External SSD drive won't mount, help!

[RVC1]

I have an external (portable) 1TB SSD drive. Was mounting fine, then I connected it to my Airport Extreme to try to access music from it over the WiFi (unsuccessfully). After disconnecting it, I'm unable to connect it to my computer. I plug it into the USB 3 port and the blue light holds steady for a second, then goes to blinking indefinitely. It doesn't show up in Disk Utility.

Do you think it's unrelated or do you think it can be the Airport?

 

[Rod]

Open Disk Utility, it's in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder and see if it appears in the side menu when plugged in.
If not it has been seriously damaged (corrupted) somehow in the process of plugging into and attempting to access via the Airport.
If it appears as a drive but the volume (whatever you called it) is greyed out it may be possible to repair with First Aid. If not it may be possible to create a new volume on the drive but that will erase all content.
Let us know if it shows.

 

[RVC1]

Thanks for the reply. As I stated, it doesn't show up in Disk Utility. Seems to be unable to mount at all.

So I'll need to reformat then huh? How can I if it doesn't show up?

 

[chscag]

So I'll need to reformat then huh? How can I if it doesn't show up?

You won't be able to do anything with it if it does not mount or can't be seen at all. Which SSD do you have? It may be that the enclosure it's in is defective and the SSD itself is ok. I don't think attaching it to your Airport Extreme had anything to do with its failing to mount. If only the enclosure is defective, you may be able to remove the SSD from it and place it in another enclosure.

 

[Rod]

Sorry I missed your last sentence about trying Disk Utility. There is another possibility you might like to try. I'm not sure how it was formatted but occasionally connecting a USB HD to a Windows PC will allow it to mount especially if it was formatted for windows.
Your only other chance would be Disk Drill or similar data repair app.

 

[ferrarr]

Have you restarted your Mac?

Did you “unmount” the drive before unplugging it?

What is on the drive? Just files, TM backup, or another macOS version?

Did you format it when you pulled it out of the box, or did you just start using it?

 

[RVC1]

It's a Crucial MX 200 in a NextStar CX case. Yeah, maybe it's the case. I don't have another to try that so I'll have to wait till I can get one. I was intending on using the disk for a trip but doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

The drive is just files, storage, no OS. I formatted it myself and then loaded it with stuff.

It's weird, I know it sounds weird that it would be the Airport, but I copied a bunch or music to it, connected it to the Airport, then it wouldn't mount after that. It was working before that.

 

[ferrarr]

Did you format/partition the drive as Mac OS Extended, or APFS?

 

[RVC1]

Extended.