Thank you again for your help. Through this process of plugging and unplugging, I believe that I figured out what was going wrong, and it relates to the cable. Despite the external portable SSD being USB-C (with a USB-A / USB3 adapter), it appears that it only connects to that adapter in one orientation! There are small nubs on the adapter that fit in corresponding cutouts on the USB-C end - but which are only on one side of that connector. They're visibile in this high-res picture, which depicts a newer version of what I'm using, but mine fits the same way:
![Image]()
The numbs on the adapter are easy to see in that picture; the cutouts on the cable are not.
I am 57 and do not have very good vision. It's corrected, but I have to wear readers with contacts, and this morning I have had on my progressive lenses. I simply missed this (and wasn't expecting the adapter to be directional as far as the USB-C end, since that's usually a symmetric oval connector).
By rotating the adapter 180 degrees, I found that I was able to seat it on the USB-C end 1-2mm further in than previously. The SSD booted the Pi 5 fine after that.
The numbs on the adapter are easy to see in that picture; the cutouts on the cable are not.
I am 57 and do not have very good vision. It's corrected, but I have to wear readers with contacts, and this morning I have had on my progressive lenses. I simply missed this (and wasn't expecting the adapter to be directional as far as the USB-C end, since that's usually a symmetric oval connector).
By rotating the adapter 180 degrees, I found that I was able to seat it on the USB-C end 1-2mm further in than previously. The SSD booted the Pi 5 fine after that.
Statistics: Posted by cspan — Thu Dec 19, 2024 7:01 pm