Although it appears as though your computer, laptop or Mac no longer recognises its SSD, the good news is that there are likely still files on the flash memory within. We can fix or rebuild the firmware or even access the chip-level ourselves, all done in-house.
Repetitive insertion and removal of a dropped off-line solid state disk (SSD) may exacerbate a potentially recoverable controller or firmware fault. Do not execute repair or format utilities against it nor attempt to perform a firmware upgrade as both actions will potentially overwrite the mapping data we need. Remove the device from the system and contact us.
Unlike hard drives, an SSD does not have any mechanical components; therefore when an SSD goes missing, the reason is electronic. This type of failure represents the majority of failures that we experience and recover.
We can extract data from solid-state drives made by all manufacturers that store data using NAND flash memory technology.
2.5” SATA · M.2 SATA and NVMe · mSATA and PCIe · internal · external · portable · from very first SATA SSDs to most recent high-capacity NVMe drives.
Recovery of an SSD is done at controller, firmware and chip levels. We determine what really went wrong, fix it or get around it, then build back your files, one by one.
Send or drop off your SSD. We’ll figure out if you have a problem with the controller, firmware, NAND chips, or the connections to your computer and will give you a written quote, usually within 48 hours.
If using an external or portable SSD, we will connect our test equipment directly to the SSD itself, bypassing any internal USB bridges that may be causing problems with the SSD’s interface and port or cable.
Where possible, we will utilise specialised tool(s) to safely boot the SSD into a “safe” mode so we can correct or repair the SSD’s firmware and mapping tables.
Where possible, where the controller has failed, we remove the flash memory chips and read the data directly off the NAND chip using specialised NAND equipment.
We unscramble and correct errors, then we remove the wear levelling applied by the controller to read your files back from the raw NAND flash of your SSD.
We extract your files and compare them with a list of your files (file listing) and deliver them back to you on new media.
We provide copies of your data to an external device, which is then posted back to you, or provided as a no-cost download (if it is under 75 GB).
We repair the firmware of failed SSD controllers in-house; we can lift the NAND memory off an SSD and restore all of your original data from the raw NAND flash.
Tell us about your SSD and we’ll get back to you, usually within half an hour during the working day.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
There are no additional fees and there is no pressure sales tactic: we provide you with a free diagnosis prior to beginning any work and provide you with a written quote of what services we would like to perform.
Several recent SSD recovery cases handled in-house. All identifying data has been removed, but we assure you they were all confirmed results.
The controller has completely failed. We pulled and were able to read the NAND chips, reconstruct data from flash raw data and recovered most of the volume.
The mapping tables were corrupted by a sudden loss of power. At the firmware level, we repaired the translator to recover everything.
The internal controller had failed. We recovered the drive at chip level; we reconstructed data from the flash.
When you send the unit in for its free diagnostic, let us know what happened with the unit. An engineer will review the unit and confirm your quote in writing prior to starting on your recovery.
Before you post or drop off your device, please get a quote from us by phone or with the form. Once we receive your device, our recovery process can start. Safely pack your device, include your name and contact information within the packaging and ship it to us. After performing your free diagnostic, we’ll send you a written confirmation of the exact price of our services prior to starting any work.
If you decide to post it, we would advise using a trackable and insured postal service. Or if you prefer to drop it off, we are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, and you don’t need an appointment. Just pack the unit as described in step one before dropping it off.
Would you like a little more background information prior to sending it? Fill in the form to provide more details about your problem; an engineer will evaluate it and reply with a customised quote.
We’ll be in touch shortly. If it’s urgent, call 0191 406 1051.
Things people ask us about SSDs that won’t be detected or recognised.
An SSD usually disappears because the internal logic or “controller” (the part that manages access to the flash memory) or its firmware has failed. Even if there is no detection, the data itself remains on the memory chips so often a drive which will not show up at all can be recovered.
Yes, in most cases, with the exception that recovering an SSD may be somewhat more specialised than a standard hard drive. The firmware will typically be repaired whenever possible, and when a controller is no longer functional (or “dead”), we will manually read the contents of the individual flash chips and construct your lost data from the raw memory contained within these flash chips.
Generally no. If an SSD were subjected to a complete loss of power (such as if you suddenly pulled the plug), this could damage the SSD’s mapping table(s) and leave it undetected. However, since the flash memory itself remains intact, we can fix the damaged firmware and build new mapping tables so that the SSD is operational again; and your files are once again accessible.
If a controller in an SSD fails completely, we remove the NAND flash memory chip(s) from the SSD and use specialised equipment to read their contents. From there, we reconstruct your lost data from the raw data stored in the flash memory. This is generally one of the most advanced types of data recovery we perform.
Yes. For all the SSDs that use TRIM there is no way to undelete files after they have been “permanently” deleted. Further, when an SSD uses hardware encryption, that makes recovering information from the chip (if possible at all), much more difficult. We will be honest with you about what can actually be recovered in your specific case during the diagnostic process.
That is quite possible. Usually, it is either the enclosure or the USB bridge in the enclosure that fails. Not the actual SSD. We test by plugging the SSD into our equipment bypassing the enclosure and USB bridge. If it has truly died, we repair it at the controller or chip level.
Our normal rate is £300 + VAT. There is a free written diagnostic report with each job (with no obligation). In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. In cases where a complex chip-off recovery is required, we would provide you with a higher written quotation for such a recovery and get your approval before proceeding.
Most SSD recoveries should take place within 3 to 4 working days once the quote is approved; however, depending upon the complexity of the chip-off reconstruction, that could take significantly longer. However, we usually complete diagnostics within 48 hours of receiving your device.
All major manufacturers of solid state drives (Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk, Western Digital, Kingston, Corsair, Seagate, ADATA, Intel, Micron, SK Hynix, Sabrent, PNY, Transcend, Kioxia, Lexar, Team Group, Silicon Power, Patriot and OWC) that include all 2.5 inch SATA models, M.2 SATA and NVMe models and also mSATA models as well as all external or portable models of solid state drives.
Simply drop it off at our Newcastle office anytime Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, or post it to us fully insured. Please package up and seal your drive, include your complete personal contact information (name, street address, telephone number, and e-mail) so we may schedule it into our system. We will then run the complimentary diagnostic as soon as you send it in, and provide you with a detailed written quote prior to doing anything else with the unit.
The same family, just another tier. Usually if an SSD shows up in Disk Management or Disk Utility but does not show up in Explorer or Finder, there is an issue relating to how the computer is identifying the SSD (drive letter, initialisation of the SSD, file system, etc.), and we can resolve these issues carefully. However, if the SSD is completely absent from the BIOS settings, then that is an example of a controller level failure which this web page describes; essentially, the BIOS is unable to recognise the SSD, and accessing the data stored on the SSD requires us to perform some form of firmware repair, and read chips directly on our lab bench.
Free written diagnosis of the problem, and in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. In addition to our ability to diagnose problems at the controller level, we can recover data at the firmware level and even recover data from individual chips in your SSD, all in-house. Begin your recovery today.