Error: System Events got an error: Can't get disk

[Mike Carroll]

My Seagate external drive continues to sleep and shows "did not eject properly" from my MacBook Pro (High Sierra).  I had high hopes this application would finally solve my problems!  When selecting this Seagate drive to "keep awake" I get this error message shown below about system events got an error: can't get disk.  Can you assist?  Thank you-

[Jon Stovell]

When the Finder complains that a drive was not ejected properly, that means that your problem is not that the drive is going into sleep mode, but rather that the hardware connection from your drive to your computer is crapping out. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to say whether the problem is internal to the drive itself, or in the drive's enclosure, or in the cable, or in the port that connects to your computer. Try swapping out the cable that you use to connect the drive, and try connecting it to different ports. If nothing else, this will help to narrow down the range of possibilities. My hunch, though, is that the issue is in your drive's enclosure, since it appears that your drive sometimes reconnects soon afterward, but is considered by your computer to be a second drive with same name (which is why it appends a "1" to the end of the drive's name). But that's really just a guess and is by no means a diagnosis.

If I am right that the problem is with the drive's enclosure, there are likely two options available for you:

1. If the drive is still under warranty, exchange it at the store for a replacement.

2. Purchase a new enclosure and move the drive itself from its old enclosure into the new one.

But as I said, I can make nothing more than a guess at what the problem with your drive really is, so that advice comes with nothing even remotely like a guarantee. It may not be appropriate or helpful in any way, and I accept no responsibility for any negative consequences that might occur to your drive, your computer, or your wallet if you follow it without consulting a qualified technician who has physical access to your drive.

[Mike Carroll]

Thanks Jon.  I have a MacBook Pro with the two USB-C ports, so I did wonder if it was possibly that port or connector.  I've tried two different types of ports to connect the drive - see both in images attached in case you are familiar.  I will look and see if Seagate offers a specific cable that goes from the drive directly to USB-C port and see if that makes a difference first, and then I could move on to the drive enclosure.  Let me know if you have other ideas.

I would appreciate any general feedback.  Since I work a good deal with photos and video and have a need for a large amount of file storage, the internal drives just do not provide the capacity needed, so my typical workflow is to use these external drives and then those are set to backup with my offline provider.  I've done some online research and can't seem to find a better workflow and would appreciate any insight you might have if you possibly have other ideas.  Thank you!

 

[Jon Stovell]

Third party adapters do add another possible point of failure, yes. If you have a router or another computer that has USB 3 ports that you can connect your drives to, test what happens if you do that and then use network sharing to access the drive. If the problem disappears in that configuration, then the issue is likely either the adapters or else the ports on your MBP. If the problem continues in that configuration, the issue is likely with the drive or its enclosure.