Solved SSD no longer recognized by Windows

[Omo]

I need to know whether this is a problem with MBR so I could try and restore it or is it something else (like maybe I should try updating the driver, or uninstall and then reinstall the SSD)? The disk has important data, so I need to use only non-invasive methods for now.

The disk has 2 partitions, one has Windows on it but the partition is inactive, the other has data. I use it as a data disk. Before the problem arose I connected it through Sata (together with an HDD as a system disk) and changed the size of its partitions. Then I connected it again through Sata (but this time with another SSD as the system disk) and changed the drive letters of both partitions. As far as I can remember the SSD was fine after that. The next day (I don’t remember if I restarted the computer or just hibernated it) with both SSDs connected the PC started fine, then I used a search program to find a file on the SSD in question and the search program indexed all the files just fine, but when I double-clicked one of the indexed Word files the Word froze and then some other programs froze. I waited some minutes and then right-clicked on the start button and restarted the PC. It took quite some time for it to restart but when loaded, the SSD in question was not listed in the Explorer.

In BIOS it’s displayed with zero capacity. In Windows Device Manager it was displayed first as something like SS CTC 000000013, but now (a few hours later) is displayed correctly as Intel SSDSA2CW080G3 ATA Device. In Disk Management it says Disk 1 Unknown, 8 Mb Not Initialized.

One more thing: when I was changing drive letters I accidentally made the disk active and immediately after that made inactive again.

 

[Bruce]

first things.... the important data - that isn't backed up anywhere is it?
next... I'd stop using the SSD until you can get your data off it.
take it out of your system and put it into an external USB enclosure.
get the PC booted and working fine without that SSD then connect it via the USB cable and see what can be read.

 

[Omo]

The data was mostly not backed up.
When connected through the USB, everything is exactly the same, except in Device manager it's again displayed as Intel SS CTX 00000131 USB Device.
The other SSD (the active one) however looks weird in its properties (see picture).

 

[Rustys]

What is the drive used for?

On the image in post #3 until you click populate nothing will be there.

You might try using a live version of Linux so you can transfer the needed data that way to an external device.

 

[Omo]

The problem drive is a regular data drive (with one partition being an inactive Windows installation), used together with the other SSD where Windows is installed .

On the image in post #3 until you click populate nothing will be there.

Ok, I see, then everything is fine with the first SSD. Should I click Populate on the problem drive?
Do you mean that Linux can see files on a uninitialized Windows disk?

 

[Bruce]

the Linux option is a good one.
I have had some success using Linux distros to read drives that Windows couldn't.

 

[Omo]

I have installed live Ubuntu on a usb drive. After I have booted from the USB into Ubuntu, is this how I should proceed (taken from an Ubuntu forum):

Make sure you have internet access (see the network icon on the top right)
Open the "Applications" menu and select "Add/Remove..."
In the listbox on the right select: "Show All Available Applications"
Search for "NTFS" and select "NTFS Configuration Tool". Click OK to install it
Run the configuration tool under Applications > System Tools > NTFS Configuration Tool
Select "Enable write support for internal device". Click OK to set it up.
Once you reboot you will find your windows disks under /media (you can access that from Places > Computer > File System > media).

1.Should the problem drive be connected as Sata (prior to rebooting into Ubuntu) or USB?
2.May I have the active Windows drive also connected (as Sata)?

 

[Omo]

I couldn't follow the steps above, they seem to be out-of-date.
I booted into Ubuntu live and first connected a healthy Windows drive through USB and it showed up fine. But when I connected the problem SSD, nothing whatever happened. I waited a few minutes then shut Ubuntu down.
Does it mean Ubuntu can't read this SSD or should I mount it manually or something for Ubuntu to see it?

 

[Rustys]

Lets also do this

Download the zip version of CrystalDiskInfo and lest see what that states about the drive.

Download

[2024/05/01] CrystalMark Retro 1.0.2 – Manual / History Standard Edition 2 themes / 27MB ZIP (XP-) INSTALLER (Vista-) Source Code Aoi Edition 2 themes / 27MB ZIP (XP-) INSTALLER (Vista-) [2024/09/05] CrystalDiskInfo 9.4.4 – Manual / History Aoi Edition 2 themes / 27MB ZIP (XP-) INSTALLER...

crystalmark.info

This will show us the health of the drive. Post a screen shot showing the affected drive.

That is because they are out of date.

1.Should the problem drive be connected as Sata (prior to rebooting into Ubuntu) or USB?

Before if SATA other wise may screw the drive up.
After if USB

Once Ubuntu is loaded on the left for a file cabinet drawer or a file folder.
Select that

Look on the left to see if you see Device and the Drive should be listed there.



Select the drive which should automatically mount the drive.

Copy and paste the files from the 80 GB drive to another external drive.

2.May I have the active Windows drive also connected (as Sata)?

That is up to you since you will be booting form the USB drive.

Now for the issues that I have ran across using Live Linux after you are done and have disconnected the USB drive.
It reset the time that the computer shows easy fix access the BIOS and reset the clock save and let the system boot normally.
(for what ever reason could not get windows to set the clock have not tested with window 10.)

 

[Omo]

Crystal says Health Status: unknown. Serial number: BAD_CTX 00000131

In Ubuntu I have a different looking stuff: there is "+Other locations" at the bottom left, when I click it in the right pane there appears "On this computer", then goes Computer (my RAM I suppose), then 80 GB volume (which is the healthy SSD) then come "Networks". The bad SSD (connected by Sata) is nowhere to be seen . Oh, while I was writing this there appeared my healthy SSD on the leftmost taskbar.

 

[Omo]

Here's the Crystal image

 

[Rustys]

How many 80 GB drives do you have attached to the system?

 

[Omo]

Two identical SSDs.

 

[Omo]

I will be out of touch today and tomorrow, please give your best judgement what happened and what to do. Is the problem with the disk itself? Why would it go out of order? If I use Recuva (or whatever similar program you'd advise) will it affect the SSD so that it will make more advanced recovery more difficult?

 

[Rustys]

Two identical SSDs.

that makes better sense.

Lets also see what @Bruce has to state.

1. Get a larger SSD of the OS a 250 GB would be the smallest I would suggest.

Windows requires an average of 32 GB free space and 7-10 GB reserved for patches and updates. The less space you have the harder the system has to work and files will become corrupt. Figure an average of 20% to 30% is good.

As far as the other question about the data recovery you can try Recuva since the system under windows is not even recognizing it may not help. Will it make it harder for advanced recovery will go with the fact that it is possible.

 

[Bruce]

in summary....

• you played around with the SSD in question partitions and made one partition active then inactive.
• BIOS sees the drive as having zero capacity.
• Windows can't read it, internally or externally
• Linux can't read it
• when it did briefly work, Word froze and the PC was slow
• the portion of firmware where the serial number is stored seems corrupted

whether your actions caused it or the drive has just coincidentally failed at the same time, you are now in a situation where either the file allocation table or the master boot record are screwed.

Recuva (and similar) only work on a Windows recognised drive with a drive letter assigned, so that door is closed.

the data on that SSD (if still recoverable) should not be made any less chance of recovery as the drive is not readable BUT the golden rule with any data recovery is the more the drive is used, the less chance you have of successfully recovering your files.

depending on the importance of your data stored on it, it may be time for cough up for a professional recovery service, but be warned, the are not cheap.

as to why the drive has gone pear-shaped, who knows, as with most things computer related sh*t-happens as they say!

not that this helps get your files back, but is the SSD still under warranty?

 

[Omo]

No, this disk is not under warranty.
So is this a hardware, firmware or software problem or a combination of them? Because if it’s MBR then shouldn’t it be easily corrected by software? And why do you mention FAT if it’s an NTFS disc?

 

[Rustys]

And why do you mention FAT if it’s an NTFS disc

Where did someone mention FAT?

So is this a hardware, firmware or software problem or a combination of them

Form the sounds of it is combination.

Because if it’s MBR then shouldn’t it be easily corrected by software

If it was then Linux would of been able to read the disk where you could of gotten the files form it.

 

[Omo]

Speaking of a professional recovery service, do you have a ballpark number of how much it might cost for my situation? Also, what would be the output in the best case scenario, (in order of preference), considering that since the disk failure I only ran TestDisk, CrystalDiskInfo and Ubuntu on the disk :

1. fully restored disk (or its exact copy),
2. fully restored folder and file structure,
3. fully restored files and file names but no folder structure
4. a huge jumble of files with meaningless names, where 99% will be pointless system files (cos I have Windows on the disk).

Again, I am talking about the best-case scenario for my particular situation.
What kind of company should I be looking for? For example, many of them make a big point of having high-class clean rooms. Does it really matter for SSDs?

 

[Bruce]

in the 16 years I ran my own business, about 10 of my clients needed to use a professional recovery lab.
cheapest was $900, dearest was $3500. (Oz dollars)
it all depended on how many errors they had to get past in order to read the data.
the $3500 was to physically remove the platters out of the drive.
plus we are talking positive pressure rooms, full body suits and all that.
pretty sure there was even a cost just to look at the drive.

I can't guess on the likely outcome of your situation, all I can say is all the people I know who have paid for the professional recovery have all had complete success getting all their data back.
the lab will dump it all onto an external drive that either you supply or they'll sell you.