If your computer suddenly stops recognizing your Solid-State Drive (SSD), the cause can range from a simple loose cable to a critical internal failure.  This checklist will guide you through a basic troubleshooting process for an undetected SSD. We’ll cover...

The controller is the brain of your solid-state drive (SSD). It is responsible for critical tasks like translating data locations, managing wear on the memory cells, correcting errors, and performing garbage collection. When an SSD controller fails, you can’t simply...

The Flash Translation Layer (FTL) is a sophisticated software system running on your solid state drive (SSD) controller that acts as a translator. Its primary job is to map the logical addresses your computer uses to the actual physical locations...

A broken hardware wallet (such as a Ledger or Trezor) does not mean your cryptocurrency is lost. Your assets can be fully restored on a new device using your secret recovery seed phrase. The most critical component for regaining...

Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices often utilize some form of RAID (Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks) for redundancy. A single hard drive (or solid-state drive) failure will not cause immediate data loss — the failed drive can be swapped out...

Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices are centralized data hubs that offer convenient access and sharing capabilities. While they’re often redundant, redundancy is not backup — and no storage device is immune to failure.  According to a 2022 report by Uptime ...

Overprovisioning is a technique used in solid-state drive (SSD) engineering in which a portion of the drive’s total storage capacity is reserved and hidden from the user.  If overprovisioning is handled via hardware, this extra space isn’t accessible to you...

You’re selling an old solid-state drive (SSD) — or maybe you’re selling your computer, and you’re including the storage media. How can you make sure that nobody can recover the data and use it maliciously?  The quick answer: Perform a...

Microsoldering is a highly specialized technique in electronics repair that demands precision, expertise, and specialized equipment. It involves repairing small components on a circuit board, which may be no larger than a grain of sand. These components are crucial for...