Recovering Data from a Failed SSD: A Step-by-Step Guide
13 May 2025Amanda J. Brook Senior Product Manager
Last update by Olivia Brown at 13 May 2025
Summary Recover data from a failed SSD with our step-by-step guide, maximizing your chances of retrieving lost files before they're erased by Active Garbage Collection and TRIM.
Have you ever experienced the frustration of losing data due to a failed Solid-State Drive (SSD)? While SSDs are known for their speed, affordability, and durability, they’re not immune to data loss. Fortunately, there are ways to recover data from both internal and external SSDs. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process.
What Makes SSDs Special?
SSDs are renowned for their robustness and ability to handle data at incredible speeds. However, they’re not foolproof. The average lifespan of an SSD ranges from 5 to 10 years, although heavy usage or poor maintenance can significantly reduce this duration. As an SSD begins to fail, you may notice an increase in bad sectors, which can slow down your computer, cause frequent errors, and even lead to data loss.
The SSD architecture includes features like Active Garbage Collection and the TRIM command, designed to enhance performance and prolong the drive’s lifespan. However, these features can also make data recovery more challenging if the SSD fails.
How to Recover Data from a Failed SSD
A failed SSD often results in lost data, but swift action can help recover most or all of your files. The key is to act within the window between data loss and when Active Garbage Collection and TRIM erase the deleted files.
To improve your chances, shut down your computer immediately, cutting power to the SSD and halting background processes. If it’s an internal SSD, remove it from the device; if it’s external, unplug it. To prevent automatic cleanup, connect the drive to a different computer as an external disk and avoid booting from it.
The goal is to prevent the OS or SSD controller from triggering cleanup operations that could permanently erase your data.
Method 1: Using Data Recovery Software
When you delete files from your SSD, they don’t disappear instantly; they become hidden until TRIM and Active Garbage Collection wipe them out. Data recovery tools can access these hidden bits and restore your files. For this guide, we’ll use Renee Undeleter, a top-rated recovery software that boasts high recovery rates and works with almost every file type and storage device.
Renee Undeleter is an all-in-one data recovery solution designed to help users recover lost files from SSDs, hard drives, memory cards, and other storage devices. Whether you’ve lost data due to accidental deletion, formatting, emptied recycle bin, or other unexpected issues, Renee Undeleter makes the recovery process straightforward—even for people who aren’t tech-savvy.
What really sets Renee Undeleter apart is its easy-to-use interface paired with professional-grade recovery features. It supports all major Windows file systems (NTFS, FAT, FAT32, exFAT) and is also compatible with macOS and Linux file systems.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery Software
Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.
Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.
File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.
3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!
If your SSD is failing or has already become unreadable, Renee Undeleter’s “byte-to-byte” backup feature ensures you can create a full image of your drive before attempting any recovery, protecting your data from further loss.
Tips: Ensure a free partition equal in size to the target disk for storing the backup image.
Follow these steps to safely recover your lost data from a failed SSD using Renee Undeleter:
Step 1: Download, install, and launch Renee Undeleter.
Step 2: On the main screen, select the Image Creation module to create a byte-for-byte backup of your SSD. This is crucial, especially if your disk is showing signs of failure.
Choose your SSD from the drive list, set a destination with enough free space for the backup image, and click “Create”.
Step 3: Once your backup is complete, return to the main menu and select Whole Disk Scan. This mode thoroughly examines the entire SSD, making it possible to recover files even from damaged or inaccessible partitions.
Key Features of Renee Undeleter:
- Fast Partition Scan:Quickly restores files lost to accidental deletion or recycle bin clearance.
- Whole Partition Scan: Recovers data from formatted or inaccessible partitions.
- Whole Disk Scan: Deeply analyzes your entire SSD for maximum recovery coverage.
- Image Creation: Makes a full backup image for safe, offline recovery.
Step 4: Next, load the backup image you created by clicking “Load Image”. In the advanced settings, you can generally stick with the default options.
Tip: The scanning process will first attempt to rebuild any lost partitions, then scan every data sector. If you’re using a USB connection, be aware that scanning may take longer due to slower data transfer rates.
Step 5: When prompted, select the partition you want to scan from the list provided.
After scanning, you can preview recoverable files by double-clicking them in the preview pane. To retrieve a file, highlight it and click “Recover” at the bottom-right of the window.
Step 6: Finally, click “Browse” to select a different drive (not your SSD) as the destination for your recovered files, then hit the “Restore” button. Wait for the process to complete.
By following these steps, you can maximize your chances of recovering important data from a failed SSD while keeping your original device safe from further harm.
Method 2: Contacting a Data Recovery Service
Even the best data recovery tools have limitations. If your SSD is severely damaged or your computer can’t fully recognize it, software may not be able to recover any data. In such cases, contacting a professional data recovery service is your best bet.
These services employ experts with the necessary tools and skills to recover data from SSDs, even in complex situations. However, their services come at a cost. Before proceeding, weigh the value of the lost data against the cost of recovery. Remember, if the data is completely erased, not even professionals can recover it.
Understanding SSD Failure and Warning Signs
Now that your data is safe, let’s examine what might have caused your SSD to fail and look out for any warning signs you might have missed:
1. User errors are a common cause of SSD failures.
Abruptly removing the drive during data transfer, formatting it incorrectly, or selecting an incompatible file system can all lead to serious issues. You might encounter error messages when opening files, experience an inability to read or write data, or even face frequent system crashes—all signs of a failing SSD.
2. Over time, SSDs naturally degrade due to regular use, affecting their ability to store and retrieve data efficiently.
If you notice increased lagging, file transfer errors, or unexplained slowdowns, your SSD could be nearing the end of its lifespan. These early warning signs should not be ignored.
In this case, you may try to use CrystalDiskInfo to check your SSD S.M.A.R.T. Status:
Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, often abbreviated as S.M.A.R.T., is a hardware monitoring tool designed to detect early warning signs of hard drive failure. This technology allows users to take necessary actions to prevent data loss or corruption. Compatible with both hard disk drives (HDDs) and some solid-state drives (SSDs), S.M.A.R.T. has saved countless files and untold amounts of data over the years.
If the Health Status is “Bad”, it means it is time for you to buy a new SSD.
3. External factors can also cause SSD damage.
Overheating, physical impacts, or electrical failures may lead to performance issues. If you notice visible dents or scorch marks on the drive, experience random errors, or find that your computer no longer detects the SSD, these could be signs of hardware failure.
Upon noticing any of these warning signs, create a byte-for-byte image of your SSD immediately to prevent further data loss.
Conclusion
Recovering data from a failed SSD is possible with the right steps. Once you’ve retrieved your files, the next course of action depends on why the SSD failed. If the issue was with the file system, formatting the drive after recovery might resolve the problem. However, if the failure was due to hardware issues, replacing the SSD with a new one is the best option.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery Software
Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.
Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.
File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.
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User Comments
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thisisathrowaway8123
2025-05-17
Short version, my PC randomly restarted and now won’t boot into Windows. The primary drive (Teamgroup MP33 SSD) isn’t showing in BIOS, so I’m guessing it’s toast (my other M.2 drive shows up fine, so it’s probably dead). Lesson learned, I’m going with Samsung from now on.
Got a replacement drive coming. I’d love to copy all the data from the failed SSD to the new one, if that’s doable. The SSD LED blinks red when I start the PC, so maybe it’s not totally gone. Can I handle this myself? Thanks folks
FL
Flashy_Internet_5696
2025-05-17
My SSD crapped out too, it’s a Western Digital WD Blue SA510. Was in an Acer laptop, then one day it just wouldn’t boot. Can’t even get it to show up on my desktop with a SATA-to-USB cable. And it’s not even 2 years old.
Reading other comments, I’m starting to think SSDs aren’t as dependable as old-school hard drives (the spinning ones).
CO
Content_Drop_8141
2025-05-17
Same thing happened to my computer’s SSD. Been acting up for a bit—corrupted files, system errors saying the HDD has bad blocks that chkdsk couldn’t fix. Good thing I only keep the OS on my internal drive. Got a 2TB external hard drive and a 2TB SSD for my data. One’s for daily use, the other (the trusty hard drive) is for backups. Only bummer is losing my APPDATA—it’s got all my game saves. There goes all my progress.
OP
opticalnebulous
2025-05-19
Maybe. I had a failing SSD and used EaseUS to get most of my stuff back. They got a free version you can test out. Let me know if it works for you, OP.
ZO
Zorb750
2025-05-19
Not trying to call anyone out, but that software usually doesn’t cut it in most cases. If your drive was really failing and not just having some filesystem glitch, it’s practically a miracle if that program worked.
TH
thisisathrowaway8123
2025-05-19
Thanks, I’ll give it a shot and let you know.
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77xak
2025-05-23
Don’t do it. First, no software works if the drive isn’t detected. Second, EaseUS is overpriced junk, almost a scam. Third, if your drive somehow shows up again, just clone it to a stable drive with ddrescue (or HDDSuperClone, but it’s the same for NVMe drives).
Z3
Z3non
2025-05-26
Yup. Don’t connect it to a running Windows OS. Try a Linux environment (it might show up) and do a full sector-by-sector copy. DDRescue’s solid—it can grab all the good sectors first before stressing the bad ones.
TH
thisisathrowaway8123
2025-05-26
Why do you suggest Linux over Windows for this?
Z3
Z3non
2025-05-26
Just from my experience. Can’t quite nail it down, but I think Windows messes with the device somehow. Had a few failing HDDs recently that wouldn’t show in Windows, but my Linux live tools picked them up. Did a full sector copy with ddrescue to another HDD (as an image file) and pulled the data off the image no problem.
TH
throwaway_0122
2025-05-29
> Basically I want to do a 1 to 1 copy of all the data on the failed ssd to the replacement, if possible.
> Is this possible to do on my own?
Nope, because
> The main drive (Teamgroup MP33 ssd) no longer shows up in BIOS
That’s game over for DIY recovery. If it’s not in BIOS, no software can touch it.
> Lesson learned, I'm sticking with Samsung from now on.
Teamgroup makes some of the worst SSDs out there, but even better ones can fail suddenly, going from working to dead fast. Only real fix is solid backups.
TH
thisisathrowaway8123
2025-05-29
That sucks. Not gonna stop me from trying, tho.
Weird thing is, this drive did this once before. A quick reboot fixed it, so I’m hoping it magically comes back and I can recover my data. Fingers crossed, and thanks for the tips.
ZO
Zorb750
2025-05-29
Here’s a heads-up: SSDs often die without warning. What you saw—stops working, then works again after a reboot or two—is usually the first sign of trouble. It might last one more cycle or a few hours, but don’t count on it happening again. Next time, skip the cheap drives and back up everything the second you notice anything weird.
[D
[deleted]
2025-06-06
[removed]
ZO
Zorb750
2025-06-06
Platter swaps? That’s super rare. Platters are like the last thing you’d move.
TH
thisisathrowaway8123
2025-06-10
Quick follow-up: Should I send it for RMA? Got some personal stuff on there.
TH
throwaway_0122
2025-06-10
RMA will get you a new drive (sell it quick if you’re smart), but it won’t save your data. If it’s not worth a specialist, go for the RMA. The company’s not gonna care about recovering your data—they’ll probably just note the issue (if they can) and toss it in the shredder.
ZO
Zorb750
2025-06-10
Not sure what you’re asking. RMA means you get a new drive, but your old one’s probably headed for the scrap heap. They might try to refurb it, but most of these drives fail because of lousy flash memory, so no need to stress about someone snagging your data if they don’t wipe it.
TH
thisisathrowaway8123
2025-06-13
Yeah, I’m torn between eating the loss or risking my data for an RMA replacement.
ZO
Zorb750
2025-06-16
Go for the RMA.
TH
TheCSUFRealtor
2025-06-16
Even Samsung drives can tank. My Samsung 970 EVO Plus just died on me after 1.5 years. MicroCenter couldn’t recover anything—it’s done for! Now I say always, ALWAYS back up your stuff!
ER
erkadrka
2025-06-16
My drive failed too, after about 2.5 years.
IR
IrishThree
2025-06-20
How’d it go with MicroCenter? I’m dealing with an NVMe external reader and nothing’s showing up after getting my PC running again.
Did they charge $50 just to say it’s unreadable and $200 to recover if it was possible?
VE
VehicleAppropriate75
2025-06-20
My Samsung 970 EVO crapped out too, lesson learned :(
FI
Fire-Noodle
2025-06-23
Lost my 860 EVO. Had it for years, stored EVERYTHING on it. Did a partial backup, but not enough. Recovery folks said it was a controller issue. SSDs can just fail out of nowhere, so back up daily or at least weekly.
Funny thing? Samsung could avoid all this if they offered data recovery. They know the chip and proprietary stuff inside out—could probably decrypt and fix it easy.
CA
cameraman92
2025-06-23
My Evo Plus just up and died too after like 2 years.
HA
harry_roy
2025-06-25
Yeah, you can recover data from a failed SSD, but it depends on what went wrong. For small stuff like corrupted files or deleting something by mistake, software like Disk Drill or EaseUS usually does the trick. But if the SSD’s physically busted or has major hardware issues, you’ll probably need pros with special tools to pull data off the memory chips. Just a heads-up, SSD recovery’s trickier than old-school hard drives ‘cause of how flash memory works.
SB
SBrown
2025-06-25
@harry_roy Yo, have you looked at our knowledge base stuff? (Get Support for Your SSDs and Flash Products | SanDisk) Check this out: * Third-Party Data Recovery Software for Windows and macOS | SanDisk. You opened a Support Case yet? If not, hit up SanDisk Technical Support for help. (Contact Support | SanDisk)
AL
Alinatait
2025-07-02
I’m kinda late to the party, but I wanna share my story to help folks with the same problem. My SSD crapped out recently – had backups, but couldn’t get to ‘em when I needed. After poking around and testing some options, I hit gold with BLR Data Recovery Software. It was super easy to use and got all my data back no sweat. If your SSD’s acting up, you should totally give it a shot!
JO
johnjacobb40
2025-07-05
Yup, you can get data back from a failed SSD. For logical failures, stuff like Stellar Data Recovery, Recuva, or Recoverit can do the job. If it’s a hardware problem, you might need to call in the pros. If the SSD’s still kinda working, give recovery software a go first. How to Recover Data from Failed SSD?
VI
VictoriaBrock
2025-07-05
(post removed by author)
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Vegan
2025-07-05
Grab a USB stick or a USB hard drive to back up your personal stuff. I stick with USB hard disks ‘cause they got tons of space.
CA
Cassie007
2025-07-17
Yea, you can often recover data from a failed SSD, but it hinges on what kinda failure you’re dealing with: Logical Failure (like deleting stuff by accident, corruption, or formatting): Give software like 4DDiG Data Recovery a whirl—I’ve had luck with it on SSDs with messed-up partitions. It does deep scans without screwing up your data. Firmware/Controller Failure (drive’s not showing up): If the SSD’s totally invisible, you might need pros like DriveSavers. Physical Damage (like NAND wear or PCB problems): DIY’s a bad idea; hit up a lab if the data’s super important. If the SSD’s still kinda visible (even with errors): Stop using it ASAP to avoid more damage. Hook it up as an external drive with a USB adapter and run recovery tools. 4DDiG’s solid for logical issues—it’s gentler than some tools, which keeps things safe. Just make sure to save recovered files to another drive! (Oh, and skip the freeze/heat tricks for hardware issues—modern SSDs don’t play like old HDDs.)
AN
anon
2025-07-17
You likely got no shot at recovering it. Bring the drive to a nearby recovery place to check if there's any chance.
NA
Nathan
2025-07-17
That ain’t explaining much. What could mess up an SSD like that? What would a recovery center try that I haven’t done already? Why’s it acting so weird when I try to boot it?
AN
anon
2025-07-20
SSDs can crap out like any other drive, and there’s not much chance of getting data back from the cells.
RA
Ramhound
2025-07-22
“What could cause an SSD to end up like that?” - Getting old, too many writes, or just hardware breaking. Recovery companies got tools most folks don’t have. Like others said, pulling data off an SSD is super tough, even if regular recovery tools can see the device.
AN
anon
2025-07-22
Can’t say for sure about any specific drive. Mean time to failure’s a factor too. You’d have to reach out to Dell Support and ask ‘em.
DP
DrMoishe Pippik
2025-07-25
Thanks for a real interesting and *informative* response that breaks down what’s done, even stuff like swapping chips sometimes, and why you need special know-how and gear.
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Nathan
2025-08-02
This response means a lot to me, ‘cause when I was dealing with the busted HDD, a bunch of recovery companies said they couldn’t open or check physical damage on the drive. Their plan was just to hook it up to different machines (which I’d already tried). So I figured out if they didn’t mention that, they were gonna waste my time.
US
user705502
2025-08-06
@Nathan; At a glance, it looks like you’re facing a firmware problem, maybe from NAND wearing out, or could be an unclean shutdown or even cosmic rays. Ain’t nothing to open up on this SSD. But brace yourself, ‘cause I’d say about 70% of SSD cases can’t be recovered (though I don’t got solid data to prove it).
US
user705502
2025-08-06
@nathan; think about sending the hard drive to a lab for a second opinion. If it hasn’t been opened yet, diagnostics are usually free. If it’s recoverable, it’ll probably cost less than the SSD, even if it needs clean room work.
JM
James Miller
2025-08-12
Data recovery from messed up, crashed, or formatted drives is way simpler now with tons of recovery tools out there. I’d totally recommend iBoysoft Mac Data Recovery for pulling data off a busted SSD. It’s a beast at grabbing every bit of data from your storage. Wanna know how to get data back from a failed MacBook SSD? Here’s the deal: * First, restart your Mac in macOS Recovery mode and hook it up to a network. * Then, fire up “Terminal” from the “Utilities” menu. * Run this command to kick off iBoysoft Data Recovery in Recovery mode: sh <(curl http://boot.iboysoft.com/boot.sh) * Once it’s running, pick your MacBook SSD from the list and hit “Scan.” * It’ll scan for deleted files, and in a few minutes, you’ll see all the files you can recover. * After the scan, pick what you want to save and click “Recover.” * iBoysoft will handle the rest and dump your files to a spot on your MacBook.
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Mark Bradley
2025-08-12
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JA
Jeff Anderson
2025-08-15
Yeah, you can recover data from a dead SSD sometimes, depending on the situation. A dead disk doesn’t always mean the data’s totally gone. You could go for a local data recovery service or try some recovery software. But before you jump in, there’s some key stuff to think about: (Local Recovery Service vs. Data Recovery Software) * What devices they work with * What kind of issues they can deal with * How much it’ll cost * How long it’ll take * Any risks involved * What you gotta prep for Wanna dig deeper into this? Check out this video:
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Oliver Powell
2025-08-18
SSDs are a game-changer for storage, no doubt. Still, data loss can happen, even with SSDs. The good news? You can often recover lost data using solid data recovery software built for SSDs. Most software out there works great for HDDs but flops with SSDs. That said, Stellar Data Recovery is a top pick for SSD recovery on both Mac and Windows. Wanna learn more about picking the right tool? Check this link: https://www.stellarinfo.com/blog/best-ssd-data-recovery-software-mac-windows/ Hope that’s useful!
PH
Patrick Headley
2025-08-18
SSDs gotta wipe a cell clean before writing new stuff to it, so recovering overwritten data is pretty much a long shot. If your SSD’s kaput, a data recovery company might be able to swap in a new memory controller and pull your data out. Honestly, the smartest move is to back up your stuff on at least two external drives before your main drive crashes or gets overwritten.
S-PS|DST
Spokeo - People Search | Dating Safety Tool
2025-08-18
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MH
Mark Hahn
2025-08-22
If your storage device isn’t showing up, you’re kinda screwed unless you wanna shell out for pricey recovery services. Still, there’s a couple things worth a shot. Don’t bother with a USB adapter—it just adds another way for things to go wrong with its firmware. I’d try plugging into a different SATA port first, or even better, a whole different computer (your SATA port, controller, or power supply might be the issue). Also, flash memory can be funky with temperature—was your SSD running super hot or cold? Been powered off for a while? There’s some talk about how the SSD’s controller handles charge drift when it’s not powered. Maybe the device is just super confused—try leaving it powered on for a few hours, then restart the computer. Slim chance, but maybe the firmware sorts itself out and shows up on SATA again. Bottom line: hope you’ve got a backup.
SK
Shiva Kumar
2025-08-25
You might not be able to recover the data yourself, but the SSD’s manufacturer probably can. Data in an SSD is stored as 1s and 0s, basically electrons trapped in floating gate transistors. Unless the SSD got hit with some crazy extreme conditions, not all the blocks (groups of transistors arranged a certain way) will fail at once (failed means the transistors can’t hold the electrons anymore). If that hasn’t happened, your data’s likely still there in the SSD. If the operating system can’t see the drive, it might be a firmware issue. You could try starting an RMA (return merchandise authorization) to send it back to the manufacturer. Their failure analysis team can use special tools to figure out what went wrong and might be able to pull the data off the NAND flash, as long as the critical firmware data blocks are still good.
NJ
Nivedita Jha
2025-08-25
SSDs don’t have moving parts, so they’re safe from physical damage or errors caused by that kinda stuff. But they’re still not perfect and can have issues, and unlike hard disks, they don’t give you a heads-up when they’re about to crash. Instead of spinning disks, SSDs store data in NAND flash, which is made of transistors that hold their charge even without power. This setup makes recovering data from SSDs trickier. There’s a bunch of SSD recovery software you can grab or buy, but honestly, they don’t always work great. Your best bet is to hit up a professional SSD recovery expert.
BD
Ben Drury
2025-08-28
Recovering data from SSDs is way tougher than from mechanical drives ‘cause of how the data’s stored. Mechanical drives use magnetic tracks, and even if one track gets messed up or scratched, other parallel tracks can often save the day for recovery. SSDs, though, store data using charge levels in capacitors, so when data’s gone, you usually need a data recovery specialist to dig it out of an inaccessible drive. There’s software out there claiming it can recover SSD data, but I’ve never had any luck with it, even though I’ve pulled off tons of recoveries on super faulty mechanical drives using different software before.
LD
Lisa Dawson
2025-08-31
You’ve nailed the whole frugal thing—making your own coffee, dodging those sneaky Target dollar-spot traps, and saying no to overpriced avocado toast (cue the millennial eye-roll). But those darn monthly bills just won’t quit. We feel ya, and we’re here to dish out the ultimate guide to ditching the burden of rent, utilities, phone bills, insurance, and groceries. Wanna free up some cash? Here’s the frugal playbook: 1. Interest: Quit Feeding Your Credit Card Company If you’re drowning in credit card debt, you get it—the stress, the crazy interest rates, the feeling you’ll never break free… Truth is, your credit card company doesn’t care. It’s just raking in cash with insane rates, some as high as 36%. But there’s a site called AmOne that’s got your back. If you owe $100,000 or less, AmOne can hook you up with a low-interest loan to wipe out all your balances. The perk? You’ll have just one bill a month. And with personal loans starting at 6.40% APR, you’ll ditch debt way faster. Plus, no credit card payment this month. You don’t need a stellar credit score, and checking your options won’t ding your score. AmOne keeps your info safe and secure—probably why they’ve got an A+ with the Better Business Bureau after 20 years. Takes less than a minute and 10 questions to see what loans you can get—no Social Security number needed. Just give a real phone number, and don’t worry, they won’t blow up your phone. 2. Insurance: Ditch Your Overpriced Car Insurance You might not notice, but your car insurance is probably ripping you off. They’re banking on you not catching it. Good news: it’s an easy fix. Skip the hassle of browsing insurance sites. Insurify lays out all your options at once—folks using it save up to $1,025 a year. Tell ‘em a bit about you and your car, and they’ll send tailored quotes to compare and pick the best deal. No calls, no spam, just happy users (4.7 on Trustpilot). Sick of overpaying? Spend five minutes with Insurify to see how much you can save. 3. Bank Fees: Make Your Money Grow 10x Faster With an Online Account If you’re with a regular brick-and-mortar bank, your money’s barely growing (0.40%? Come on). But here’s the deal: SoFi Checking and Savings (member FDIC) offers up to 3.80% APY on savings with direct deposit or $5,000+ in Qualifying Deposits, and 0.50% APY on checking—savings APY is 10x the national average. A direct deposit of $1K+ not only boosts your returns but also gets you closer to a $300 welcome bonus (terms apply). Deposit checks with your phone’s camera, transfer money, and hit up customer service via chat or call. No account fees, no monthly fees, no overdraft fees. Your cash is FDIC insured (up to $3M extra through SoFi’s program). It’s a breeze to open a SoFi Checking and Savings account (member FDIC) and watch your money grow like crazy. 3. Eating Out: Make $1000/Month Reviewing Stuff You Love Everything’s pricier now, so we gotta find ways to earn more. You can mix fun and work to pocket an extra $500 a month. Just sign up on a site called Kashkick from your phone or computer. They’ll show you all kinds of money-making gigs like answering surveys, playing games, watching videos, or reviewing stuff—you choose what to do. Cash out quick and secure via PayPal with just $10 in earnings. Ready for a raise? Join Kashkick and make money in your spare time. 4. Entertainment: Earn $225/Month Watching Movie Previews Think you can get paid to watch videos on your computer? Sounds nuts, right? But it’s legit. Sign up for a free InboxDollars account, and you could pocket up to $225 a month. They send daily short surveys you can do while watching baking videos or keeping up with Kardashian drama. It’s not a full-time gig, but it’s an easy way to earn while chilling on the couch. Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays cash—no points or gift cards. They’ve paid out over $56 million to users. Takes a minute to sign up, and you get a $5 bonus right away.
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Toby Dillon
2025-09-04
It’d take a miracle, honestly. I use SSDs for all the workstations at my job, but I always tell folks straight-up: “If there’s data you can’t afford to lose, keep it on the server—it’s backed up there.” ‘Cause once an SSD craps out, it’s pretty much game over.
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Gaurav Sharma
2025-09-08
Advanced File Recovery is legit one of the top tools for getting back lost data from a formatted SSD. I’d totally recommend giving this software a shot to recover your SSD data.
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Jagadish Bhatta
2025-09-08
No promises you’ll get all your files back, but you can give data recovery software a whirl and see what happens. Stellar Data Recovery is a solid one to try. There’s also some free recovery software out there worth checking out. But if your data’s super important, I’d say go for a professional data recovery service. Yeah, they’ll cost more, but your odds of getting your files back are way better.
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Gaurav Sharma
2025-09-10
Advanced File Recovery is one of the best tools out there for pulling lost data off a formatted SSD. I’d say give this software a try to get your SSD data back.
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CJ Hardy
2025-09-10
If neither Windows nor Linux can see the hardware, I hate to break it to ya, but you’re probably outta luck. Old-school spinning drives could sometimes be coaxed back to life for a bit—like by freezing them or other hacks—to grab the data. Far as I know, SSDs don’t have those kinda tricks. If the drive’s not recognized, that’s pretty much the end of the line.
JH
Jeff Hawkins
2025-09-10
This is exactly why we back stuff up. That said, there used to be companies that could recover data using some fancy custom gear they built. It was a one-time, crazy expensive thing. They might do SSD analysis and repair these days too. Probably some parts of an SSD can fail but still leave data recoverable… but yeah, this is why we back things up.
TC
Tim Cole
2025-09-15
A lotta computer issues come from loose connectors that wiggle free over time. First thing I’d do is check all the cables. Might not fix it, but it’s usually a quick check (even if some connectors are a pain to reach), and it can’t hurt. Next, try popping the SSD out and hooking it up to another computer. SATA-USB adapters are pretty cheap, and they make backing up or restoring data way less of a hassle—so you’ve got no excuse not to do it. (Let’s be real, nobody loves backing up data!) If the SSD still won’t read, you gotta assume the data’s toast. I always make sure anything important to me is backed up on two different devices, with at least one being a regular spinning magnetic disk drive. Best of luck.
AV
Andrei Vida-Rațiu
2025-09-18
Have you tried plugging it into a different computer and booting from a Linux live USB (like Kali or another Linux Toolbox) to see if you can mount the partition? If it’s not an interface issue, you should still be able to read the data.
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Spsingh
2025-09-23
If your system can still see the SSD, you can try some free recovery software to get your data back, or grab one of those SSD casings out there to help recover your stuff.
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Patrick Keating
2025-09-26
If the simple fixes don’t cut it, you’re left with the pricey options. Data recovery’s a serious business, and the pros expect to get paid well for their work. You gotta be real with yourself—how much is that lost data actually worth? Is it critical, or just nice to have? If it’s just for convenience, let it go. But if it’s truly important, search for “professional data recovery” online. Just know it’ll cost a chunk, and there’s no guarantee they’ll get it back. Also, ask yourself: why was this data only in one spot? Anything that matters should be saved in at least two places so a drive failure doesn’t screw you over. Bottom line: back up your stuff!
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Begtin Ivan
2025-09-26
There’s some commercial forensics software that might do the trick. Check out this article, Recovering Evidence from SSD Drives in 2014: Understanding TRIM, Garbage Collection and Exclusions—it breaks down how SSD recovery works and points you to some useful software links.
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Maria P.
2025-10-01
If recovery software isn’t doing the job, the data on your SSD’s probably already been overwritten. SSDs get TRIMed super fast, and once that happens, recovery’s pretty much off the table.
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Daryl Larsen
2025-10-01
Depends on how toast your SSD is. If it doesn’t even pop up in the BIOS, you’re kinda screwed—only shot might be a data recovery company, maybe. If it’s showing in the BIOS, though, you got a chance with some software tools to pull the data off. No way to tell ‘til you give it a go. Google something like “dead SSD data recovery” to find what tools are out there. Good luck!
JVS
Joep Van Steen
2025-10-14
I looked at the first 4 answers, and they’re all nonsense, just spammy ads pushing software that’s useless. Like those folks never heard of TRIM. Want the real deal? Keep reading… SSDs (well, the NAND chips in ‘em) need erased blocks all the time ‘cause they can only write to empty pages, not overwrite like a hard drive can. Pages make up a block, and erasing a block is one of the slowest things a NAND does. That’s all you need to get why SSDs proactively erase blocks—it’s faster than waiting for an erase when you need to write. When you delete a file or format the drive, the OS (Windows or Mac) tells the SSD what data’s gone so it can start erasing those blocks early. It does this with the ATA TRIM command, which basically says, “Yo, we don’t need blocks 100–200 anymore.” (TRIM’s for ATA; SCSI and SD cards have their own similar commands.) Then the SSD yanks those blocks (100–200) out of addressable space. If you try to read them, the SSD just spits back zeros without even checking the blocks! So, all that spammy software recovers is a bunch of zeroed-out files. A pro lab might still save your data by flipping the SSD into ‘techno mode’ or ‘factory mode’ with a $10,000+ gadget, but if your data’s worth that, power the drive off now—I’ll explain why soon. Running recovery software yourself is a terrible idea; it’ll tank your chances! Back to those ‘trimmed’ blocks: the SSD sets them aside but doesn’t erase them right away—they’re ‘stale’ pages. Writes to blocks 100–200 go to other pre-erased blocks, and the SSD tracks what’s where with a table (LBA to PBA). Eventually, the SSD’s garbage collection kicks in and wipes those trimmed blocks for good—then your data’s gone forever. That’s why keeping the drive powered on for DIY recovery is bad if the data matters; it gives the firmware time to erase those blocks it set aside. So, not only do those spammy tools recover nothing, they waste your precious time! Bottom line: you probably can’t recover data from a formatted SSD yourself. Every minute you mess around lowers the odds a lab can help. Exceptions? Sure, sometimes TRIM doesn’t kick in right away or at all—like if the SSD’s in a USB 2 enclosure, TRIM won’t reach it, and the whole process I described doesn’t happen. But generally, you’re not recovering data without a PC3000 SSD/Portable and serious know-how. Oh, and check out this video by my pal Krzys, a forensic and data recovery pro from Data Rescue Labs (no, he didn’t pay me to say this):
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Michael McQueen
2025-10-14
If you’re clueless about block devices, you’re kinda stuck. But if you know the filesystems on your drive’s partitions, each non-compressed type has a filesystem checker tool that can sideload or recover data from bad sectors. They’re not perfect (duh, the data’s already messed up), but journaling and mirroring filesystems are pretty decent at piecing together corrupted stuff. Here’s what you do: figure out the block devices on the disk, check the filesystem type, and run the fsck tool for that type. On my Linux setup, I’d open a terminal and do: * lsblk -f (to see partition info) * fsck.ext4 /dev/sda3 (runs fsck for ext4 on the 3rd partition of disk “sda”). After that, my files are as good as I’m gonna get without paying or diving into the bad sectors myself. You only asked half the question, but the other half’s crucial, so I’ll cover it. Whether you can keep using the drive after fsck depends on its type and age. --- For a USB drive used lightly for read-only stuff, bad sectors might just be from an overly aggressive write burning a spot. Once that’s flagged and offloaded, it’s probably okay short-term—but replace it if it needs to be reliable “…continues in next comment due to length” or handle heavy use. SSDs? Could be on their last legs, or maybe just a few bits flopped—either natural failure or a bad copy. If it’s dying, you’ll see constant corruption and data loss. If it’s just a few bad sectors, fsck might fix it, and you’re good. One’s a big problem where fsck only buys time; the other’s a full fix. HDDs are weird ‘cause they split into two camps based on specs. High-speed drives have tight tolerances and fast actuators, so mechanical failure’s likely early on, starting with a few bad sectors. Newer Seagate drives are notorious for this but offer 20TB and 6Gb/s speeds—people either accept the tradeoff or don’t bother fighting it. Slower HDDs? If there’s no rhythmic clicking, you can usually ignore it post-fsck or fix the board/connectors for ongoing issues. Clicking means you’re screwed—move the data ASAP. These slower ones are the “last forever” drives, chugging along at 200–500Mb/s (or even 10Mb/s for old ones). --- For serious problems, don’t toss the drive right away. Fsck gives you a window to grab a new drive and transfer data before it dies completely. For minor issues, I shouldn’t say ignore them—I should say replace when convenient. But those drives can last decades with barely any issues. Since being overly cautious feels wasteful, I’ll just say “use your judgment” for the small stuff.
HE
HealingMindNOS
2025-10-14
I just did a clean install of openSUSE 15.6. Copied etc and var to root no problem. But when I got to the home folder, it was 112 GB to copy; took forever and then crashed at the last 12GB. The data drive vanished from dolphin superuser. Dolphin said something about the drive structure being messed up. Couldn’t mount the drive anymore. Swapped USB slots, didn’t help. Tried restarting, and 15.6 went into emergency mode. Had to reinstall again. Now all my files are stuck. I’m okay starting fresh, but I really need those personal files. What tools in 15.6 can help recover them? Thanks a bunch. Randolph
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arvidjaar
2025-10-27
Don’t you have the original source you were copying from?
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marel
2025-10-27
I read your post three times, but I’m still confused about what’s happening, which isn’t great. Did you accidentally copy something over another thing? Could you share the output of “inxi -dpo” and point out which part of it is the “failed SSD”?
HE
HealingMindNOS
2025-11-03
I’m on Windows right now. I’ll grab a screenshot of the issue later today. Didn’t think to have multiple backups; just got this one SSD as a backup on a USB drive. Can’t mount the SSD via USB at the moment. Windows says it’s a “healthy partition.” The USB drive itself is fine since I’m using it to back up Windows.
HE
HealingMindNOS
2025-11-06
Dolphin’s saying “Structure needs cleaning.” Can you let me know what tools I can use to fix this? [failedssd_structureneedscleaning1154×854 92 KB](https://forums.opensuse.org/uploads/default/original/3X/4/a/4a391a28447ac994f1f61196b38eb6fb559fbeeb.jpeg "failedssd_structureneedscleaning")
Alright, thanks for sharing the “inxi” output. Your Gigastone SSD is /dev/sdf, and it’s got an xfs partition at /dev/sdf1. A quick search for “xfs repair” pulled up this: ### [3.5. Repairing an XFS File System | Red Hat Product Documentation](https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/7/html/storage_administration_guide/xfsrepair) 3.5. Repairing an XFS File System | Red Hat Documentation 1
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HealingMindNOS
2025-11-25
Got all my personal files back! Needed to use -L in the command, but everything’s safe and sound. Thanks a ton!
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Got a replacement drive coming. I’d love to copy all the data from the failed SSD to the new one, if that’s doable. The SSD LED blinks red when I start the PC, so maybe it’s not totally gone. Can I handle this myself? Thanks folks
Reading other comments, I’m starting to think SSDs aren’t as dependable as old-school hard drives (the spinning ones).
> Is this possible to do on my own?
Nope, because
> The main drive (Teamgroup MP33 ssd) no longer shows up in BIOS
That’s game over for DIY recovery. If it’s not in BIOS, no software can touch it.
> Lesson learned, I'm sticking with Samsung from now on.
Teamgroup makes some of the worst SSDs out there, but even better ones can fail suddenly, going from working to dead fast. Only real fix is solid backups.
Weird thing is, this drive did this once before. A quick reboot fixed it, so I’m hoping it magically comes back and I can recover my data. Fingers crossed, and thanks for the tips.
Did they charge $50 just to say it’s unreadable and $200 to recover if it was possible?
Funny thing? Samsung could avoid all this if they offered data recovery. They know the chip and proprietary stuff inside out—could probably decrypt and fix it easy.