I've 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). I've 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!
Repurpose C Drive SSD from Surface
- Thread starter holsen
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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 can't reformat the system drive while it is in use, there are other avenues available but due to forum rules, I don't think we can help you go any further as we have no way of knowing you aren't trying to get into someone else's gear.
that is, you know the password?
if you do, then while you can't reformat the system drive while it is in use, there are other avenues available but due to forum rules, I don't think we can help you go any further as we have no way of knowing you aren't trying to get into someone else's gear.
If you don’t 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.
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.
OK, yes That makes sense and I understand. Not only am I new here, there is no way for me to prove that I'm not just trying to hack another's 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. I've 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 there's any chance you can help, I'm grateful, if not I understand.. In the meantime, I'll try Acronis Drive Cleanser and see if deleting the partitions will do it for me. I'll know in a couple of minutes.
The disk is officially dead. I wiped it with Acronis Drive Cleanser and now on another PC connect by USB, neither Diskpart or Easus Martition Master caan "see" the drive. I don't know if there's anything I can do. But at this point - thi drive is out, rendered useless and if anyone can help me turn it into a useable portable drive, I'd be most appreciative.
what I have done in the past for NVMe's and mSATA SSD's that have come out of other PC's, is to put them into an external enclosure, like these;
www.umart.com.au
Simplecom NVMe M.2 SSD to USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C Enclosure (SE509) - Umart.com.au
Buy Simplecom NVMe M.2 SSD to USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C Enclosure (SE509) - Buy Now, Pay Later + FREE pick-up & same day dispatch!
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.
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 "clean all" (without the quotes) which will take longer since it will zero out the drive.
Which should not be the case here.
Using what something similar to what @Bruce
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 "clean all" (without the quotes) which will take longer since it will zero out the drive.
Thanks, I do have NVMe enclosures.what I have done in the past for NVMe's and mSATA SSD's that have come out of other PC's, is to put them into an external enclosure, like these;
Simplecom NVMe M.2 SSD to USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C Enclosure (SE509) - Umart.com.au
Buy Simplecom NVMe M.2 SSD to USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C Enclosure (SE509) - Buy Now, Pay Later + FREE pick-up & same day dispatch!
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. I'm 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 I'd be grateful otherwise I'll just take a hammer to it
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 there's nothing I can do.
so that was in BIOS with the NVMe in the enclosure?
and after the swap, cleanse, and swap back, now it can't?
That's 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.
Post a complete screen shot of Drive Manager with the drive attached.
So, the Surface cannot even see it ether now?
So, the Surface cannot even see it ether now?
Hey, Yes and thank you for checking in. I caught up in a project. Here's 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.
Just to reiterate. This was the primary (only) drive the MS Surface Pro 4 it was removed from.
- Before removing it from the Surface I disabled bitlocker and ensured that the drive was completely unencrypeted be fore I removed it.
- I removed it, put it in the enclosure and attached to a desktop PC and both Disk Manager and Diskpart recognized the drive
- Athough the drive was recognized, I could not format it, delete the partitions or othewise access it - it was simply seen be the system
- 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
- I put it back in the Surface and booted right up into windows 10.
- 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.
- No Dice...... No system recognizes this disk now including the Surface.
I appreciate all your feedback and suggestions. I'm not a technophome I'm 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 it's neither recognized nor accessible.
If you can think of anything else I could try, I'll try it and thank you with gratitude. Otherwise I will just take a hammer and chisel to it and toss it. It's 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 840
Attachments
have you tried it in a Linux PC?
does BIOS see it?
does your motherboard have a m.2 slot you can plug it into? or do any of the other PC's you have tried?
does BIOS see it?
does your motherboard have a m.2 slot you can plug it into? or do any of the other PC's you have tried?
If you still have it and can boot from install media? BIOS?
You did take correct safety precautions handling the drive, correct?
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