Secure external SSD

[M915 Driver]

Hello

I have a late 2020 MacBook Pro with macOS 14.5.
I am trying to do a secure erase of a SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD. I erased the drive to APFS encrypted. The disk does, in fact, show as encrypted in Disk Utilities. When I use DU to erase the disk and change the format to APFS, it does not ask for a password. The disk DOES change the format and does not encrypt the drive per DU. This is exactly the way I want the disk is APFS with no encryption.
I have done this process before and Disk Utilities has asked for the encrypt password before letting me erase the encrypted disk.
Has something changed? Am I doing something wrong??
Thank you for any responses!!

Ken

 

[MacInWin]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. You want the drive to be APFS, unencrypted. You say it's APFS, unencrypted. But you also said it shows as encrypted, so which is it?

If it's unencrypted, what is the issue?

Did you erase/format the drive at Hardware level? Container? Volume?

 

[IWT]

The disk does, in fact, show as encrypted in Disk Utilities. When I use DU to erase the disk and change the format to APFS, it does not ask for a password. The disk DOES change the format and does not encrypt the drive per DU. This is exactly the way I want the disk is APFS with no encryption.

That is how it works.

You used DU; it erased the Disk; changed the Format to APFS without encryption which is "exactly the way you wanted it".

So, bear with me; but what's the problem, please.

Maybe, or maybe not: is your question simply that you could erase the original APFS encrypted without being asked for a Password?

Ian

 

[M915 Driver]

That is how it works.

You used DU; it erased the Disk; changed the Format to APFS without encryption which is "exactly the way you wanted it".

So, bear with me; but what's the problem, please.

Maybe, or maybe not: is your question simply that you could erase the original APFS encrypted without being asked for a Password?

Ian

 

[M915 Driver]

Thank you for the responses.

This is what I did
Erase / format & SanDisk Extreme to APFS encrypted set password
Disk Utility now shows the drive as APFS encrypted
Erase / format the disk to APFS not encrypted
At this point in the past I have asked for the encrypted password.
I was not asked for a password, but the erase / format did complete
DU shows the disk as a
USB External Physical Disk • GUID Partition Map not encrypted

Thank you
Ken

 

[M915 Driver]

Thank you for the responses.

This is what I did
Erase / format & SanDisk Extreme to APFS encrypted set password
Disk Utility now shows the drive as APFS encrypted
Erase / format the disk to APFS not encrypted
At this point in the past I have asked for the encrypted password.
I was not asked for a password, but the erase / format did complete
DU shows the disk as a
USB External Physical Disk • GUID Partition Map not encrypted

Thank you
Ken

View attachment 39493

 

[IWT]

Okay, Ken. So your question? Is it that you created an APFS with encryption the re-formatted the Drive and are puzzled why you were not asked for that password?

Ian

 

[Jimmysb]

Okay, Ken. So your question? Is it that you created an APFS with encryption the re-formatted the Drive and are puzzled why you were not asked for that password?

Ian

An empty drive with no information on it, so nothing encrypted.

 

[IWT]

I agree, Jim B.

Ian

 

[M915 Driver]

Thank you all for your responses.
I have tried all the suggestions, but the result is always the same. I am never asked for the password I entered when I encrypted the disk.
I copied 234 gb to the encrypted drive then used DU to erase the drive to
APFS. The erase completed without a password.
am going to assume the disk is unencrypted, and now and full of unreadable nonsense.
Again thank you!
Ken

 

[ferrarr]

I am never asked for the password I entered when I encrypted the disk.

Then most likely you selected to save the password in keychain.

 

[Rod]

I have noted and read a few articles about problems the SanDisk Extreme 2 and 4TB portable SSDs. As I just purchased one naturally I was interested. Here is one from ArsTechnica; SanDisk Extreme SSDs keep abruptly failing—firmware fix for only some promised
As this was written in 2023 I thought I would check if the promised firmware updates had eventuated give that the article and others suggested Western Digital were not very responsive.
It turns out there is a page for effected users to check the need for and download if required the firmware update here; Firmware Updates for SanDisk & WD Portable SSDs
I plugged in my serial number and OS and was informed "Your product has not been impacted."
others might want to check their SSD in particular the 4TB model.