Counter-intuitively, this is true due to how TRIM works: a non-responsive (dead) drive will not delete anything; therefore, if a drive fails it will preserve data that would have been lost in normal deletions. The next section illustrates what actually fails and what can still be recovered from a dead drive.
TRIM is a method of genuinely erasing the blocks behind deleted files. In addition to being a quick process, TRIM does not work when the drive becomes unresponsive. Therefore, outright failure prevents a routine deletion's destruction of data.
When an SSD (solid-state drive) stops functioning properly, people assume this is due to wear on the drive memory; however, it almost never is. Consumer drives are usually replaced long before reaching the end of their write endurance, and the great majority of failures we see are due to failure of the controller, which is the chip used to manage the flash, rather than the flash itself.
That is really great news since it indicates that the data is still physically there. The issue is a lack of access rather than the data being lost. There are two well-documented methods for getting past a dead controller.
There is an exception, which is deletion. When you delete files and TRIM has run, these blocks have been wiped (erased) at the physical media level and cannot be recovered by any method. This is a completely different question from a failed drive, and the answer will differ based upon that.
Whether the drive was encrypted. There are several NVMe SSDs that encrypt by default, and when using Microsoft Windows' built-in BitLocker encryption, another layer of encryption exists. Without the proper decryption key, simply reading the NAND will provide absolutely nothing regardless of how healthy it is.
Whether the controller responds at all. A drive that enumerates periodically but does not always enumerate is a much better prospect than a drive that never enumerates again. Please do not keep attempting to power cycle it with hopes it will just “catch”.
Whether it is soldered. We cannot recover the flash if it has been soldered onto the motherboard of your laptop because we do not support recovery from devices that are part of the motherboard. In addition to this, in all T2 and Apple Silicon Macs, the key is embedded into the motherboard.
Controllers fail far more frequently than the actual flash chips do, so it is most likely the controller. Usually the flash chip is still good, and the data can be reached using vendor mode (or via a direct NAND read).
Generally not. When you delete a file, TRIM will wipe the blocks where that data was stored, within minutes. If you shut off your device right away, then there is a real chance.
Seldom. The memory itself fails rarely. Failure of its controller, however, is common.
From £300 +VAT. Once you have had the free diagnostic, the cost is set whatever path we take, whether that be vendor mode or a direct NAND read.