Unable to see TB3 external drive on 2018 MBP

[MikeFromMesa]

This seems like a very strange problem, but is a bit complex so let me explain.

I just purchased a new 15" 2018 MacBook Pro (2.9GHz i9, 32GB RAM) running High Sierra. The OS has been updated to the latest version and I set it up yesterday to use as a desktop in clamshell mode. After setting it up I connected a new TB external ssd (HP P800, 256GB) to use to store digital images, but could not see the drive. I tried all of the TB3 ports on the MBP but saw nothing. I then tried using the HyperDrive dongle but, again, saw nothing.

I assumed I had a bad drive and prepared to return it for a new one when I decided to try it on my wife's 15" 2017 MacBook Pro (2.8GHz, 16GB RAM), also running High Sierra. When I plugged in the drive it popped up immediately on that MBP. I checked to make sure the format was OK (it came as an ExFAT drive), I formatted it as HFS+ and tried again to plug it into the 2018 MBP but, again, with no success. I then reformatted it on the 2017 MBP back to its original ExFAT format and called Apple Care.

They did what they could, checking settings on the machine, but they had no luck either and suggested that I take the drive to the local Apple Store to plug it into one of their MBPs just to see if it get recognized there, but the local Apple Store is not going to let me just walk into the store and plug an unknown drive into one of their display models, properly so since they have no idea what might be on the drive. I will try, but I know what they are going to tell me.

I have looked for new firmware for the drive, but had no success. Can anyone suggest anything that might help? I can return the drive to Amazon since it does not work on my 2018 MBP, but that seems odd since it does work on the 2017 MBP. I asked the Apple folks if there had been any OS change between the 2017 and 2018 models that might cause this, but Apple told me no, so I am at a loss to understand how or why this might be happening.

If there is some issue with my new MBP I need to get it fixed replaced, fixed being my preferred option. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate hearing about them.

UPDATE:

One other thing that might be important. The drive that I got was not sealed and did not contain any paper manual or documentation at all. I wonder if I got a drive that someone else returned, perhaps for the exact same reason, but that implies that it is the drive and not the MBP and does not answer the question as to why it is visible on the 2017 MBP but not on the 2018 MBP.

 

[lclev]

Does the 2018 MBP mount any other external drives? Or is it just the HP drive that will not mount?

Also have you tried plugging it in to the 2018 MBP and seeing if Disk Utility "sees" it? If it does you might see if you can mount it there - just to do some troubleshooting. And if it is visible there you can run first aid.

It is very strange that other macs will mount it but your new very nice MBP will not. It is also strange it did not come in a box with paperwork as HP will sent warrantee papers with there stuff. Unless you purchased a returned item I would find it strange it had none of the packaging and I would question that. It also means you might not be able to register it for a warrantee with HP

Lisa

 

[chscag]

Take the drive back Mike. I find it strange that #1 the drive came without paperwork, and #2 that it was formatted as exFAT. It should have come from the factory formatted as NTFS not exFAT. No manufacturer that I know of ships a new drive, SSD or HDD formatted as exFAT. If you're looking for a good external SSD, I recommend Crucial.

Let us know.

 

[MikeFromMesa]

@lclev

> Does the 2018 MBP mount any other external drives?

Yes, and without any problem. I have a standard 500GB ssd mounted in a UASP compliant enclosure that I have been using to store my digital photos, and that drive mounts properly. I can see and access my camera flash drive in a card reader and the wifi mouse transmitter, all in an external usb-3 hub, attached via an adapter cable, but not the TB3 ssd.

> Also have you tried plugging it in to the 2018 MBP and seeing if Disk Utility "sees" it?

Yes. That was the first thing I did after trying all of the ports. I can not see the drive in Disk Utility either.

@chscag

> Take the drive back Mike.

I plan to do exactly that. Well, actually, to box it up and send it back to Amazon.

Today has been a pretty interesting day. One of the things the Apple Care people suggested was to take the drive into the "local" Apple Store and see if it mounts on their 2018 MacBook Pro. I thought that was a good idea, but unrealistic as I did not believe that the Apple folks at the store would just let me walk in and try to attach the drive to one of their laptops, but I gave it a try. I told the "can I help you" guy in the store that Apple Care had told me to try to read the drive on their machine after telling them this sad story about the 2017 and 2018 laptops. He went and got one of the tech guys who said that he had never actually seen a TB3 ssd and wanted to see what one looked like.

I brought the drive and both laptops in with me and showed them that it would not mount on the 2018 MBP but would on the 2017 MBP and then they tried to mount the drive on their machine and had the same result that I did - it would not mount. The tech guy then reformatted the drive to HFS+ and tried again, although I told him that I had already tried that, and again the drive failed to mount. He then suggested that the only thing he could think of was that there had either been some hardware change for firmware change between the 2017 and 2018 models, and I would agree with that.

I will send this back with the only question whether I want to ask for a new one (perhaps with later firmware?) or ask for my money back. The only TB3 ssds that I have seen for sale are copies of this one, but with different brand names, and I suspect they will all suffer from the same issue. I may call HP (assuming I can get through to them) on Monday to see about a firmware upgrade, but I will return this drive.

> If you're looking for a good external SSD, I recommend Crucial.

Thanks, but the problem is not that I do not have a decent external ssd - I actually have 3. One is 128GB that I have been taking with me when I travel, another is 256GB which I use for CCC backups and boots and the last one is the 500GB ssd. All are reasonably fast, given that they are limited to usb-3 speeds and the UASP enclosure gives me faster speeds by compressing, but that advantage only lasts for short bursts. I would like a TB3 external drive. I did testing using the 2-17 MBP and BlackMagic and got pretty good speeds (2400 read/1200 write) and those are easily 3-4 times the speed of the best usb-3 speeds, but I think it is too early to get a working TB3 ssd. The Apple Store did not even have one in stock. They had some TB3 disk enclosures and some usb-3 ssds, but no TB3 external ssds, so if the Apple Store does not have them I do not know where to find them.