I have a 2016 MacBook with one USB-C port (5 Gb/s). Wanting to install Catalina 19A573a to external SSD - Samsung T5 500 GB.
I can install to the external SSD and it works well so long as the SSD is connected directly to the USB-C port. This means running on battery power only.
The problems are when I connect the SSD via the USB-A port on an Apple adapter (A1621) which allows operation with power connected. Whatever I do the MacBook hangs (freezes) after a some minutes of operation with Catalina. This includes hangs:
1. During clean install interaction setting up the computer. Repeated restarts gets through the install.
2. Within a few minutes of booting of booting Catalina prepared as in case 1 above.
3. Within a few minutes of booting from the SSD where the SSD has had a clean install when connected directly to the the USB-C port.
4. Within a few minutes of booting from the SSD where this has been cloned from the internal drive.
The hangs seem to be random and are not following a specific action on my part.
In all cases reconnecting the SSD directly to the USB-C port results in a clean stable boot.
There are no issues with Mojave on the external SSD. So I am tentatively excluding hardware issues with the Samsung SSD, USB adapter or cables.
Has anyone else seen this? And with other SSDs?
Might it be a consequence of the split system disk?
I can install to the external SSD and it works well so long as the SSD is connected directly to the USB-C port. This means running on battery power only.
The problems are when I connect the SSD via the USB-A port on an Apple adapter (A1621) which allows operation with power connected. Whatever I do the MacBook hangs (freezes) after a some minutes of operation with Catalina. This includes hangs:
1. During clean install interaction setting up the computer. Repeated restarts gets through the install.
2. Within a few minutes of booting of booting Catalina prepared as in case 1 above.
3. Within a few minutes of booting from the SSD where the SSD has had a clean install when connected directly to the the USB-C port.
4. Within a few minutes of booting from the SSD where this has been cloned from the internal drive.
The hangs seem to be random and are not following a specific action on my part.
In all cases reconnecting the SSD directly to the USB-C port results in a clean stable boot.
There are no issues with Mojave on the external SSD. So I am tentatively excluding hardware issues with the Samsung SSD, USB adapter or cables.
Has anyone else seen this? And with other SSDs?
Might it be a consequence of the split system disk?
