Check your bloody (third party) SSD Firmware Version is up to Date

[Darryl Ramm]

OK I think you are making some progress. I was not trying to do anything specific all I was trying to do was test one/any of the iso images and confirm it would boot on my MBP. You could download the exact same iso just to see it boots. If it boots that's progress.

You might want to try a different USB drive. If you happen to have a Samsung T6 or T7 USB SSD I'd sure trust those (use them a lot for portable imaging/transfer of boot isos, macOS installers and virtual machine images),

It's a PITA, but it should not be this much of a PITA. I appreciate you trying to sort this out. I hope any studio with a number of Macs and Samsung SATA/M.2 SSDs has an old Windows PC running Magician for updating firmware. And sure not having the latest firmware does not always mean a data loss potential, but it can.

[mcnichols]

A quick update. Trying a different memory stick (Kingston) didn't help with the EVO 850 Mac iso file - same issue exactly. However, the 860 QVO Mac updater DID work on the 5.1 MP.

I'll try moving the 980 and 990 Pro to the 5.1 MP over the weekend and report results.

[mcnichols]

Final conclusions...

Some of the Samsung Mac-version SATA firmware updates do work, but the EVO 850 version is broken.

None of the non-Mac specific NVMe versions that I've tried work, either with the Etcher flasher or UNetbootin (as recommended by Samsung). The UNetbootin utility loads and flashes on Catalina, but not Ventura.

All in all a very disappointing experience. Next step is a Windows BootCamp installation. Shame on you, Samsung.

[mcnichols]

PS: the updaters that worked only did so in a Mac Pro 5.1, and NOT in a 7.1.

[Darryl Ramm]

Thanks for the update. Hopefully it's not a T2 issue as my T2 MBP works. But who knows. I don't have a MacPro 7,1 to test on (happy to take donations of one ). Hopefully other folks with a 7,1 can let us know if they have the same issues or a work around.