Your computer or device may not recognize your T5 Portable Solid State Drive, T7 Portable Solid State Drive and T7 Portable Solid State Drive.
If you are having issues with our external Samsung SSD not properly being detected on your PC, Mac and/or other devices, then you can check out this troubleshooting tutorial from Seeking Tech.
Before we start, we should note that this guide will cover all capacity versions of the Samsung T5, T7 and T7 Touch. The list should include the following model numbers:
- MU-PA250B
- MU-PA500B
- MU-PA1T0B
- MU-PA2T0B
- MU-PC500R
- MU-PC500H
- MU-PC500T
- MU-PC1T0R
- MU-PC1T0H
- MU-PC1T0T
- MU-PC2T0R
- MU-PC2T0H
- MU-PC2T0T
- MU-PC500
- MU-PC500S
- MU-PC1T0
- MU-PC1T0S
- MU-PC2T0
- MU-PC2T0S
Using Correct File Format for T5, T7 and T7 Touch
The first step we recommend taking is to check the file format of your Samsung T5, T7 or T7 Touch.
Be default, the T5, T7 and T7 Touch SSDs are pre-formatted using the exFAT file system. This format is recognized by Mac and Windows operating systems for reading and writing data.
If you changed the file system to NTFS, then your Windows device should still be able to read and write data. For Mac, you can only read off of your external drive for NTFS.
For the HFS file system, Windows will not be able to recognize your SSD. For Mac, you can read and write data with HFS.
So, for best compatibility across multiple devices, we recommend using the exFAT format for your Samsung T5 Portable SSD, Samsung T7 Portable SSD or Samsung T7 Portable SSD.
Check Your USB connections
The next step we recommend taking is to check your USB connections.
Make sure that the USB connectors and ports aren’t dirty. You should also check to see if the cables to fully connected.
Furthermore, you can try using different cables. We recommend using the USB cables that came with your external drive as other cables could lead to compatibility issues.
It is also important to note that the connected device may not be able to detect your T5, T7 or T7 Touch if you are using an USB 2.0 port and the electrical current exceeds the 500 mA maximum limit.
How to fix “No Samsung Portable SSD is connected” error on Mac
If you see the “No Samsung Portable SSD is connected” error message when using the Samsung Portable SSD software on a Mac, then it is due to a security feature that was introduced in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.
This feature basically requires your approvals for installations of third-party software that aren’t directly distributed by Apple.
To fix this issue, close the Samsung Portable SSD Software. Afterwards, select “Security & Privacy” from the “System Preferences” menu. Locate the “System software from developer Samsung Electronics was blocked from loading” message and then click the “Allow” option.
Disconnect and then reconnect your T5, T7 or T7 Touch and then open the Samsung Portable SSD Software.
How to fix detection issues with T5, T7 or T7 Touch on M1 and macOS Big Sur
If your new Mac, which comes equipped the Apple M1 chip and macOS Big Sur, is having issues detecting your T5, T7 or T7 or T7 Touch, then it is likely due to same aforementioned policy where a user approval is required for installing third-party software that aren’t directly distributed by Apple.
To resolve this issue on your Mac, you need to go to Utilities and then Startup Security Utility. Afterwards, you need to select “Security Policy” and then “Reduced Security.” Here, you need to make sure that the box is checked for “Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.”
After checking the aforementioned box, restart your Mac.
Download and then install “Portable SSD Software 1.0 for Mac (The macOS Big Sur user’s only)” from the Samsung official website. Make sure that you are downloading the right version of the program as there are multiple versions.
How to resolve conflicts between Samsung Portable SSD Driver and SAT SMART Driver
If you are using your T5, T7 or T7 Touch on a mac OS X that has the SAT SMART Driver, then you may run into issues with your SSD not showing up in some products.
To resolve this issue, you need to delete the Samsung Portable SSD Driver. To do so, first disconnect your solid state drive from your Mac.
Next, you need to use osascript with the CleanupAll.scpt file located in the directory of the Samsung Portable SSD software (which you can find at Home > Library > Application Support > PortableSSD).
Keep in mind that, by removing the Samsung Portable SSD Driver, you won’t be able to use the security mode of your T5, T7 or T7 Touch.
Game Consoles
If your PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Seies S and/or Xbox Series X don’t recognize the external Samsung SSD, then you need to disable the security mode on your drive. This is because the security mode will require a password in order to unlock the solid state drive.
To see how you can remove password protection, you can check out this tutorial.
Contacting Samsung
If the connected device still can’t find your SSD even after you follow all of the aforementioned potential fixes, and you are still under warranty, then we recommend contacting Samsung support as you may have a defective storage drive.