Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer numerous advantages over traditional hard drives, including reduced power consumption, faster access times, and improved speed. However, like any data storage device, SSDs are not immune to failures. These failures can result from hardware damage or system software malfunctions, with one of the most severe issues being a rapid increase in voltage.
Power Surge and Its Effects on SSDs
Overvoltage can occur when the power supply to the drive malfunctions. Despite the fact that SSDs typically have power loss protection, they remain susceptible to voltage fluctuations. During a power surge, the entire drive can fail, leading to significant damage—specifically, the burning out of the NAND chips. When this happens, the recovery process can become nearly impossible.
One of our clients experienced a power supply issue in their home, which resulted in damage to the SSD of their MacBook.
MacBook Air SSD Failure
We recently received a solid-state drive from a MacBook that had been damaged by a sudden voltage increase. The drive belonged to a photographer who was in the middle of editing wedding photos when the failure occurred, resulting in the loss of access to all the images.
After contacting our customer service team, the photographer dropped off the drive at one of our designated locations. Upon conducting technical inspections, our engineers discovered that the system could not detect the SSD. This was a clear indicator of a mechanical problem or possible controller damage.
Evaluation Findings
During our evaluation, we determined that the controller of the SSD was not functioning properly. The controller is responsible for reading and writing data, and in this case, it had failed due to the power surge. The surge likely caused the power circuits or microcircuit elements to burn out. While it is common for microprocessors to burn out in such situations, this was not the case for our client.
Our accurate diagnostics allowed us to pinpoint the breakdown, assess its complexity, and estimate the costs for remediation.
Secure Data Recovery Process
Our data recovery specialists decided the best course of action was to replace the damaged controller with an identical one. They carefully unsoldered a functioning controller from a similar solid-state drive and installed it in the failed drive.
File system corruption had occurred because the operating system could not update the entries that existed before the power loss. Since the storage device was unaware of the file system in use, preventing corruption was impossible.
This recovery process was complicated; controller damage recovery requires years of experience and a high level of skill. It demands meticulous attention to detail and readiness for any unpredictable changes during the process. Fortunately, our engineers possess the qualifications necessary to navigate these challenges successfully.
The client prioritized recovering photos taken within the past week, as the remainder was already backed up on cloud storage. Our team managed to recover 99% of all requested images, ensuring that all vital photos were delivered to the client on a new external drive.
Results of Our Data Recovery Efforts
Within a week, we successfully closed the case. The customer was thrilled with the results and left a positive review on Google. Many of our clients share their experiences after their cases are resolved, helping us improve our services and build a reputation for excellence.
Understanding our customers’ needs is crucial for enhancing PITS Global Data Recovery Services, and we take their feedback seriously.
Our engineers effectively addressed the power surge failure on the MacBook SSD. If you find yourself in a similar data loss situation, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated customer service team for assistance.
