An early Samsung SSD.
The single most important step to take when a solid-state drive (SSD) fails is to immediately power it down and physically disconnect it from the computer.
We’ll explain why in a moment — but if you’re having SSD issues, we recommend disconnecting your drive immediately, before reading any further. Modern SSDs have processes that can permanently erase data on a failing drive.
Below, we’ll explain why powering down is critical. We’ll also outline the risks of using data recovery software on a failed SSD and provide a safe action plan to maximize your chances of a successful recovery.
Why Should I Power Down My SSD After Failure?
When an SSD fails, your first instinct might be to reboot the computer or try to access the files again. That’s probably what you’d do if data loss occurred on a hard disk drive (HDD) — but on an SSD, even a reboot may exacerbate data loss.
Two primary risks come with keeping a failed SSD powered on:
- TRIM Commands: Modern operating systems use the TRIM command to tell an SSD which data blocks are no longer needed (for example, after you delete a file). The SSD’s controller then permanently erases the data in those blocks to prepare the space for future writes. If your SSD has a corrupted file system or is failing, the OS might incorrectly issue TRIM commands, actively wiping the data you want to recover.
- Electrical and Firmware Damage: Many SSD failures are caused by issues with the electronic components on the circuit board or corruption in the drive’s firmware (the internal software that controls the drive). Keeping the drive powered on can worsen a short circuit or cause more damage to the controller or NAND memory chips.
We occasionally encounter cases in our labs in which a drive that was initially recoverable becomes a total loss because of repeated power cycles after the initial failure.
To be clear, operating a drive won’t necessarily make the SSD unrecoverable — the extent of the damage will depend on the failure scenario. But your best bet is to keep everything powered down until you can get professional assistance.
The Dangers of DIY Software on a Failing SSD
We don’t recommend data recovery software for several reasons — but mostly because misusing software can cause permanent data loss. You typically get one chance to recover your data from a failing drive; if you’re not 100% sure that you know what you’re doing, we wouldn’t risk it. Learn more about the dangers of using data recovery software.
On an SSD, data recovery software can carry additional risks:
- Software is for Healthy Drives: Standard data recovery software (while we don’t directly endorse products, popular tools include Recuva or Disk Drill) is designed to handle logical data loss, such as accidental deletion or formatting on a fully functional drive. It cannot fix a failed controller or bypass firmware errors.
- On SSDs, Deleted File Recovery is Challenging: Given that SSDs handle deletion requests differently than traditional SSDs, software has almost no chance of restoring deleted files on an SSD. Learn about the challenges of recovering deleted files from SSDs.
- Software Causes Unnecessary Stress: Scanning a drive with software forces it to read every block, which puts significant stress on already-failing components. That can accelerate the degradation of the NAND memory cells or cause the controller to overheat and fail completely.
Steps to Take When an SSD Fails
Your goal is to preserve the drive in its current state to give a professional recovery engineer the best possible chance of success.
- Power Down and Disconnect. As soon as you suspect an SSD failure (e.g., the drive disappears, the system won’t boot, files are corrupt), shut down the computer. Don’t just reboot — perform a full shutdown.
- Do Not Reconnect It. Resist the temptation to plug the drive into another computer to “see if it works.”
- Document Everything. Write down the events that led to the failure. What were you doing when it happened? Did you see any specific error messages? Was the drive running slowly beforehand? Were there any strange noises (though rare for SSDs, it can happen with certain electronic failures)?
- Contact a Professional Data Recovery Service. A failed SSD requires specialized hardware and a cleanroom environment. Professional engineers can use tools to read data directly from the NAND memory chips (a process called “chip-off” recovery) or interface with the drive’s firmware in a diagnostic mode to bypass the errors..
Get Help with SSD Data Loss
At Datarecovery.com, we specialize in recovering data from even the most complex SSD failures. Our engineers work in ISO-certified cleanrooms using proprietary hardware and techniques to safely extract data from damaged controllers and failing NAND chips. We offer a risk-free evaluation, and our “no data, no charge” guarantee means you don’t pay unless we recover the files you need.
If you’ve experienced an SSD failure and need to get your data back, we are here to help. Contact us at 1-800-237-4200 for a free consultation or submit your case online.
