External SSD Disconnects Repeatedly Mac Mini M1 (Big Sur)

Switched to a Thunderbolt 3 USB C to USB C direct connection to my Mac.  So far, no problems after 1 week of usage.  Using my SSD as my Time Machine.

I went to a Thunderbolt 3 Cable (40Gbps). Fixed my SSD problem, and got a speed boost. Bit price ($23). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099DZ4YS5?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

One thing to check, especially if this occurs during otherwise idle periods, is the power save settings that allow to put drives to sleep when possible. I disable that when my computer is powered up.

The issues I’ve found are when the SSD is in use for transfers of anywhere from 100GB to over 1TB.

I had similar issues with my MBA M1. I went through several drives/enclosures before I got a reliable system. The M1 Macs are very touchy. This applies to both TB drives and USB drives. I finally ended up with a WD NVME drive in a Trebleet enclosure and have no more issues. I have no issues with my Intel mac, just the M1 version. I hope Apple can address this issue in the future.

Same: 2020 MacBook Air Monterey. What I noticed was the external drive would work fine with small files. When I tried to work on a larger file like an iMovie backed up on the portable, it would auto eject with the warning. I just purchased the Samsung T7 SSD 1TB and I have not had any problems. I am able to work on iMovies directly off the SDD (Almost with no lag). I'm thinking the issue of external drive ejecting lies with the drive not being fast enough..... IDK. I was perviously using a WD 2TB for Mac. It didn't work. I'm happy now!

FWIW, I'd been having this issue since updating to Catalina (where I still am), but I bought a new Thunderbolt 3 cable, Sabrent brand, and have not had a single disconnect since.

This is quite strange considering that the two cables I'd been using with my external SSD worked fine under Mojave and prior.

But a fix is a fix. If it means I'm not spending 10 minutes of composing time trying to get my SSD connected, I'll take it.

Try purchasing a good quality TB3 cable. That fixed it for me.

I realize that it’s bizarre; really doesn’t make any sense at all: I had been using two other thunderbolt 3 cables (the ones bundled with my enclosure) with my external SSD for 2 years with no issue, and then I upgraded to Catalina and started having these random disconnects. The new cable has fixed it. I’ve had it for about a month and zero disconnects. It was about an eight dollar fix, if I remember the cable price correctly.

Just an update on my experience. Using OWC hubs and enclosures, I have had zero problems. It was largely the Trebleet enclosures that were just awful.

I use a USB-A cable now, with a USB-C to USB-A adapter... it's a little bit slower, almost nothing, but it works. It doesn't disconnect anymore.

Changing cables and hubs is not the solution to the problem, I guarantee the issues will return.

Its clearly a OS/hardware issue. Again we all need to call apple support and hit them on social.

Same (similar?) problem here.

MacBook Pro 13" M1 16/512.

WD Blue SN550 1TB High-Performance M.2 PCIe NVME SSD

in

LEMORELE M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure USB C External PCIe B+M/M-Key SSD Caddy 10Gbp UASP USB 3.1 Gen 2 M2 Reader

Attempt to (Finder) move ~ 227GB from internal SSD to External gives consistent failures (disk not ejected properly - though sometimes disk still mounted!)

I appear to be having success in moving the data using rsync instead of Finder !!!??? (move still in progress...)

If you haven't already, you might also update your Mini to Big Sur 11.5.2 as Apple may have fixed this by now, though I can't verify it because I don't have the mini directly in my possession today. I'll try to test it in a couple of days though.

UPDATE: Buffalo provided M1 specific drivers for their SSDs. They still provide the old ones - the installer for new drivers works only on M1 and it is possible to come back. The update does not cause loss of data.

The SSD with M1 drivers work both on M1 mac and iPad without issues, but the performance is abysmal.

The speed of 1.9TB SSD is about half what it used to be, and the 960GB model bought a year before has something like 30MB/s. Yes, thirty, not three hundred. I did not use the word abysmal at random.... But they work, I can access the data.

No wonder the update to M1 drivers is not recommended...

Avoid hubs for external drives and direct connect as many of them as possible. Also disable Sleep, it’s unnecessary on later Macs, all pain, no gain. Shut for long absences i.e. > 2 hours. To disable, check “Prevent…” in Energy Preferences and uncheck everything else. You can leave the display off time as is, unrelated to Sleep.