corruption during this issue. Keeping my fingers crossed…

Just passing this along, hoping it helps.

Dave

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Recent update: I have removed the unpowered hub and my problems have been greatly reduced. However, I did have one external SSD plugged in directly to the MacBook Pro and I did notice after waking from sleep - I did get the same message Disk Not Ejected Properly. The computer was plugged into power at the time.

So I guess I’m still curious why this keeps happening and I’m wondering if it is related to waking from sleep or something else?