Solid state drives (SSDs) are becoming increasingly common in computers due to their faster speeds and lower power consumption compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). However, SSDs have lower tolerance for physical damage and can fail unexpectedly. When an SSD fails, the data on it can become inaccessible. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to recover data from a failed SSD.
What causes SSD failure?
There are several potential causes of SSD failure:
- Physical damage – Dropping or impacting an SSD can damage the flash memory chips or controller board inside.
- Overheating – Excessive heat buildup can damage SSD components.
- Electrical issue – Power surges, static electricity, or controller board failure can render the SSD unusable.
- Firmware bugs – Errors in the SSD’s firmware can lead to crashes or failed drives.
- Wear and tear – As SSDs age and endure more program/erase cycles, they become more prone to failure.
- File system corruption – If critical filesystem metadata becomes corrupted, the SSD may become unstable or inaccessible.
SSD failure can occur unexpectedly at any time, regardless of the drive’s age. However, SSDs do have a finite lifespan based on the number of program/erase cycles the memory chips are rated for. Problems are more likely to crop up as the drive nears its end-of-life after several years of heavy use.
How to recover data from a failed SSD
When an SSD fails, the very first step is to make a backup copy of the drive before attempting any recovery procedures. This protects against accidental data loss if the recovery does not go as planned. Creating a disk image backup allows you to work on the copy rather than the original drive.
Next, attempt to access the drive using disk utilities within your operating system. For example, Windows includes the CHKDSK utility that can attempt to repair filesystem errors. Linux distributions include utilities like fsck that do file system checks and repairs. Macs have Disk Utility for verifying and repairing disks.
If the drive is not recognized at all by your OS, try connecting it to a different computer. Use different SATA ports and cables if possible. This can determine whether the issue is with the drive itself or some external factor.
If the SSD is still inaccessible, advanced data recovery software offers the best chance for recovering your data. Solutions like Ontrack EasyRecovery and Stellar Phoenix can create sector-by-sector disk images and scan them for recoverable files. However, this requires an additional hard drive to store the image during the process.
Some recovery apps also support creating a logical image of the SSD’s filesystem structure without copying all the sectors. This preserves folder structures and filenames without taking up as much disk space.
Lost partition recovery tools like TestDisk can rebuild partition tables and recover lost volumes on a drive with corrupted or missing partitions. This restores access to the filesystem and files.
If no scanning software can access the drive, a last resort is to send it to a professional SSD data recovery service. They have specialized tools and class 100 cleanroom facilities to dismantle drives and access the flash memory chips directly. This “chip-off” process can salvage data even from SSDs with failed controllers.
Best data recovery software for SSDs
Here are some top options for SSD data recovery software:
| Software | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Ontrack EasyRecovery | Sector-by-sector imaging, deleted file recovery, lost partition recovery, advanced scanning tools |
| Stellar Phoenix | Image backups, find lost partitions, repairs corrupted filesystems, recovers deleted files |
| EaseUS | Affordable, easy to use, restores formatted or deleted partitions, recovers a variety of files |
| Disk Drill | Deep scanning modes, lost partition recovery, suitable for Macs and Windows |
| TestDisk | Free and open source, partition reconstruction, undeletes files, works on many filesystems |
The top paid solutions like Ontrack and Stellar Phoenix provide versatile recovery options and advanced RAID recovery capabilities. Free software like TestDisk offers lost partition search capabilities that can enable access to data when partitions are damaged. The free scanning features of Disk Drill offer an affordable middle ground.
Best practices for preventing SSD failure
While SSD failure does happen spontaneously at times, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood of crashes and extend the lifespan of your SSD:
- Keep the SSD properly ventilated – Excess heat accelerates wear and tear.
- Enable SSD overprovisioning/overallocation – Reserves extra spare blocks to use during garbage collection routines.
- Minimize unnecessary disk writes – Defragging too often or having an extremely full drive causes more writes that use up longevity.
- Use the manufacturer’s SSD toolbox – Enables firmware updates and health monitoring.
- Keep multiple backups – Both file and whole disk backups protect against irrecoverable SSD failure.
- Consider enterprise SSDs for critical data – Business/server SSDs have higher endurance ratings and advanced failure protection.
Practicing good SSD care and maintenance gives you the best chance for avoiding catastrophic disk failures. But also be prepared through reliable backups and recovery tools.
How to use data recovery software
Data recovery software makes it possible to attempt recovering files yourself before resorting to professional recovery services. The general process for using recovery software involves:
- Download and install the data recovery program onto another working computer.
- Connect the failed SSD to the computer, either internally or via a SATA adapter.
- Launch the recovery software and scan the attached SSD.
- Select file types or full disk recovery.
- Choose a folder to save recovered files to.
- Allow the software to scan the drive and rebuild directory structures.
- Browse found files and selectively recover needed data.
Higher-end software like Ontrack EasyRecovery has sophisticated capabilities like SSD imaging, advanced RAID recovery, and email repair. But most solutions share common scanning features that read the raw disk sectors and look for files that still have intact data.
Scanning and file extraction can take hours to run for a large SSD in the 1TB range. An external drive is necessary to store recovered files. Also note that solid state drives use wear-leveling algorithms that constantly remap data blocks. This makes it difficult to recover data in its original folder location.
Still, data recovery software provides an essential emergency option when faced with SSD failure. Just be sure to avoid overwriting the original SSD during the process.
Send failed SSD to data recovery service
For difficult SSD failures where drive scanning is unsuccessful, a professional data recovery service can rescue data using specialized hardware and cleanroom procedures. Here is what’s involved in professional SSD recovery:
- Initial evaluation – The service diagnoses the failure and provides a recovery cost estimate.
- Approval to proceed – Customer approves the quote for recovery services.
- Imaging – The SSD is duplicated sector-by-sector for non-intrusive recovery.
- Parts replacement – Defective or degraded controller board components are swapped out.
- Chip removal – NAND flash chips are carefully desoldered if necessary for data extraction.
- Data recovery – Advanced techniques and tools recover lost files from hardware issues.
- Return media – Recovered data is copied to new storage media or uploaded for download.
The controlled cleanroom environment protects sensitive internal SSD components from static discharge and contamination during disassembly. Precision chip removal tools safely detach memory chips from the circuit board for individual data access.
This complex, labor-intensive process can cost upwards of $1000 or more depending on the SSD make and model. But for business-critical data, the expense is often justified compared to permanent loss. Professional recovery services like DriveSavers, Gillware, and Desert Data Recovery have decades of experience salvaging data from failed drives.
DIY recoveries using chkdsk, fsck, ddrescue
Before resorting to paid software or professional recovery, DIY-minded users can attempt data recovery using built-in operating system utilities.
chkdsk
The chkdsk tool in Windows scans hard drives and attempts to fix logical file system errors. To use it on an SSD:
- Attach the SSD to your Windows PC.
- Open the Command Prompt as administrator.
- Run “chkdsk X: /f” where X is the failed SSD drive letter.
- Add “/r” to chkdsk to also locate bad sectors.
- Allow chkdsk to scan and attempt repairs.
If chkdsk is able to fix corruption issues like invalid file records, unlinked files, or directory errors, the drive may regain functionality. However, chkdsk is not designed for more serious physical SSD failures.
fsck
The fsck tool (file system check) functions similarly to chkdsk but for Linux operating systems. To use fsck on an unmountable SSD:
- Attach the SSD to a Linux PC.
- Boot into a Live Linux environment like Ubuntu Live off a flash drive.
- Use the command “sudo fsck -f /dev/sdX” where sdX is the SSD device.
- Add “-y” to automatically fix errors.
- Add “-v” for verbose output.
- Review the output looking for fixed issues.
Like with chkdsk, fsck may successfully repair filesystem errors by rebuilding indexes and tables. But it lacks the advanced data recovery capabilities of paid software when drives fail to mount.
ddrescue
The ddrescue tool copies data from one drive to another, working around read errors. To try recovering data:
- Attach the failing SSD and a working hard drive to Linux.
- Run “sudo ddrescue -f -n /dev/sdX /dev/sdY sdz.log” where sdX is the SSD and sdY is the destination drive.
- Add “-r3” for more robust read attempts.
- Monitor progress with Ctrl+T.
- Allow ddrescue to repeatedly read and copy accessible sectors.
This creates a drive image while mapping around bad sectors. Once imaging is done, mount the healthy drive and browse for recovered files. However, this lacks file searching capabilities of actual recovery software.
Send SSD to a data recovery lab
For SSDs with advanced failure or significant physical damage, getting professional help is the best chance for data recovery. Look for a specialist lab that meets strict standards, like:
- Certified engineers – Experts trained and certified in advanced data recovery methodologies.
- Class 100 cleanroom – Ensures dust-free environment when handling internal components.
- Component-level repairs – Ability to diagnose failures down to chips and controller board circuitry.
- Imaging and chip-off skills – Safely removes NAND flash memory chips when necessary.
- Logical and analog recovery – Uses both software scanning and hardware techniques as needed.
- Secure chain of custody – Tracks devices and maintains confidentiality throughout the process.
Finding a lab that meets these criteria gives you the greatest chance of getting back lost files and folders when at-home fixes are unsuccessful. The more tools and techniques available, the better the odds of salvaging irreplaceable data from the failed SSD.
Conclusion
Recovering from sudden SSD failure requires an appropriate strategy based on the drive’s issues and value of data. Logical software repairs can fix some filesystem errors that cause inaccessibility. More serious hardware failures call for imaging, specialized scanning, and even chip-level data extraction in a professional lab environment.
Preventative measures like monitoring SSD health and maintaining backups are wise. But having a recovery plan in place for worst-case scenarios can help minimize potential data losses. When your SSD fails, act quickly but cautiously to give your data the greatest chance of rescue.