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Data Recovery — SSD

SSD Data Recovery

SATA, mSATA, M.2, NVMe. Firmware issues, garbage collection, trim-induced loss, SED encryption. We've been recovering SSDs in our Brno lab since 2012.

Send enquiry +420 775 556 063
5.0·99 reviews
Otevřený HDD s plotnou a šroubovákem — ITHOPE laboratoř záchrany dat
18
years in business
95 %
success rate, faulty HDDs
18 +
media categories
Brno
own laboratory
  • Confidentiality
    NDA on request
  • No recovery = no fee
    No recovery, no fee
  • Fixed price upfront
    No surprises
  • Own laboratory
    Brno-Židenice
  • 18 years in the field
    Since 2008

SSDs have no moving parts, but they have their own drama: firmware, garbage collection, wear-leveling, TRIM. When any of these breaks, the SSD typically „freezes" completely — and the user sees 0 B instead of 1 TB in the BIOS, or nothing at all.

SSD on the ITHOPE lab bench — reading memory chips via a hardware programmer, NAND data recovery
An SSD in our lab — reading NAND memory via a hardware programmer, a critical step in firmware corruption cases.

SSD types we work with

  • SATA 2.5” — Samsung 860/870 EVO, Crucial MX500, Kingston A400, WD Blue/Green
  • mSATA — legacy notebooks, Intel 525/535, Crucial M550
  • M.2 SATA — ultrabook variants
  • M.2 NVMe — Samsung 970/980/990 EVO/PRO, WD Black SN770/850, Crucial T500/T700, Kingston KC3000, Intel 660p/760p
  • Enterprise U.2 / U.3 — Intel DC-P, Samsung PM, Kioxia CM
  • SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) — Opal 2.0, Microsoft eDrive, Samsung 850 Pro SED

The most common SSD problems

  • The drive isn’t detected — the BIOS doesn’t see it, typically a firmware bug or a controller failure
  • 0 MB capacity — firmware crash; the data is on the NAND, but the controller doesn’t map it
  • Reads work, writes don’t — end of life; what’s left is to pull the content off
  • Windows freezes on access — bad blocks that TRIM can’t repair
  • Loss after a firmware update — an unluckily interrupted flash

Common SSD failures

Firmware corruption

The most common critical scenario: the SSD controller (Phison, Silicon Motion, Marvell, Samsung MEX/Polaris) has corrupted firmware in its service area. The drive appears in the BIOS as 0 MB or with an unknown capacity. The data is still on the NAND, but the controller has lost the path to it.

Our solution: PC-3000 SSD with controller-specific profiles, „under-the-controller" data export — and in the worst case, chip-off (desoldering the NAND, reading via a hardware programmer).

Garbage collection gone wrong

Modern SSDs internally relocate blocks to maintain wear-leveling. If power is cut during a GC cycle (power outage, abrupt disconnection), the mapping table gets scrambled. The drive physically holds the data, but logically there is nothing.

Accidental TRIM / Secure Erase

TRIM is a performance feature: after a file is deleted, the OS tells the drive „I no longer need these LBAs," and the controller physically erases them from the NAND (to 0xFF state). Once TRIM has run, the deleted data is gone irrecoverably — and on modern OSes this happens within seconds to minutes of deletion, not hours. With SSDs, therefore, the rule is: once you have deleted a file or formatted the drive, the chances of recovery drop dramatically. Do not delete, format, defragment, or run disk optimisation and bring the SSD in for diagnostics as soon as possible. There is no point in disabling TRIM as a system function — by that point it has long since completed.

SED / BitLocker / FileVault encryption

Samsung 860 EVO + BitLocker + lost password = mathematically unrecoverable. If you have the recovery key, we can restore the data. Without the key: structure yes, content no. That is why the recovery key belongs offline (printout, Microsoft account, security key).

Mechanical / electronic

  • Broken M.2 connector, burnt components on the PCB
  • NAND chip delamination (manufacturing defects in certain Kingston and Samsung revisions)
  • Capacitors (PLP, Power Loss Protection) failed — cache loss

What NOT to do with an SSD

  • Don’t keep plugging it back in — the firmware may wipe metadata on every boot
  • Don’t flash new firmware — it usually makes the situation worse
  • Don’t run recovery software — the write-hole in an SSD can destroy further data

How we approach SSD recovery

  1. Free diagnostics (PC-3000 SSD, specific profiles)
  2. On-controller cloning if the controller is functional
  3. Chip-off in case of a dead controller — desoldering the NAND, reading via a NAND reader (TNM 5000, Flash Extractor)
  4. Logical reconstruction — mapping table rebuild, wear-leveling reverse engineering
  5. ECC decoding — SSDs use BCH/LDPC codes at the NAND level; we reconstruct data from defective cells

Indicative SSD price list

Type of interventionPrice
Logical error, healthy controllerfrom 5 000 Kč
Firmware corruption, on-controller recovery6 000 – 12 000 Kč
Chip-off recovery (NAND desoldering)12 000 – 24 000 Kč
Encrypted SSD with keysurcharge based on complexity

Real cases

Frequently asked questions

My SSD suddenly doesn’t show up. What is it? In 90 % of cases it is the controller firmware. Do not format, do not switch between PCs, bring it in for diagnostics.

Do you work with NVMe? Yes, Samsung 9xx, WD Black, Crucial T-series, Kingston KC, enterprise U.2/U.3. Our PC-3000 SSD is extended with NVMe modules.

Encrypted drive, password unknown. Is there a chance? Without the key, none. Mathematically. With the key, yes — it is like a standard recovery.

Need SSD recovery? Enquiry · +420 775 556 063

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does data recovery from an HDD hard drive cost?
For logical faults (deletion, formatting, an unbootable system) from 2,900 CZK. For a mechanical fault requiring a head replacement in the clean chamber, typically 9,900–18,900 CZK. We tell you the exact price after a free diagnosis. If the recovery fails, you pay nothing apart from any shipping costs.
How long does data recovery take?
For logical faults 1–3 working days. For mechanical faults 5–14 days depending on complexity and the availability of spare parts (donor drives of the same model). For RAID reconstruction 7–21 days depending on the number and condition of the member drives.
My drive is clicking. What should I do?
Disconnect it from power immediately. Every further power-on damages the platters and lowers the chance of recovery. Clicking is almost certainly a mechanical fault of the heads — no software will help; the drive needs to be opened in a clean chamber and the read mechanism replaced. Call us on +420 775 556 063 and we will diagnose it within 24 hours.
Can I use a data-recovery program from the internet?
Only if the drive is physically healthy and it is a logical fault (deletion, formatting). In other cases such programs harm the drive — they repeatedly try to access it, which worsens its mechanical condition. For serious cases, bring the drive straight to us instead; diagnostics is free.
What about confidentiality? What happens to my data?
Before opening the device we sign a written non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Only we process your data; nothing is sent abroad. After we hand over the recovered data, we guaranteed wipe every copy from our stage storage (DoD 5220.22-M wipe).
Can you recover data from an encrypted drive (BitLocker, FileVault)?
Yes, provided you have the recovery key or password. Without the key, encrypted data is mathematically unrecoverable. That is why it is important to store the recovery key off the drive (a printout, a Microsoft account, a USB stick). Without it we can recover the structure, but not the contents of the files.
Can you handle a RAID 5 where two drives have failed?
Yes, in many cases. A RAID 5 with two failed drives is not reconstructable in the traditional way, but if the second drive has not died completely, some data can be recovered from it and the array rebuilt. Success depends on which sectors are readable on each drive. Contact us as soon as possible — do not clone the array yourself, as that complicates matters.
Where should I send or bring the drive?
Our premises at Viniční 3587/216, 615 00 Brno-Židenice. Open Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00. If you send it by post, use good packaging (the original box + bubble wrap + a cardboard box). We accept Zásilkovna and PPL.
What if I'm in a hurry and need it within 48 hours?
We have an express mode with a 50–100% surcharge. Tell us your deadline up front in the enquiry and we will say whether it is technically feasible to make it (for mechanical faults it often is not, because of the wait for a donor drive).
Is it really free if the recovery fails?
Yes, for standard HDD/SSD/RAID/NAS/USB cases with a mechanical, electronic, firmware or logical fault (deletion, formatting, ransomware). Diagnostics for these is free and the no recovery — no fee principle applies. There are two exceptions: diagnostics of mobile devices (a flat 1,000 CZK, always) and a targeted search for a specific named file (1,000 CZK, deducted from the job price on a successful recovery). See the following questions.
How much does diagnostics of a phone or tablet cost?
Diagnostics of mobile devices is 1,000 CZK — always, as a flat fee. Phones are generally more demanding for data recovery — we deal with chip-off, decryption and proprietary systems (Apple T2/M1/SE, Samsung Knox). Diagnostics includes an initial assessment of whether your data can be recovered from the given model at all. For phones the fee is not deducted.
I need to find one specific file — how much does that cost?
If we are looking for a specific named file (e.g. 'presentation_final.pptx', 'tax return 2024.pdf', 'family holiday photo'), we charge 1,000 CZK for targeted diagnostics and a targeted scan. On a successful recovery the amount is deducted from the total job price. If it is general data recovery from a deleted or formatted drive (without a specific file), the standard price list applies with no diagnostic fee and the no recovery — no fee principle. In both cases: write nothing further to the drive, as every write lowers the chances.
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