Recommendations: SSD EXTERNAL HD, iMac 19,1 27"

OK, thinking these two items:

1). https://www.acasis.com/products/acasis-40gbps-m-2-nvme-ssd-enclosure-with-cooling-fan?_pos=3&_sid=ed01152a1&_ss=r&_gl=1*1nwc8jr*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4cS-BhDGARIsABg4_J2J9_oXfys9cMYArJsPad_9Jcfzec9VExvkCEBVYHmYL9VRGSgCZ_saArJ4EALw_wcB

2). https://www.amazon.com/WD_BLACK-SN850X-Internal-Gaming-Heatsink/dp/B0B7CKZGN6?th=1

#1 The enclosure with fan. Are the TB cables that are apparently included any good?

#2 Thinking just a few dollars difference between 990 Pro and WDSN850X and possibly better warranty/reviews with Samsung. 990 Pro has heat sink option here- will that fit in the Acasis?

Just to make sure I'm reading your above reply and understanding, I'm thinking you maybe meant Mbps and not Gbps? Do you think going with #1 & #2 would basically be a good choice if everything is compatible? Thanks again for your help-

Well, I went with the WD SN850X 2TB and the Acacis as your link above. Turns out your Acacis was the newer model, all the same but a newer silent fan in it. I thought to get a heat sink on the SSD but wouldn't fit in enclosure. Found a new pair of active Apple TB3 cables 31" for 19.95, so that won't haunt me. Thanks for all the help tbirdvet !!

Time to fire up this tread again. To continue, I spent allot of time reading all I could, many side tracks but feel I created the external backup as required without missing any steps. It works, it's bootable but a couple glitches thought I'd throw out for any time saving comments I may gather.

1st I made backups with Time Machine and CCC of the iMac's native Mojave 10.14.6 on a separate HDD drive, non -bootable. Then the WD SSD, erased,APFS, Guild volumes. Backed up the SSD with CCC v.5 "Legacy Bootable". All backups worked fine. I shut down computer/restarted a couple times both with the iMac native Startup and the External Mojave clone. Apple info says indeed the clone was used and the native OS on startups.

Then I noticed on the Ext SSD that the PS CS5 extended app and Bridge app icons were not showing in the dock but rather "?" (question marks). I had loaded and tested my picture and video software 4 or 5 apps on the native OS 10.14 to see if they worked and they did before I setup the external bootable disk. They are totally screwed-up on the external, the two I checked (assuming the others are too except all the native apps seem fine. Then I restart in the native OS and see I get the same thing, not working (but before clone they did). On the Photoshop app 1 got about 25 identical error popups saying "Configuration Error" Error 0. Try uninstalling & reinstalling app, I have not done that yet. Also said, report Error code to Adobe teck support with link.

The other thing that happened which possibly by chance is unrelated but curious is the fan on my Acasis 405 container would not shut off. I could eject all my volumes on the external but not the top Devise. Popup window on trying any method of ejecting the devise said: Can't unmount because it's being used (Nothing about it is being used- except that the fan won't shut off and drawing power. Is it possible the switch broke? Green lite stays on, can hear it, unplug the TB3 connection stops but turns on if replugged in unless computer shutdown.

Guess I will start with reinstalling apps but any comments appreciated, I knew it couldn't go without a hitch...

Bob

@MartinR-

Yes that's correct, Ps CS5 Extended & Ps Bridge apps react (for the most part) act as their counter parts now on the external drive(but they worked on the iMacs original OS before cloning the external drive. Bridge does not open---> popup window: Adobe bridgeCS5 quit unexpectedly. Today 1st try opening Ps CS5 it opened as before but without the 20+ popup windows: Configuration Error 0. The Photoshop menu bar across top of app selecting any of the items show all selections grayed out. Ps CS5 upon opening gave popup window: Last time opened Ps, it unexpectedly quit while reopening windows. Do you want to try reopening its windows again? I selected "reopen" and got a barrage of those Config. error popups, have to force quit to stop it.

I shut down iMac last night leaving external drive plugged in. The fan then shut off, due to TB3 line loss of power. Upon startup, the ext. drive "cold to touch" fan came back on. The external SSD was set up as Devise at top (WD BLACK SN850X...) then Container disk3 with 4 volumes in the container. I can unmount/mount the volumes and eject all of them and all 4 External desktop icons disappear. Container on Disk Util shows unmounted when all 4 volumes unmounted. I can't drag Device to trash or eject it in any possible way, popup says in use can't eject & booted up with original OS. If I disconnect TB3 from Acasis then it disappears, of course fan then off.

I'm going to spend time trying to find out about how to uninstal/reinstall those apps. I opened my original CCC backup drive on the iMac before any external drive was attached, nothing touched on originalOS Majave, no other migrations to the system. I went into the apps folder of the CCC cloned backup, selected & dragged out the above referenced apps dropped them into the App folder of the new Mojave OS. Nothing else has been done except the first time setups when 1st powered it up a couple weeks ago. Also set up safari to have email and starlink wi-fi.

Another question for those with the Acasis 40Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure, with Cooling Fan, TBU 405 Pro for M1 M2. This version has the built in fan. I turned the fan off/on at most twice since I just got it. I don't remember if the push button featured switch has a detent feel to it. The button if pushed in just follows your finger outward when letting go, moving out to original position. It pushes in & out smoothly but never a feel that anything trips, always the same distance in and back out to same position- If you know what I mean??

Is there anything else that may have happened between testing CS5 and doing the cloning? macOS update, new app(s), a crash, anything?

@MartinR

Not a thing I can think of. It just doesn't make sense. I had Ps CS5 on the iMac internal for a few days and would open/close to check it was functioning & seemed alright no changes.

@ MartinR

In reply to your April 1 6:33 reply (above). I find it tough following the way replies on this forum end up anywhere in the time line, I should have found this yesterday but today cause scrolled through them all. Anyway...

I followed link you gave 4/1 AM reply, opens to QR code etc, I used my iphone to read the QR & follow the link, goes to a selection of adobe adds, didn't see any leads there. Thinking it's old info but probably doing that wrong...

As usual spent allot of time, much just outdated/unrelevant stuff going in circles. Reached conclusion I have to un-install the Ps CS5 Extended, other non Adobe apps work both internal & external drives. Read about uninstalling & likely an uninstaller should be used unless someone knows where every file is kept to select and delete (likely not, let alone on my system). I installed CS5 using my original Adobe DVD and found the "installer/uninstaller". Opened uninstaller to a popup window: "Adobe Application Manager(AAM) needed to uninstall, mine is missing/damaged. Download new AAM here (supplied link opens to blank page) or reinstall program". What a circle. I think I'd be making a mess with all the reinstallations over previous installations without removing old.

Also found Youtube on using Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner. Basically used to remove icloud installed Adobe apps. Says can remove older apps but(what is older) but not likely non-icloud. Opinions run against use on Ps CS5. Best guess, never find this so called "AAM" but haven't looked yet. Odds of finding all the files to remove from Ps slim. Also, constantly seeing comments about make sure your browser is up to date, I was able to upgrade my Safari from 11.1.2 to 14.1.2(doesn't work any better), no Chrome available, best I can do, yet why does that matter. So, then am thinking-

What do you think about this? I do clean install of the 2019 iMac internal OS Mojave, think I would do that using recovery mode? Think it would automatically replace the original installed OS Mojave with a new one hidden on the drive somewhere? This would by-pass all the un/re- installation headaches.

With a clean install I would go through the start-up set up assistant then without migrating anything, erase the external drive and reclone that with the bare new recovered Mojave OS. No tainted OS on either Int/Ext drives. Then reinstall PsCS5 from my Adobe DVD as before, use Migration assistant this time(if possible to select individual apps) to migrate from CCC backup Motion, compressor,FCPX. I would keep them on the iMac clean install for good, then later after using/checking External clone of Mojave upgrade that to likely Sequoia.

If your interested in a rather summed up review of this forum thread, I summed it up and posted to the Adobe forum but no replies there(don't think anyone cared to read the lengthy post): Adobe Ps Forum

Thanks for any comments-

Well, my little green light stays on continuously, I can hear fan if put ear to it also. Just got off chat with AMAZON, they are sending a new replacement-

I almost gave up looking for that! My sanity is returning, I have order. Well, better wait and watch for it to crash now- Thanks so much