Samsung SSD gone rogue(raw) - Minitool or EaseUS for data recovery?

goopy · 03 Apr 2019

Greetings. Help needed.

My 6 month old 500G Samsung SSD just decide to go rogue the other day and has become unformatted. A simple disk scan using free data recovery tools made by both Minitool and EaseUS suggested complete recovery of lost data could still be possible. Which of the two is the forum's favourite to perform the actual data recovery task? Or any other, perhaps free tools that you would like to recommend?

It seems both companies make partition and data recovery tools that include recovery function, and it's not clear what's the difference between the two, and which is the appropriate one to use for the task at hand. Appreciate if someone could kindly explain.

FYI, the SSD was formatted with with a single NTFS, most likely MBR partition. Used for data storage.

Many thanks and best regards,

Megahertz07 · 03 Apr 2019

Don't try to fix it.
The disk expert is @jumanji. Wait for him.

RFG · 03 Apr 2019

Hello mate

Recently i had a similar problem in a GPT SATA HDD that saw a partition become RAW and i still am in the process of recovering some lost data.
You can read a little bit of recover processes and about a few recover apps there. Check Recover a GPT Partition that became RAW in 3T Internal HDD.
Also take a time to read various topics provided along the posts.
However remind that you're working in a SSD disk with MBR partition. I dunno if the recovering/restoring process is the same in those type of disks.
As Megahertz said, you better wait for the disk expert @jumanji. The man helped me a lot, and i've also learned a bit more about this issues, despite my final results haven't been the desirable example for nobody...

As for the softwares you're trying to use, both are quite good or not so good, depending on the perspective. In my case Easus found more files than MT Power Data Recovery. But each case is a case and the final results can and for sure will be different. Beside those two you still have a few more options in windows environment. You can also try other recovering approaches by using DOS and Linux tools.
Good luck!

Lady Fitzgerald · 03 Apr 2019

The only advice I can give at this point is to send the drive to a data recovery specialist. Any attempts to recover the data yourself could ruin any chances a specialist my have to recover the data.

However, i wouldn't hold your breath. Barring a controller failure or similar that allows the NAND to remain intact (which is highly unlikely), SSDs tend to fail irrecoverably. The chances of recovery is extremely slim. Also, professional DATA recovery is extremely expensive with no guarantee of success.

The ONLY way to reasonably ensure the safety of data is to have it exist in at least three, separate places. for most people, this means on the computer, on an onsite backup drive(s), and on an offsite backup drive(s). Fora drives to be true backup drives, they must b kept powered down, disconnected from the comnputer, and stored away from the computer except while updating the backup. Onsite and offsite backups must be swapped out as frequently as practical to keep the offsite backup as up to date as possible. This is a little late for you now but is someting to keep in mind for later to avoid losing your data again. It should also serve as a lesson for others.

goopy · 04 Apr 2019

Greetings everyone. Thanks for the kind reply.

1. I'm not attempting to fix the SSD here. The tools I've tried were able to detect the folder structure and produce a list of files available for saving to another drive. My understanding is this process only involves reading the SSD and does not modify anything. Is this correct? (Well , I failed quantum theory in high school.)

So which tool offers higher successful recovery rate? And also should one get the Data Recovery Tool or Partition Wizard Tool? What's the difference?

2. I believe Mr Jumanj has written about fixing a raw disk using the hex editor to modify certain bytes, and it may work in my case. But relevant info is scattered in different posts, so I'd like to try this on a copy of the failed SSD. Can anyone recommend a tool, preferably free, that could perform sector-by sector copy of a raw disk?

Lost partitions!

Many thanks and best regards,

jumanji · 04 Apr 2019

"However, i wouldn't hold your breath. Barring a controller failure or similar that allows the NAND to remain intact (which is highly unlikely), SSDs tend to fail irrecoverably. The chances of recovery is extremely slim. Also, professional DATA recovery is extremely expensive with no guarantee of success." - Lady Fitzgerald

I agree with the lady (and I believe she has a mountain of disks to build a Christmas tree

) . That is what I have heard also. And I had in the past never attempted data recovery on a SSD. But since you said

"The tools I've tried were able to detect the folder structure and produce a list of files available for saving to another drive." it is worth looking into.

What tools have you tried? Oh yes. you said MiniTool or Easus Data recovery. If Minitool PW did show your folders and files, please post a screenshot of your drives as MiniTool PW sees - the very first screen after you launch PW.Post a screenshot of of the Partitions found window. Post a screenshot of Partition Explorer showing your folders and files.

goopy · 05 Apr 2019

Thanks for the kind reply, Jumanji.
Attached are sample screenshots of PDR8.1.

jumanji · 05 Apr 2019

Hi,

That is not what I actually wanted. I wanted MiniTool Partition Wizard Free screenshots. If it is only a partition loss, it will help restore the missing partition table in sector 0 and restore your disk.

Download and install Partition Wizard Free version 9.1 from MiniTool Partition Wizard Free 11 Download for Windows / Old Versions / FileHorse.com ( Uninstall any later version you may have now before installing this older version. In later versions Partition Recovery which we are going to try is not free )

Run version 9.1, and launch it. Say no if it asks you to update to a later version, and post a screenshot of how your drives look like in it - the very first screen after you launch it.

Next step, on the left Pane click on Partition Recovery Wizard > Next > Select your faulty SSD > Next > Full Disk > Next > QuickScan > Next. Allow the quick scan to complete. At the end of the quickscan you will get a window showing all the found partitions Post a screenshot of it ( only that Window. No need of any background). Double click on the found partition and it may open a Partition Explorer window. Does it show all your folders and files? Post a screenshot.

Once done click on the cancel button everywhere and close Partition Wizard. I shall check the screenshots and let you know the next step.

goopy · 05 Apr 2019

Thanks Jumanji.
Can only double click on the NTFS partition. But did not show any folders/files.
If click Finish, programs seems to ask to delete one of the two partitions.
Did I do this right?

jumanji · 05 Apr 2019

hmmm... It is not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. There is a strange anamoly here.

In an MBR drive the first partition always starts at LBA 2048. In PW this one shows as existing but with no proper File system. Disk Map shows it as "other."

There is a valid NTFS at LBA 2050. How come? It is shown as Lost/deleted. But it shouldn't be there at all. And that partition does not show any folders/files at all.

Now double click on the other partition which shows as Starting LBA 2048 Ending LBA976769023 existing . Let us see what it shows

My only question now is "Did you format your SAMSUNG SSD anytime after you bought it?"

"If click Finish, programs seems to ask to delete one of the two partitions.
Did I do this right?"

I told you very clearly that after you post the screenshots you should cancel and close PW.

"Once done click on the cancel button everywhere and close Partition Wizard. I shall check the screenshots and let you know the next step." - jumanji

If you click on finish it will write the wrong partition table, and delete the correct partition starting at LBA 2048.

Did you click on "Finish"?

If you had done that you have only made things more difficult.