SOLVED - Kingston KC3000 nVMe M2 SSD USB drive not mounting......

[tenfoot]

Linux Mint v21.1 on Lenovo Thinkpad T450s

The T450s has 3 x USB ports and the following devices attached to them

1 x WD 1 TB external USB Drive
1 x 500 MB Kingston KC300 NvMe M2 SSD in an Enclosure
1 x USB 4 port hub for other devices, i.e. wireless units for mouse/keyboard and USB thumb drives.

All has worked we until yesterday when the Kingston SSD did not mount on boot but all other devices did.

I tried the Kingston in each of the 3 USB ports, without success. As the drive indicator light did not appear, it seems as if power is not getting to the drive for some reason.

Searching on the internet for help suggested entering the following terminal commands: lusb, blkid, and running gParted. None of those showed the device.

I have connected the other devices to each of the 3 USB drives in turn, and they have mounted successfully. Repeated the exercise by connecting via the USB 4 port accessory and had no problems.

Connected the drive to the USB port on my wife's T550, and it mounted without any problem.

So, the question is, what else can I do to solve this problem. There is probably a simple solution which my brain has yet to recognise, but I've no idea what it is and seek the advice of those more knowledgeable, please?

[deck_luck]

...
All has worked we until yesterday when the Kingston SSD did not mount on boot but all other devices did.

I tried the Kingston in each of the 3 USB ports, without success. As the drive indicator light did not appear, it seems as if power is not getting to the drive for some reason.
...

If the external USB Kingston SSD works on your wife computer, it seem to be functioning. Did you use the same external USB cable?

On your computer did the Linux Mint Update Manager install any new patches like maybe a new kernel? The new kernel would take effect on the subsequent boot. In the Update Manager, you can click View->History of Updates to review the recent patches. Also, View->Linux Kernel to see the existing active or installed kernels. If you find a recent kernel update, you can reboot use the Advanced options to boot the previous kernel.

For troubleshooting open a bash command line in a terminal and run the tail -f /var/log/syslog command. Connect the USB Kingston SSD and watch the /var/log/syslog output.

[tenfoot]

...
All has worked we until yesterday when the Kingston SSD did not mount on boot but all other devices did.

I tried the Kingston in each of the 3 USB ports, without success. As the drive indicator light did not appear, it seems as if power is not getting to the drive for some reason.
...

Thank you for your quick response.

If the external USB Kingston SSD works on your wife computer, it seem to be functioning. Did you use the same external USB cable?

Yes

On your computer, did the Linux Mint Update Manager install any new patches like maybe a new kernel? The new kernel would take effect on the subsequent boot. In the Update Manager, you can click View->History of Updates to review the recent patches. Also, View->Linux Kernel to see the existing active or installed kernels. If you find a recent kernel update, you can reboot use the Advanced options to boot the previous kernel.

The drive was recognised when I closed down the computer for the night and there were no Updates on Boot up in the morning. Both the T450s and T5550 are using Linux Kernel v5.15.07

For troubleshooting open a bash command line in a terminal and run the tail -f /var/log/syslog command. Connect the USB Kingston SSD and watch the /var/log/syslog output.

Earlier today I connected the Kingston KC3000 and it displayed the files, and I'm reluctant to unmount it until I close down this evening as I need access to it. So your last suggestion has been put on hold until I start the computer in the morning. I'll report on the state of affairs shortly after I do so. I did run gParted and the drive shows as /dev/sde

Sometimes I feel I should keep strictly to paper and ink.

[tenfoot]

The Kingston KC3000 mounted successfully on boot up this morning, and I am able to access all the files. However, I will not mark this as solved until another 7 successful boots, just in case the glitch returns.

Thank you, deck_luck for your suggestions.

[tenfoot]

Much to my surprise, the Kingston KC3000 USB drive continues to mount successfully on boot, so I have marked the subject as solved.

[deck_luck]

You might want to examine your USB ports using a flash light and a magnifying glass. A small object might be lodged in the connector resulting in an intermittent contact. Also, you should examine the cable ends.

[tenfoot]

This is an update.

I took on board the many suggestions made by members and, amongst other things, tried mounting the drive in the USB connections of three other computers, excluding my T450s. Initially, it was a "hit-and-miss" affair: sometimes it worked and others it didn't. In the end, it was a failure every time.

'The matter is now in the hands of the vendor, who has contacted their supplier and have promised to report back.