SSD disaster - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:31:30 am
content: I dropped my laptop down a stair case and well, laptops broken and im not gonna bother fixing that. The info is what i really need.Help. Where do i find the plastic part next to the PCB ? This is what happened to my HD and I am trying to find how to fix it (but I cant see very well anymore and my soldering skills are long gone because of it) or find someone to fix it as it has tons of information that is very much needed.Pease help.-Walthe HD was a CrucialTHANK YOU!!! :-)

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:49:57 am
content: Are the pads torn off or just the leads cracked off of the pads? If most of the pads are intact that looks like a fairly straightforward repair for someone who knows what they're doing. Depending on the value of your data you could try contacting someone like Louis Rossman, or you might find someone on the forum willing to take it on. If you go with a "some hobbyist in his garage" thing I recommend finding someone local rather than shipping it to them as there is risk that someone who is not an established business might never get around to fixing it and disappear with your data.If the data is valuable enough there are numerous professional data recovery firms that can help you but I think that typically runs a few thousand bucks.

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:55:22 am
content: What part of the US. Concur with james that that doesn't look too bad if it's just a connector broken off fairly cleanly.

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:57:49 am
content: The job is a fairly simple one. It is made simpler by the fact that only 6 of the 15 power pins need to be reattached (+5V and Ground, and maybe pin 11). The others can be cut off.The SATA Tx/Rx differential pairs can be connected to C1 - C4 via fly wires.To the OP: If the laptop was password protected, then that may be a complication.

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 01:15:18 am
content: If someone is willing to try repairing it, the only password was login password on my mac book. But even then, if ya can just get it to work (show up on desktop (im gonna put it in external case if its fixed to transfer data to new HD.) Either way anyone who can help PM or email me. Thanks folks.-Walt

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 01:21:19 am
content: Quote from: scooby860110 on February 06, 2020, 12:31:30 amI think it's almost guaranteed you can recover the data, so my following recommendation is predicated on the assumption that recovery is successful:Take this near-miss as an opportunity to review your backup strategy!!!!I literally cannot emphasize this point enough. To you, and to everyone else on the planet, here's another attempt:Take this opportunity to review your backup strategy!!!!Most people do not do anywhere close to enough to ensure their data is safe. IMHO, any data worth keeping needs to exist in at least three places: the "original", and at least two backups, which ideally are not stored in the same place.Mac users, use Time Machine to create at least one backup to hard disk (ideally more), ideally paired with something like an online backup. PC users, I'm not exactly sure what backup software to recommend since I don't use Windows, but do something, and also pair it with online. And everyone, don't forget to make sure the backups work! (There's nothing worse thanthinkingyou've got backups, and then when disaster strikes, discovering something went wrong a year ago and your backups haven't been updated since then...)

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 01:39:12 am
content: I emailed them about issue and asked what they thought.Just hope this isnt like 500 bucks.

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 01:56:52 am
content: I guess the good thing/bright side to look at it is that if your data isn't worth $500 to you, then maybe you don't need to worry too much about backups in the future either.(For me, I'd pay $500 in a heartbeat to get my data back if I lost my main drive and all my backups.)I suspect it's going to be half that figure, but even $500 would work for me if that's what it was.

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 02:08:39 am
content: I just dont have $500 bucks to spend right now. I have 3 kids and money is tight. Id been working on an album of originals for 8-10 years (Grateful Dead/Donavon meets Hot Tuna lol) and that is really bothering me. Its a 128gb SSD drive with about 48gb data on it.Thanks again guys.Wish me luck.

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 02:12:47 am
content: Good luck! (Seriously)Rossmann seems like he's got his head on pretty straight and will help out, making a buck for himself and helping his customers get back to business.If he comes up with something stupid for a price, I'm willing to take a crack at it for just the cost of postage back and forth, but really, if Rossmann can do it and you can swing it, go that way. (And if he says it can't be fixed, I sure as heck can't fix it.)

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 03:09:50 am
content: Thats my fear "if he cant fix it, no one can :-(If he cannot take a look at it or its WAY high inn price and you would look at it and take a crack thatd be awesome man. :-)Shoot me a PM :-)

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 03:38:26 am
content: It looks like the pads are wrecked. Post a very well lit, in focus macro closeup of that part of the board (with the camera on a stand, not hand held) and the experts here will be able to comment on the chances of being able to get magnet wire onto remaining trace ends or vias of the critical signals.

author: Habropoda
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 04:34:05 am
content: Per Ian it looks like all of the data pads have been ripped off the board as well as all the 5v pad leaving only one ground pad. They will need to track down some decent solder points.

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 04:39:59 am
content: C'mon guys. This job doesn't require data recovery rates. It's a very simple point-to-point wiring job. Sheesh!D6 is the 5V TVS diode. It is connected across the 5V supply -- anode to ground, cathode to +5V.SATA power pin #11 is for staggered spin-up. It must be grounded.This tip might make the job easier:http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=2567

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 06:28:37 am
content: If you are comfortable with soldering you just need to solder about 7 or 8 wires to the correct places on the PCB to get it to work like other forum members have said.But if you don't feel confident in it then it is indeed best to let someone else do it since doing the wrong thing could damage it even more and make it harder to recover the data. But yeah professional data recovery businesses are going to be expensive. Maybe you can get someone like Luis Rossmann to bodge wire your SATA connector back on.If you lived close to me and could swing by id gladly save your data for the price of a few drinks. Its only a few minutes of work.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 06:33:01 am
content: How does a laptop 'fall' down the stairs? Did it show any signs of unhappiness?

author: ruairi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 06:49:46 am
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on February 06, 2020, 06:33:01 amHow does any accident happen? I've had my laptop slide off the edge of couch, get pulled off a counter top by the charger lead, slip out of under my arm while carrying too much stuff etc etc.To those encouraging a DIY repair care needs to be taken around ESD, I would not give this drive to just anyone.

author: fzabkar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 07:40:21 am
content: To those people who are suggesting sending the drive to a data recovery specialist, be aware that the vast majority of data recovery technicians have no real electronics experience at all. Many don't even know how to use a multimeter.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 08:05:35 am
content: Quote from: fzabkar on February 06, 2020, 12:57:49 amQuote from: fzabkar on February 06, 2020, 04:39:59 amThis would be my first attempt too. It should work if the drive itself isn't wrecked. And the jumper wires on data lanes aren't too long.It does take a steady hand and good eye, but little more.

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 08:45:04 am
content: Get a SSD of same type, move the memory chips from the dropped board to the new one, job done ?I know, it requires someone with the right equipment, but its still doable if not possible in any other way (which I'm sure it is)But yeah, "real men don't do backups, they cry"

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 09:05:40 am
content: And maybe the controller too, if it contains any internal state, and perhaps some of those 8 pin chips are EEPROMs

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 09:08:10 am
content: Quote from: magic on February 06, 2020, 09:05:40 amthats why I wrote "memory chips"But yes, move as much as needed. The board shown however, can surely be fixed using bodge wire and a steady hand.

author: brabus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 09:12:57 am
content: Someone clearly already had a go at that drive. Tabs just don't rip that bad, even falling from the 20th floor onto hard concrete. The soldering joints have been reworked, probably without ESD protection whatsoever. There's flux everywhere.Heck, even the connector is charred here and there.The job is easy indeed, but sorry, it doesn't smell good at all. Pass.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 10:43:51 am
content: Quote from: cgroen on February 06, 2020, 08:45:04 amHello no. Don't move anything, this SSD is easily fixable with bodge wires and preferably new connector if you still intend to use it. You will certainly need to move 2 NAND and controller chip + EEPROM if there is any. Almost any modern SSD have data encrypted and key is within controller. Not to say that even if it's not encrypted, it may have different firmware within it. Recommending moving BGA instead of bodge wires is just lame, not to say risk to screw up the data increases by many times.

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 10:59:49 am
content: Quote from: wraper on February 06, 2020, 10:43:51 amYou selected NOT to read all what I wrote ?"lame", thanks

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:06:46 am
content: Quote from: cgroen on February 06, 2020, 10:59:49 amI've read before writing in your later post that bodge wires are OK as well. But even suggesting moving the chips deserves a harsh reprimand. Because you suggested a cumbersome way of easily destroying the data which can be easily recovered with nearly zero risk.

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:11:58 am
content: Quote from: wraper on February 06, 2020, 11:06:46 amTotally agree, thats why I put"IfNOTpossible in any other way"On a note, it can actually be done, moving the chips and saving your data that way. It wasn't easy, but the guy standing next to my desk in the lab seemed pretty happy about it

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:14:19 am
content: Quote from: cgroen on February 06, 2020, 11:11:58 amI can do it myself but risk is there.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:40:51 am
content: While the physical connections might be easy enough to repair for a skilled technician with the right tools, if there is FileVault storage encryption (with or without the T2 chip), how recoverable is it if the logic board is toast? I'm not saying it isn't recoverable, I am just interested to know how or if it could be achieved.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:51:30 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on February 06, 2020, 11:40:51 amIf controller holding encryption key is dead, you are screwed. Unless you have access to quantum computer which can brute-force decryption.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:17:41 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on February 06, 2020, 11:40:51 am100% recoverable in this situation, since FileVault encryption is not tied to a logic board, but simply requires a decryption key, which is accessed via password. (You can use FileVault to encrypt external disks, too, and they simply need a password to mount.) Since the OP knows their login, they can mount the disk on any Mac, or use it to boot any Mac compatible with the OS version installed on the disk.T2 encryption is separate from FileVault, and is strictly for onboard SSDs which use the T2 as the SSD controller itself. Basically, T2 encryption is the hardware-level encryption, while FileVault is the filesystem-level encryption. (FileVault is aware of the T2 hardware encryption and won't bother layering software encryption on top. Since a T2-based SSD cannot be separated from its logic board except by desoldering the flash chips, there's no ordinary situation in which you'd be attempting to mount it on a Mac other than the one it was written on.)

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 12:25:52 pm
content: Why would you desolder any of the chips if all you need to do is bodge wire in SATA and power to get it running again.But yeah Rossman does offer data recovery services and this drive is a pretty easy job for him.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 01:34:25 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on February 06, 2020, 12:17:41 pmOK thanks for the clarity, the FileVault sounds much like Bitlocker in that respect.So if I am to understand you correctly, a failure of the T2 chip, practically speaking, renders the unit unrecoverable?It looks like the T2 chip, as well as for soldered in SSDs, is also used for the new Mac Pro modular (but proprietary) SSD modules, so two points of failure if a T2 failure is also fatal.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 02:05:04 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on February 06, 2020, 04:36:34 amYeah, SATA is (usually) capacitively coupled. C1-C4 are it.If it were mine, I think that I'd just solder blob, suck up C1-4, tombstone big ol' 0805 caps on both pads and connect wires to the top.

author: testpoint1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 02:47:51 pm
content: this is a SM2258XT chip SSD, and the chip, Nand seems is OK, just use a Sata socket solder it, since the pad already strip, please be aware you have at least 10 years soldering tech with microscope, if no, I can help you in free, even replace the SM2258 chip; BTW, for the SM chip, if it failed, just replace a new chip, all data still over there.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 04:43:07 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on February 06, 2020, 01:34:25 pmI believe so, with the caveat that I'm not much of a Windows expert. (Also, I should mention that what I described is the current version of FileVault, which is FileVault 2. The original FileVault 1 used in very old versions of Mac OS X worked entirely differently, merely moving a user's home folder (user directory) into an encrypted disk image.)Quote from: Howardlong on February 06, 2020, 01:34:25 pmYes. Exactly the same as in any other SSD with hardware encryption using a long key that's present only in the SSD controller.Quote from: Howardlong on February 06, 2020, 01:34:25 pmOh! I didn't realize the new Mac Pro has modular SSDs! According to this report, the SSD module is married to the T2 on the logic board. It won't even POST without it present. Presumably, Apple has an internal utility to marry replacement parts, as they've had for other models (and iOS devices) for years.Regardless, I don't see the T2 as being any more or less a point of failure than in any other SSD, since every SSD, by necessity, contains an SSD controller, and it can fail. And if it did, it presumably would take all the data with it.What I love about Apple's ecosystem is that they REALLY, REALLY got backup and restore down PERFECTLY. Using Time Machine on a Mac means its backups are updated hourly. iCloud sync is usually real-time-ish. iCloud backups of iOS devices are performed daily, and local backups can be done manually. But whether it's a Mac backup from Time Machine or an iOS backup from iCloud or a local backup, when restoring to a new disk or new device, everything gets restoredperfectly. Only the very pickiest of copy-protected applications on the Mac may need a license reactivation. I think that the ability to recover from disaster by, in the absolute worst case, going to Apple and purchasing a new device, and be back up and running within a few hours, is an advantage that is not valued nearly enough by most people. So anyway, if one is actually using Time Machine, then a T2 failure would normally mean a loss of no more than 1h of work.

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 06:50:08 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on February 06, 2020, 04:43:07 pmI agree with most everything you say above, but have differences on this point. I’m frequently traveling for days or a week-plus at a time, often with limited or intermittent Internet connectivity and those are windows of exposure where my TimeMachine backups will not cover me against hardware failure within the laptop.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 06, 2020, 11:20:58 pm
content: Quote from: sokoloff on February 06, 2020, 06:50:08 pmI travel with my MacBook, and so I bring a backup drive with me. Obviously it won’t protect against the backup drive AND the MacBook getting lost/stolen/damaged, but it will protect against hardware failure, disk corruption, or user error. No, I don’t keep the backup disk connected to it at all times, but even just remembering to do it after any session where I’ve saved lots of data will help. When no backup disk is connected, Time Machine will create hourly local backups (kinda like versioning) to protect against user error or software error, and then when you reconnect the backup disk, the local backups get synced into the backup disk.Remember, time machine supports using multiple backup disks, so you can have, for example, two separate USB backup disks, and keep one at home only, and the other you take on the road. Or use a NAS for the backup at home, and a USB hard drive for travel/secondary backup. You can encrypt a backup disk with FileVault, so having it with you doesn’t pose much of a security risk.When more than one backup disk is configured, Time Machine will simply alternate the hourly backup among all the currently-mounted backup disks in a round-robin fashion. On my Mac Pro, I have one internal 10TB backup disk (so always mounted), and one 10TB external USB disk that I connect periodically (for offsite backup). So when both backup disks are mounted, the hourly backups alternate between the two. When the USB disk is not connected, then every hourly backup is made to the internal backup disk.Also, just to clarify a common misconception: Time Machine is the backupsoftware, and it does NOT require you to use an Apple Time Capsule (network disk)! (Of course, the time capsule is discontinued now anyway.)

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2020, 03:27:09 am
content: Who on here should i PM to see if they can help ? I got a quote and its $450, as I said i have 3 kids and a wife and $450 is too much.Plz keep helping me get pointed to the right direction. Thanks yall for your help.

author: drussell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2020, 03:38:44 am
content: That would be a $65-100 job here, (not including a replacement disk toddthe data onto.)$450 is insane for a temporary connector fix if that's really all it needs.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2020, 03:40:45 am
content: $450 sounds a bit exy.Quotes are negotiable. Did you negotiate?

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2020, 03:42:07 am
content: Dear Testpoint1, Could you email me scooby9261@gmail.com ? I could really use the help and you seem to know much about this SSD.

author: scooby860110
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 07, 2020, 11:55:03 pm
content: I think I have hope now. Lets see. 40+gb transferred to 320gb SATA laptop drive and ill be in heaven.THANKS to you everyone, i cant thank you all enough-Walt