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Iโve got Surface Pro 4 Ready for the Recycle Bin but I want to Keep the internal SSD and use as a USB portable storage. I removed it from the Surface plugged it in to another computer and tried to initialize it and format but of course I cannot. The drive was set up as MBR and has secure boot enabled (Bit locker turned off). Iโve now put it back into the surface from which it came. How can I delete the partition(s) or reformat it so I can can use it elsewhere as a clean drive. Any help or suggesting is really apprecitated!
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once back in the Surface Pro, can you log into that device and use it?
that is, you know the password?
if you do, then while you canโt reformat the system drive while it is in use, there are other avenues available but due to forum rules, I donโt think we can help you go any further as we have no way of knowing you arenโt trying to get into someone elseโs gear. -
If you donโt require any files on the old SSD then try diskpart:
Plug the SSD into another computer & then open powershell with admin & enter:
dispart
list disk
select disk X (where X is the number of the drive you wish to clean).
Clean
Exit
Exit
Then go to disk management & you should be able to initialise the drive & format it.Comment
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OK, yes That makes sense and I understand. Not only am I new here, there is no way for me to prove that Iโm not just trying to hack anotherโs gear. I suppose I could show you a pic of the inside (I can tell you, getting a surface apart is no small feat). This thing is so old the battery fried so I bought a replacement and while powered up, it ballooned out like popcon. Iโve been using this thing as YouTube Surfer attached to a dock and my TV in the Living Room . At the same time I replaced the battery, I upgraded the SSD to a Samsung EVO 970 Pro - but now that the battery is less than stable, I just want to repurpose that drive. I know rules are rules, but if thereโs any chance you can help, Iโm grateful, if not I understand.. In the meantime, Iโll try Acronis Drive Cleanser and see if deleting the partitions will do it for me. Iโll know in a couple of minutes.Originally posted by BruceComment
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Post or attach a picture of the drive including the top sticker.Comment
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Thank You. Hereโs the drive in and the drive out
[ATTACH type=โfullโ]8673[/ATTACH][ATTACH type=โfullโ]8674[/ATTACH]Comment
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what I have done in the past for NVMeโs and mSATA SSDโs that have come out of other PCโs, is to put them into an external enclosure, like these;
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Thanks for the image some of the surface divers are proprietary and can only be used recognized by that type of system.
Which should not be the case here.
Using what something similar to what @BruceOriginally posted by holsen
Can the surface still see it in the BIOS?
Can it be seen by Windows install media?
Using the command prompt for here.
See if Diskpart can see it following the instructions from post #3 many need to use the โclean allโ (without the quotes) which will take longer since it will zero out the drive.Comment
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Thanks, I do have NVMe enclosures.Originally posted by Brucewhat I have done in the past for NVMeโs and mSATA SSDโs that have come out of other PCโs, is to put them into an external enclosure, like these;
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When I pulled the drive on Saturday and plugged it into another PC, using Both Diskpart and Disk Management - the system could recognize the disk but couldnt initialize it. I figured it was because it was the boot drive on the Surface - so I put it back in the Surface and ran disk cleanser from Acronis. When that completed, I pulled the disk again, put it in the NVMe to USB adapter / enclosure and plugged it back into the 2nd PC - now it simply doesnt show up using dispart nor Disk management. Iโm afraid I went through all of that to simply kill a perfectly good Evo SSD. If there are any other suggestions to ressurect this thing Iโd be grateful otherwise Iโll just take a hammer to it :LOL:Originally posted by Rustys
Actually now that I think of it, I used drive cleanser to delete all the partitions and overwrite the entire disk - maybe I could try to repartition the disk - but then again, it doesnt even show up in the list of available drives - so maybe thereโs nothing I can do.Comment
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so that was in BIOS with the NVMe in the enclosure?Originally posted by holsen
and after the swap, cleanse, and swap back, now it canโt?Comment
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Thatโs exactly correct. I originally opened the Surface, pulled the SSD put it in the enclosure and the the disk could be recognized but not initialized. I took it out of the the enclsure, put it back in the surface and cleansed it. Then I put the cleansed SSD back into the enclosuer and now it isnt even recognized.Originally posted by BruceComment
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Post a complete screen shot of Drive Manager with the drive attached.
So, the Surface cannot even see it ether now?Comment
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Do you still need assistance?Comment
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Hey, Yes and thank you for checking in. I caught up in a project. Hereโs a screenshot of the Disk Management console with 500GB nvme Samsung Evo 970 attached via USB 3.0 nvmee enclosure. It simply doesnt register. The Blue LED on the enclosure lights to confirm power but the drive is unrecognizaeable.Originally posted by Rustys
Just to reiterate. This was the primary (only) drive the MS Surface Pro 4 it was removed from.
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[li]Before removing it from the Surface I disabled bitlocker and ensured that the drive was completely unencrypeted be fore I removed it.[/li][li]I removed it, put it in the enclosure and attached to a desktop PC and both Disk Manager and Diskpart recognized the drive[/li][li]Athough the drive was recognized, I could not format it, delete the partitions or othewise access it - it was simply seen be the system[/li][li]I assumed the reason I couldnt delete the partitions or format the drive was because it was configured as the oerating system for the Surface and perhaps the TPM wasnt allowing access to it outside the system from which it was taken[/li][li]I put it back in the Surface and booted right up into windows 10.[/li][li]Since I was disposing of the surface anyway, I ran Acronis Drive Cleanser to wipe everything on the disk hoping I could them put it back in the NVMe enclosure and format / partition it.[/li][li]No Diceโฆ No system recognizes this disk now including the Surface.[/li][/ul]
I dont know what else to explain and I dont know what other pictures to supply. I sure would like to repurpose this disk but cant think of anything else to do with it,
I appreciate all your feedback and suggestions. Iโm not a technophome Iโm generally speaking pretty technically literate for a layperson. I can absolutely assure that I had / have the disk properly inserted into the encolusure and and have tried to have it recognized on 3 different PCs. Before wiping the drive it was recognized but inaccessible. Post wiping the drive itโs neither recognized nor accessible.
If you can think of anything else I could try, Iโll try it and thank you with gratitude. Otherwise I will just take a hammer and chisel to it and toss it. Itโs a shame it was a nice drive and would have made a pretty good portable USB storage device.
In the attached screenshot, the Samsung listed is an internally mounted mSata II Evo 840Comment
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