There are many of these devices encrypted “at rest” as a matter of course (often with the addition of BitLocker), and this determines, in advance of any actual technical evaluation, if recovery can occur. This is evaluated at the diagnostic stage rather than being identified after an invoice is generated.
The controller, firmware, and flash memory for Samsung SSDs are made in house. Therefore, all interaction will need to go through their proprietary stack. Most of what determines the outcome of a job on one of these products is not based on the physical hardware, but rather on whether encryption exists between you and the data you receive.
Samsung SSDs have a good track record and for the most part, they deserve it, which shapes how they arrive here. These are not devices that will visibly degrade over several months. At some point in time, these devices are working properly and then, without warning and frequently with no previous symptoms, they cease to appear within the BIOS.
Nearly always, the problem isn't the flash itself but the controller (good news), and because of this, typically the data stored on the NAND will be preserved and it can be reached using either Samsung’s vendor mode or by directly accessing the memory.
More than you might think, thermal history has a big impact. NVMe drives in thinly built laptops as well as M.2 slots without proper ventilation will generate heat over a long period of time, and when you look at the Samsung failures we have seen, heat is the most consistent variable.
870 EVO and 860 EVO Both are SATA workhorse drives. They fail due to the controller failing and then disappear from your BIOS. For details about how the 860 EVO specifically fails, visit its dedicated page.
850 PRO and 870 QVO Older SATA and QLC respectively. The 870 QVO line shows wear earlier on under continuous heavy writes.
970 EVO Plus and 980 These are NVMe consumer drives. They fail instantly without sending a single SMART alert. Heat exposure has been a recurring factor associated with the failures we've seen.
990 PRO Current high performance. There were issues with early production units where the health ratings would decline quicker than expected.
PM991, PM9A1 OEM modules Fitted in OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) models from Dell, HP and Lenovo, rather than sold retail. OEM firmware provides more restricted access to vendor mode.
Spinpoint HD103SJ and F3 These legacy mechanical drives are mostly found in industrial equipment today. They were once used in desktop computers.
Most Samsung SSD products include hardware-based encryption. In some cases the user may be unaware that this has been enabled: either through BitLocker hardware offload, or through the user’s settings in a Samsung utility enabled during the initial setup process. In these scenarios, the NAND will store encrypted data. Therefore, if you attempt to read the NAND, all you will get back is garbage until the proper decryption key is supplied.
Therefore your first enquiry regarding any Samsung recovery should not be “What failed?” but rather “Was encryption ever enabled on the unit?” We recommend checking both BitLocker status and the Samsung Magician application settings prior to determining that a recovery will be a simple task, because enabling encryption can have an impact on the options available to recover the data rather than the cost.
The controller has most likely failed. More often than not the flash behind it remains intact, allowing it to be accessed through vendor mode or directly. Do not continue to power-cycle the module.
Yes, as with any Samsung NVMe drive. Please let us know at the time of diagnosis if BitLocker or Samsung Magician encryption was ever enabled for this product. This information will allow us to determine what can be done to recover your data.
Controller lock-up. The drive has lost the tables that describe its own shape (geometry). Firmware class, not physical damage. Firmware-class issues can often be recovered.
This is the most common factor we see in Samsung NVMe failures. It does not affect the recovery method. However, it explains why a drive failed without warning.
Cost: from £300 +VAT. The cost will be fixed in writing after your free diagnostic. Reading NAND directly is the same class of work as reading NAND in vendor mode.