External Drives: Daisy Chains and Bus Power
We often are asked if it is possible to daisy-chain multiple drives
and have all of them draw power from the main system bus. The short
answer is no.
Once you begin daisy chaining hard drives or SSDs, each drive in the
chain will need a dedicated power ...
Mercury Elite Pro Dual (Thunderbolt): No Power Switch
For this enclosure, the Thunderbolt connection itself effectively acts
as a power switch. Even if the power supply is plugged into the drive,
if there is no active data connection between the host computer and
the Elite Pro Dual, the enclosure will remain...
Thunderbolt: 1 Port on Bus-powered Devices
All bus-powered Thunderbolt devices on the market (from any
manufacturer) have only one Thunderbolt port, no passthrough port.
Part of Thunderbolt's spec is that any Thunderbolt port must be able
to provide the required 10W of power to any downstream de...
Mercury Helios (TB2): Available PCIe Power
The Mercury Helios PCIe enclosure (Thunderbolt 2, single slot) will
provide up to 25W of power to the installed card.
...
RAID: Should I Replace a Failed Drive?
Note: this topic does not deal with data parity, mirroring or other
back-up related technologies.
In most situations, when you have a failed drive in a RAID enclosure,
you should remove the failed drive immediately from the RAID and
replace it.
Not re...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Supported Resolutions (HDMI)
The computer itself and not the dock will usually be the
“limiting” factor for what resolutions are supported. The OWC
Thunderbolt 2 Dock has a HDMI 1.4b port which allows resolution
support up to 4k. All Macs that are capable of running a 4k display
are ...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Switched Audio Channels
It has been confirmed that the audio channels for the headphone jack
(Audio Out) on the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock, are flipped. That is, the
signal for the left channel will play through the right output and
vice-versa. Future shipments will include a fix fo...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Replacement Power Supply
PART NUMBER:
OWCTB2DOCK12P
The power supply found
here http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TBDTB4MPWR/
[http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TBDTB4MPWR/] will work with the
Thunderbolt 2 Dock, as well as the Thunderbay 4 mini and the Mercury
Elite Pr...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Ethernet Port Setup
To set up an ethernet connection through the OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock,
please follow the instructions below. NOTE: these instructions do not
cover the setup or troubleshooting for network connections, only the
steps for allowing your dock's ethernet port to...
Thunderbolt Docks (2 & 3): Audio Distortion and Pre-amplification
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
OWCTB2DOCK12P
OWCTB3DK13PSL
OWCTB3DK13PSG
Please note that when using the Thunderbolt 3 Dock for playback
through the headphone / speaker jack, the signal will be
pre-amplified. Many types of computer speakers and headphones...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Scratch-resistant Cover & Protective Film
ISSUE: OWC Docks ship with a thin film of protective plastic on its
scratch-resistant cover. The plastic film is there to prevent cosmetic
damage during packing and shipment. If left intact the film can become
scratched after some use, giving the impress...
ThunderBay 4 mini: Power Draw
In limited testing, the OWC ThunderBay 4 mini was found to draw power
within the ranges shown below. Examples for both hard drives and
SSDs are provided. Please note that within each category, the amount
of power drawn will vary slightly based on drive ma...
ThunderBay 4: Power Draw
The OWC ThunderBay 4 enclosure is rated to supply up to
150 watts of power in total when four drives are installed, however
in limited testing power draw rarely exceeds 80 watts....
Thunderbolt Docks: Power by Port Type
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB2DOCK12P
* OWCTB3DK13PSG
* OWCTB3DK13PSL
* OWCTB3DK12PSG
* OWCTB3DK12PSL
* OWCTB3DK14PSG
* OWCTB3DK14PSL
THUNDERBOLT 2 DOCK
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (rear ports): 4.5W
USB 3.1 Gen 1 High Power (side port): 7.5W
Fir...
OWC Drive Dock: USB Hot-swap Limitation
AFFECTED PART NUMBERS: OWCTB2U3DKR2
When connected via Thunderbolt, you can power each drive bay on and
off independently (and swap out either of the drives) without
affecting the other drive. When connected via USB, it is possible to
unmount either dr...
Thunderbolt 2 Dock: Siri Microphone Input
When you connect the Thunderbolt 2 Dock to a Mac running OS 10.12,
Siri's default microphone input may automatically switch from the
'Internal Microphone' setting to 'USB audio CODEC.' If you do not have
a microphone connected to the dock, you need to swi...
Thunderbolt Docks (2 & 3): Driver Location
The Thunderbolt 2 Dock and Thunderbolt 3 Dock now use the same driver.
The current driver provides support the same set of devices as the
previous Thunderbolt 2 Dock driver. Originally, the driver was named
OWCThunderbolt2DockChargingSupport.kext. The n...
Carbonite: Thunderbolt™ Compatibility
At the time of this writing, based on information provided to us by
Carbonite, we can confirm that their online data backup services do
not support storage devices connected via Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 2,
or Thunderbolt 3. Additionally, wireless storage ...
Thunderbolt 3 Dock: Host Charging (USB Power Delivery)
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB3DK13PSG
* OWCTB3DK13PSL
* OWCTB3DK12PSG
* OWCTB3DK12PSL
* OWCTB3DK14PSG
* OWCTB3DK14PSL
The Thunderbolt 3 Dock is capable of delivering between 60 and 85W of
power to charge the battery in laptop host computer...
Thunderbolt 3 Dock: S/PDIF Audio
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
OWCTB3DK13PSL, OWCTB3DK13PSG
Please note that S/PDIF is output-only. The S/PDIF connection in the
Thunderbolt 3 Dock is driven by a CMedia CM6533N chipset.
This chipset provides the following capabilities over S/PDIF:
...
Thunderbolt 3 Dock: Apple USB Super Drive
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB3DK13PSG
* OWCTB3DK13PSL
* OWCTB3DK12PSG
* OWCTB3DK12PSL
* OWCTB3DK14PSG
* OWCTB3DK14PSL
* OWCTB3PRODCK
Please note that in order to use the Apple USB Super Drive with a OWC
Thunderbolt 3 Dock or the Thun...
Thunderbolt 3 Cables: USB Error Message
When customers plug their Thunderbolt 3 cable (any brand) into a host
and device, they may see this error message:
"USB Accessories Disabled
Unplug the accessory using too much power to re-enable USB devices."
The best resolution is to try another...
USB-C Travel Dock: 4K HDMI Display Behavior (ASUS)
In rare cases, customers using a 4K HDMI ASUS display with the USB-C
Travel Dock MAY experience an issue where video playback is not
perfectly smooth or as smooth as it is at lower resolutions. This
happens only under the conditions noted below. Even then...
ThunderBay 4: Incompatible 2.5 inch SSDs
Please note that all ThunderBay 4 with Thunderbolt 3 units purchased
prior to October 29, 2018, are incompatible with the SSD models shown
below. This issue does not impact the ThunderBay 4 with Thunderbolt 2.
IF YOU PURCHASED THE PRODUCT BETWEEN 10/29/...
OWC ThunderBlade: Windows Unmount Behavior
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB3TBV4T1.0
* OWCTB3TBV4T2.0
* OWCTB3TBV4T4.0
* OWCTB3TBV4T8.0
Please be aware that due to circumstances beyond OWC's control, when
the ThunderBlade volume is ejected or unmounted from Windows 10, there
can be a subs...
OWC ThunderBlade: Thermal Requirements
* Please note that demanding use-cases can cause the ThunderBlade
to heat up. This is expected; the case is designed to act as a
radiator, drawing heat away from the internal components. For this
reason, please avoid stacking two or more ThunderBlades to...
OWC Express 4M2: Drive Compatibility
OVERVIEW
The Express 4M2 enclosure only works with NVMe (PCIe 3.0) SSDs. SATA
M.2 drives will not function if installed.
Note that you cannot distinguish an NVMe M.2 drive from a SATA-based
drive just by looking at the M.2 connector key. Both types of...
OWC Drive Dock (All): Toshiba HDD Sleep Issue
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB2U3DKR2
* OWCU3DRVDCK2
* OWCTCDRVDCK
Please be aware that if you are booting from certain Toshiba 3.5 inch
HDDs you may not be able to use the Mac operating systems' sleep modes
as expected. In some cases the sys...
ThunderBay (Thunderbolt 3 Models): Drive Sleep Issue
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
* OWCTB36LRTxxx
* OWCTB36SRTxxx
* OWCTB36LRKIT0
* OWCTB36SRKIT0
* OWCTB3SRTxxxx
* OWCTB3IVTxxxx
* OWCTB3SRKIT0GB
* OWCTB3IVKIT0GB
Please note that we have recently verified an issue that may impact
your Thunde...
Thunderbolt 3 Dual Display Adapters: Notes and Recommendations
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
OWCTB3ADP2DP
OWCTB3ADP2HDMI
Please note the following when using either of the OWC Thunderbolt 3
display adapters:
* Using cheap or inexpensive cables can result in a flickering or
poor performance with the connected dis...
OWC Expansion Docks: Driver Security Warning Mac
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS:
OWCTB2DOCK12P
OWCTB3DK13PSL
OWCTB3DK13PSG
OWCTB3DK14PSL
OWCTB3DK14PSG
OWCTCDK10PMDSG
OWCTCDK10PMDSL
OWCTCDK10PMDRG
OWCTCDK10PMDGD
OWCTCDK10PMHSG
OWCTCDK10PMHSL
OWCTCDK10PMHRG
OWCTCDK10PMHGD
OWCTCDOCK11PSG
OWCTCDOCK11PSL...
Mercury Helios FX (all): LED, Fan Behavior During Sleep
PART NUMBERS:
* OWCHELIOSFX650
* OWCHELIOSFX
* OWCHELFX6RX580
* OWCHELFXRX580
Please note that when setting your Mac or PC to sleep while the Helios
FX series device is connected, the behavior for each system is
slightly different. When a conne...
USB-C, Thunderbolt Explained
The following articles have been posted on the Rocket Yard blog, to
help understand the similarities and differences between USB-C and
Thunderbolt 3, as well as new Thunderbolt 4 information.
* Should You Upgrade to USB-C?
[https://blog.macsales.com/5...
Thunderbolt 4: Are My Thunderbolt 3 Products Obsolete?
As we mentioned in an earlier Rocket Yard post, “Intel Introduces
Thunderbolt 4: What Is It and Does It Matter?
[https://blog.macsales.com/63715-intel-introduces-thunderbolt-4-what-is-it-and-does-it-matter/]”
Intel released the specifications and expectat...
Thunderbolt 3 Laptops: Battery Mgmt. (10.15.5 )
In macOS 10.15.5, Apple released a new feature designed to help manage
the charging and lifespan of batteries in Thunderbolt 3 Mac laptops.
Called Battery Health Management
[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211246], the feature "is designed
to improve yo...
Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock: USB Devices in Windows
Please note that for some PCs, laptops in particular, the default USB
power management settings in Windows 10 may cause a number of
unexpected behaviors with USB devices, including:
* Devices which are idle for a few minutes may spontaneously power
do...
OWC Diagnostics: Multi-purpose Windows Utility
As of August 2020, we have expanded our OWC Diagnostics utility.
Previously this was available only through our Support Team but going
forward will be a publicly available download, as we continue to
expand its capabilities.
This utility makes it easy t...
Envoy Express: SSD Compatibility Notes
RELEVANT PART NUMBER: OWCTB3ENVXP00
For MacSales-purchased enclosures that shipped prior to December 4,
2020, some THIRD PARTY M.2 SSDs may not work properly, even if their
specs match the general requirements. Since that time OWC began
applying a hardw...
Thunderbolt 3 Dock (14-port): Thunderbolt 2 Adapter Limitations
Occasionally MacSales Customers with Thunderbolt 2 Macs ask about or
would like to try connecting their computer, via a 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt
cable and the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter
[https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Apple/MMEL2AMA/...
OWC Thunderbolt Dock Troubleshooting (OWCTB4DOCK)
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock expands the Thunderbolt functionality of your
Apple M1 Mac, any Apple 'Intel' Mac with Thunderbolt 3, or any
Thunderbolt 4 PC. You will see that it delivers the same compatibility
to all of your devices like they're plugged direct...
Thunderbolt Daisy Chain
Daisy chaining over Thunderbolt has a six-device maximum per bus.
Refer to the manufacture specifications of your host to determine the
number of Thunderbolt buses and associated ports.
While Daisy chaining multiple Thunderbolt devices does allow for
a...
Power Adapter Troubleshooting
A devices power adapter should be considered for troubleshooting if
issues are being experienced. These issues can include, but not
limited to, no power to the device or inconsistent recognition of the
device by the host.
* Troubleshooting expected po...
Aura Ultra IV SSD: Thunderbolt 4 PC Mounting Issue
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS: OWCP4U8T1PT08, OWCTB3TBV4T01, OWCTB3TBV4T02,
OWCTB3TBV4T04, OWCTB3TBV4T08, OWCTB3TBV4T16, OWCTB3TBV4T32,
OWCTB3EX4M2, OWCTB3EX4M2SL
ISSUE
SOLUTION
Aura Ultra IV NVMe SSDs used with multibay NVMe drive enclosures like
the Thun...
Thunderbolt Mac: Bus-Power Limitation
Select Thunderbolt 4 & Thunderbolt 3 Mac systems may be subject to a
bus power limitation where only two devices at a time are recognized
and their volumes mounted. This will depend on the amount of power
they draw and/or other factors related to the comp...
OWC Thunderbolt Drive Enclosures: No Drives Detected on PCs Running Windows
Several troubleshooting steps can be followed If your OWC Thunderbolt
Drive Enclosure is not detecting any connected drives on your PC
running Windows.
CHECKING DRIVE RECOGNITION IN DISK MANAGEMENT
*
Open Disk Management on your Windows PC
*
...
OWC Best Practice: (Mac) Multiple SoftRAID Volumes with OWC ThunderBlade X8
RELEVANT PART NUMBERS
* OWC THUNDERBLADE X8: OWCTB3TBL8X---
[https://ecn1.eshop2.macsales.com/shop/owc-thunderblade?utm_term=&utm_campaign=PMax:+External+drives+(smart+shopping)+US&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=9360794409&hsa_cam=17553315506...
