How to fix: OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD not recognized

Technical problems are the worst. I tried to prepare my Apple Mac Pro for selling it on eBay. Obviously I wanted to delete all my data on it, but I couldn’t figure out how to erase my regular SSD disk and do a fresh installation of Big Sur.

The problem was that in Disk Utility the SSD (OWC Aura Pro X2) was visible but I could not remove or erase the SSD itself or the according partition. Of course I tried to reboot and use the Option+R disk utility. Unfortunately the OWC Aura Pro X2 didn’t even show up there. I tried a lot of things but nothing worked.

The solution is actually simple, but it’s easy to say after hours of trying a lot of things.

OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD not recognized

You need a bootable USB drive with Big Sur on it. Then you start Disk Utility from there and suddenly OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD shows up. Now you can delete it and/or add a new partition.

To prepare the bootable USB drive I’ve used the free version of Disk Drill (https://www.cleverfiles.com/). There is an option “macOS Installer”. It’s pretty easy and self-explanatory. Generate a bootable USB drive with a macOS Installer. Then you re-start your mac by pressing the OPTION key. Choose the USB drive as the boot drive. There you will find Disk Utility again and now it will recognize your OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD.

You can now erase, re-partition, remove, format and repair your OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD easily – and most importantly for me, re-install a clean Big Sur for selling an Apple Mac Pro on eBay.

Disk Drill:

OWC AURA PRO X2

Your Mac. More Space. Twice as Fast.

The Aura Pro X2 SSD gives you up to 16x more space and up to double the speed to keep up with your imagination today and tomorrow. Upgrade your Mac with Aura Pro X2 for a fraction of the cost of a new model and keep your Mac running for years.

BLAZING FAST AND SUPER COOL

• Performance that thrills: Up to twice as fast as the original SSD
  • Up to 3200MB/s¹ read
  • Up to 2400MB/s¹ write
• Room to spare: Up to 2TB, 16x greater capacity than original SSD
• Less is more: Consumes less power and runs cooler than earlier models
• Feels like home: Same Mac, faster SSD, your keyboard, your stickers and the ports you need
• Revival of the fittest: Speed and stamina for years to come

KEEP ON INNOVATING

If storage is tight, there’s no reason to ditch the Mac you know and love. Aura Pro X2 combines speed, stamina, and efficiency that will change the way you experience your Mac. With read speeds reaching over 3200MB/s¹ and write speeds of 2400MB/s¹, the Aura Pro X2 is up to twice as fast as the original SSDs, delivering performance on par with the latest models. It runs cooler and consumes less power than earlier SSD models, so you can run at peak for longer than ever.

MAINTAIN YOUR EDGE

When it’s go time, getting off the line and maintaining a high level of performance are equally important. Aura Pro X2 is engineered with advanced SLC caching, providing instant full-speed write acceleration, meaning those media projects and games stream fluidly and respond without lag time. You might even forget what that beachball looks like.

https://www.owcdigital.com/products/aura-pro-x2