Traditional HDDs face a lot of challenges including data losses that can only be sorted with data recovery software. However, solid-state drives or SSDs have been a game changer in data management. They come with high speed and reliability that make them a preference to most users today. However, users tend to think that the SSD does not suffer any mechanical failure.
With the technology getting better and better, SSD can now last much longer and perform better over a much longer time. However, it is wrong to think that they do not face any challenges at all. They do fail, although less likely! Read this article to uncover the desired procedure to recover files from SSD drive before you permanently lose all your files. Also, find out some of the reasons why SSDs fail.
Why Do SSDs Fail?
Although there are fewer chances your SSD will fail as opposed to traditional hard drives, they can still fail and you need to be wary of such situations. SSDs do not suffer from tear and wear. However, their failure is largely attributable to capacitor degradation which happens over time, interruptions in power supply, and a dying controller chip.
So, the SSD could remain in good state for a long time, but will be affected or caused to fail by its failing components. Some of the common reasons causing SSDs to fail include:
- Overheating: Overheating could arise due to heavy workload or operating in extreme temperatures. Usually, SSDs are 100% warmer than traditional HDDs.
- Power surge: Since they are primarily made of electronic components such as transistors and capacitors, SSDs highly depend on power supplies.
- Firmware errors: When updating SSD firmware, the process may sometimes fail or get interrupted. These instances could cause your SSD to fail or stop working properly.
- Malware: As the most commonly used storage devices today, they could be easily targeted by cybercriminals. These can easily cause encryption on your data, steal or even leak them. Gross virus attacks may also cause the drive to fail.
- Unsafe usage: Some of the unsafe ways people use the SSD include unsafe removal and continued use of SSD even during power surge. These conditions could cause data or disk corruption, and the SSD could develop bad sectors. If these happen, the driver may stop responding promptly before completely failing.
Further, to safeguard SSDs from unforeseen eventualities, SSD manufacturers test the drives before release to the market and will ensure they are to the best of their levels before release. Some of the specifications that manufacturers give careful consideration include:
- Terabytes Written measurement: TBW details the amount of data that you can write on the SSD before it fails. A 250 GB Samsung 860 EVO SSD for instance is rated 150TBW while a 1 TB model is rated 600TBW. Ratings however vary and depend on the SSD technology used, and of course the manufacturer.
- Program-erase cycle: A program-erase cycle or P/E cycle is the process of writing, erasing and rewriting data to the SSD. Generally, the entire process of writing, deleting and rewriting data is counted as one cycle. The total number of P/E cycles an SSD can withstand in its lifespan depends on hardware used, the SSD technology used, and the manufacturer. P/E cycles for SSDs generally range between 500 and 100,000.
- Measurement of Time Between Failures (MTBF): It describes the reliability of SSD over its lifetime under normal operations. MTBF is measured in tens of thousands.
Can I Recover Data from a Failed SSD?
If you got a failing or failed SSD and are wondering whether you can still recover your data, the answer is yes. There are many ways to get back your files. Disk Drill developed by Clevefiles is some of the top client data recovery tools dedicated to SSD recovery.
However, “As a specialist in data recovery, I would like to clarify that retrieving files from a Solid State Drive (SSD) equipped with the TRIM feature is unattainable. TRIM, an inherent trait in SSDs, operates by flagging deleted data as vacant storage, primed for immediate overwriting. ” – Jeff Cochin, data recovery expert.
Some of the features to look out for include in Disk Drill:
- User interface
- Support for a wide range of SSD devices
- Support for a wide range of file types
- Availability of a free trial version
- File preview supports
- Customer support
Disk Drill
This tool is one of the most popular and successful apps for data recovery. It works on a wide range of storage devices and supports recovery of all forms of data. Offering both freemium and premium options, Disk Drill is a very impressive tool for SSD that fail.
To recover deleted files or lost data from a failed SSD with these tools, you will need to download and install the tools on your PC. Launch the software and scan the SSD for lost files. Data recovery for SSD can be done on the old storage location or a new location depending on the situation. We recommend you send the files to a new location to reduce chances of losing them again.
Wrap Up
Recovering data from a failed SSD may not be a sure bet. However, you can increase your chances by reading this article. Also, the options we provided will help you safeguard the drive to avoid future losses.