Is there a way to fix bad sectors/blocks in SSD?

[John Connor]

From this thread, https://forums.anandtech.com/posts/38708699/

I was hoping to recover some of my data from a non functional SSD. I looked a Victoria, but I couldn't understand how to use it to save my life. Using a SATA to USB adapter and pluging the SSD to my laptop and doing a check disk, it won't even scan. I'm wondering if NAND or something is completely shoot.

 

[UsandThem]

I think that is one of the downsides of SSDs. When they die/begin to die, depending on what state they enter into (like a read only state), the data is almost impossible to retrieve.

With spinning disks, people can mail them in to data recovery business ($$$), and they can recover it many times because of how it is stored on the platter.

Maybe someone has a more hopeful answer than I do, but from my understanding you might just be out of luck. This is why backups of irreplaceable data are so very important, even more so with SSDs.

I hope somebody comes along that has a way I am unaware of for you to possibly save your data.

 

[Elixer]

If the BIOS can't even see the SSD, then, there is no way to get the data back, besides sending it to a professional recovery service. I know someone who paid $2000 to have the NAND transplanted to a newer SSD, but, that SSD didn't have encryption.

If the drive is still seen, then clone that sucker as fast as you can, then rewrite that cloned image to a new partition, and then use something like testdisk to try to recover as much as you can.

 

[John Connor]

I can try to clone, but it seems as soon as it reads a certain block/sector (do SSDs have sectors?) it stops.

 

[Elixer]

I can try to clone, but it seems as soon as it reads a certain block/sector (do SSDs have sectors?) it stops.

Use ddresecue.
They have virtual sectors so to speak.

 

[John Connor]

I don't have a Linux computer free to run that. Can I install Ddrescue while using a live disk?

 

[John Connor]

So I burned Linux MInt on a DVD and installed Ddrescue GUI. It's scanning now, but it says at the bottom something about rescanning sectors or something. I think it isn't able to find any data either because it's encrypted data or the damn SSD is FUBAR. It did find one bad block.

 

[Elixer]

Yeah, ddresecue will keep trying at a sector for X number of times, then give up, and move on to the next.

 

[John Connor]

Well, no dice. Ddrescue couldn't copy off one bit of data.

 

[mxnerd]

try

http://www.easeus.com/datarecoverywizard/free-data-recovery-software.htm

 

[John Connor]

I already tried that. Keep in mind this data is encrypted.

 

[mxnerd]

I already tried that. Keep in mind this data is encrypted.

Oops.

 

[Shmee]

If you really need the data, I would pony up and send to Drive savers or Data Rescue center.
EDIT: If you want to keep trying yourself, I do have a few tips. Try a native SATA connection, works much better than USB generally. Also, try Parted Magic, it may have a few tools that may help, including ddrescue. About $5, and a very useful bootable tool to have.

 

[John Connor]

Do you know how much a data recovery service would cost for the retrieval of 120GB? If it's the price of a new computer I'll just say forget it.

 

[Shmee]

Well, it depends on the type of computer AFAIK, they only charge you if they get you your data(At least this is with Drive savers.) As for pricing, probably around $800 to $2000 would be my guess.

 

[twelfth]

Do you know how much a data recovery service would cost for the retrieval of 120GB? If it's the price of a new computer I'll just say forget it.

Friend lost a term paper he was working on to a drive that died. He had it sent to a data recovery company. He basically broke it down by saying it would have been cheaper for him to fail the class and retake it 10 times and buy new books each time.

 

[Elixer]

Professional SSD revival is even more expensive than HDs.
Once the SSD goes into panic mode, there are really no good ways for consumers to get the data back.
They don't want to reset the controller on a encrypted SSD, since that generates a new key, and then if it comes down to it, they transfer the NAND chips, they must also transfer the encryption chip EPROM as well.
Lots of man hours involved in doing this, it adds up fast.

 

[John Connor]

I don't use something like that. I just use TrueCrypt.

If I could get the data back I could still mount the drive I copied to.

Bout a new SSD. I'll keep the old one until perhaps I find another solution or get rich and am able to use a data recovery business. The data is important, but not thousands of dollars important.

 

[tommo123]

I don't use something like that. I just use TrueCrypt.

If I could get the data back I could still mount the drive I copied to.

Bout a new SSD. I'll keep the old one until perhaps I find another solution or get rich and am able to use a data recovery business. The data is important, but not thousands of dollars important.

with SSDs won't the drive lose all data anyway if it's not powered for a long time? as in you can't put it aside and save up for it?

 

[corkyg]

Data loss by SSDs if no power for "long time" is part truth and part myth,

I have three SSDs that are not connected to power. They are all bootable system SSDs (2 850 EVO and 1 835 - all Sammies.) The have been in powerless storage for over 6 months, and I recently ran all of them. Not a problem at all. I guess :long time" needs to be defined. A 4th SSD is installed in a laptop with the battery removed and it routinely goes weeks without being powered up and booted. Again, a Samsung 835, and no loss of data has ever occurred.

 

[David Johnson]

Hello John,

SSD data recovery is based upon the cause and extent of data loss. If you want to recover one of more file/folder or unintentionally deleted the volume, then you can try for data recovery software. While if one of the flash memory or SSD itself is corrupted, then taking help of data recovery expert is the best solution.