Sudden SSD death

[Maligx]

I have a samsung 500gb ssd evo drive. I have no clue what happened but hd sentinel reported 9600 bad sectors and then after shutting down and booting up the boot screen reports the serial # to be '000000000000SAMS' with a 0.9GB size. What the hell just happened?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

It broke. RMA time.

If there's a firmware update available an an SSD toolkit from Samsung that will let you do a reset of the drive, you might be able to get the drive usable again. But I'd be very surprised if your data was recoverable. (Any my memory is fuzzy - there have been drives that were prone to that type of failure, like the Intel 8MB bug, but basically, it's a hosed controller.)

And I wouldn't trust the drive anymore, because I'm paranoid and irrational.

 

[PliotronX]

Yup, USB flash drives will do that too. Dont waste time trying to recover data.

 

[Maligx]

Thanks, definitely dead, windows won't even boot with it installed. Hope the RMA process is painless.

 

[denis280]

R.I.P

 

[Charlie98]

Thanks, definitely dead, windows won't even boot with it installed. Hope the RMA process is painless.

My 840Pro died pretty much the same way... suddenly and without warning, less than a year old.

Don't try to RMA online... I was never able to get it to work properly (and I have read others with the same problem.) Just call the support number they give for SSDs, it's an outside contractor, and they will square you away. Understand, you will probably be getting a refurb in return... I did.

I don't really trust my refurb unit... I just stuck it in my daughter's laptop for a while to give it something to do, but recently put it in my new spare desktop build (AKA, my daughter's desktop... :sneaky: ) and it seems to be doing well. YMMV.

 

[nk215]

This is my worst fear about SSD. There's little to no indication of something is about to do bad. The old mechanical HS usually makes some noise or corrupt some data as an early indicator.

That's why I use smaller SSD (256 Gig or less) as OS and cache HDs only. I take an image of the entire SSD relatively often as my SSD backup method.

 

[Charlie98]

This is my worst fear about SSD. There's little to no indication of something is about to do bad....

...I take an image of the entire SSD relatively often as my SSD backup method.

I have a backup image (images...) no more than 24 hours old. History repeats itself and I learn from my mistakes...

 

[Elixer]

This is my worst fear about SSD. There's little to no indication of something is about to do bad. The old mechanical HS usually makes some noise or corrupt some data as an early indicator.

That's why I use smaller SSD (256 Gig or less) as OS and cache HDs only. I take an image of the entire SSD relatively often as my SSD backup method.

Well, that isn't true all the time, HDs can go belly up as well, with no warnings.

I also make SSD snapshots frequently, usually every 15 days, or when major updates are done.

 

[PliotronX]

Well, that isn't true all the time, HDs can go belly up as well, with no warnings.

I also make SSD snapshots frequently, usually every 15 days, or when major updates are done.

At least if there is a mechanical problem, the platters are fine and a lot of data can be recovered. Pricey yes, but possible. When this kind of thing happens with flash media it's a done deal. Not the most advanced lab in the world can recover a damn thing.

 

[jkauff]

Second the recommendation to use the phone support instead of the web site, based on my own experience.

 

[Elixer]

At least if there is a mechanical problem, the platters are fine and a lot of data can be recovered. Pricey yes, but possible. When this kind of thing happens with flash media it's a done deal. Not the most advanced lab in the world can recover a damn thing.

While I haven't seen hard fact, there are recovery places for SSDs as well.
For example, Apple / Toshiba / OCZ use this place : http://www.drivesaversdatarecovery.com/devices-supported/ssd-data-recovery/

It seems they basically make a image of the NAND chips, and work with that to be able to recreate data.
They can even do this on encrypted data...which is impressive.

Engineers create block-by-block images of the source SSD during the recovery process—your original data is never compromised.

In some cases a device level image can be transferred to a target SSD and returned with original encryption still intact.

I really wonder how they access the NAND chips, I assume that they either throw them into a reader of some kind, or they transplant them to another device ?

 

[PliotronX]

Well, that's awesome but damn I don't trust SSD's as far as I can throw them.

 

[Dave3000]

I have a Samsung 512GB 840 Pro. I have my currently played games and games waiting to be played installed on it and also the OS. I bought it about a year ago. I also have a 1TB 7200 rpm as secondary storage and a spare 640GB 7200 rpm not in use. Would it be better in terms of reliablity for me to install my games on the 1TB 7200 rpm and install the 640GB 7200 rpm for data storage (documents, drivers, program installers, etc), and just use the SSD for my OS?

 

[Charlie98]

I have a Samsung 512GB 840 Pro. I have my currently played games and games waiting to be played installed on it and also the OS. I bought it about a year ago. I also have a 1TB 7200 rpm as secondary storage and a spare 640GB 7200 rpm not in use. Would it be better in terms of reliablity for me to install my games on the 1TB 7200 rpm and install the 640GB 7200 rpm for data storage (documents, drivers, program installers, etc), and just use the SSD for my OS?

You have a 512GB SSD... use it. Live life, be happy. Don't worry about 'wearing it out.' As far as reliability... use that spare 640GB HDD for backups of the SSD.

 

[PliotronX]

You have a 512GB SSD... use it. Live life, be happy. Don't worry about 'wearing it out.' As far as reliability... use that spare 640GB HDD for backups of the SSD.

Exactly, just as a precaution redirect your temp, documents, downloads, pagefile to the spinner and you won't have to sweat it. Perhaps a periodic image of the OS partition but just consider the fact that a good functioning SSD can become non-functional without warning. They have wear-leveling for day-to-day use as the normal life expectancy unfolds.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Any SSD is more likely to break because of random BS reasons, many of which also effect HDDs, than because you wore it out. So back your stuff up and don't worry about it.

It's really that simple.

 

[gmaster456]

I'm using HD's as old as 8 years old in some of my machines and I don't sweat it. Just make regular backups and you'll be fine. 2 is 1 and one is none.

 

[corkyg]

I have 2 Samsung 830 256GB for my laptop. They are duplicates. I only use one - the other is in a static proof bag. I swap them every week. If one fails, I simply will swap and have the other replaced if not salvageable. I call this planned redundancy. I use it also for HDDs on my two desktops. It makes like a lot easier. It makes me feel like Alfred E. Neuman.

 

[gmaster456]

I have 2 Samsung 830 256GB for my laptop. They are duplicates. I only use one - the other is in a static proof bag. I swap them every week. If one fails, I simply will swap and have the other replaced if not salvageable. I call this planned redundancy. I use it also for HDDs on my two desktops. It makes like a lot easier. It makes me feel like Alfred E. Neuman.

Doing that every week sounds like a pain in the ass.

 

[PowerYoga]

backup every week, its good practice anyway.