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Has anyone successfully recovered files from a dead SSD?
Quote from OhioTom on January 27, 2026, 1:01 pmHi š
Iām a video editor and I use a 1TB Kingston SSD to store finished projects. Yesterday I tried to copy a completed video to the drive, but in the middle of the transfer my PC stopped responding to it and the SSD was no longer recognized by the system. At this point I suspect the SSD might be dead. Are there any realistic ways to fix this? And is it possible to recover data from a dead SSD or should I assume the projects stored on it are gone?Hey everyone. Attention! Achtung! SOS! Help!
I have an ASUS Vivobook 17 X1704VA-AU665 with a 512 GB SSD. Yesterday I started a Windows 11 update and didnāt really pay attention to the process. I just run it and went to do other things. In the evening, I turned the laptop back on and noticed my desktop is completely empty. Literally nothing there, only the Recycle Bin but before the update, my desktop was full of files and folders. At first I thought the files might be hidden so checked how to show hidden files in Windows 11 and enabled hidden items in File Explorer, but that didnāt change anything.
Iām sure Iām not the only one who ran into this issue. If anyone has experienced something similar or knows how to recover files after windows update, please share any advice. ANY help is appreciated.
Hi š
Iām a video editor and I use a 1TB Kingston SSD to store finished projects. Yesterday I tried to copy a completed video to the drive, but in the middle of the transfer my PC stopped responding to it and the SSD was no longer recognized by the system. At this point I suspect the SSD might be dead. Are there any realistic ways to fix this? And is it possible to recover data from a dead SSD or should I assume the projects stored on it are gone?
Hey everyone. Attention! Achtung! SOS! Help!
I have an ASUS Vivobook 17 X1704VA-AU665 with a 512 GB SSD. Yesterday I started a Windows 11 update and didnāt really pay attention to the process. I just run it and went to do other things. In the evening, I turned the laptop back on and noticed my desktop is completely empty. Literally nothing there, only the Recycle Bin but before the update, my desktop was full of files and folders. At first I thought the files might be hidden so checked how to show hidden files in Windows 11 and enabled hidden items in File Explorer, but that didnāt change anything.
Iām sure Iām not the only one who ran into this issue. If anyone has experienced something similar or knows how to recover files after windows update, please share any advice. ANY help is appreciated.
Quote from DataNerd on January 27, 2026, 1:25 pmssds are a nightmare. Once they go bad diy is mostly pointless. Either take it to specialists or accept the loss
ssds are a nightmare. Once they go bad diy is mostly pointless. Either take it to specialists or accept the loss
Quote from bryan on January 27, 2026, 1:48 pmQuote from DataNerd on January 27, 2026, 1:25 pmssds are a nightmare. Once they go bad diy is mostly pointless. Either take it to specialists or accept the loss
I wouldnāt be that categorical. SSD recovery is tricky mostly because of the TRIM command, or in cases of physical damage or controller failure. Outside of that, there are scenarios where recovery still works.
@ohiotom, your chances donāt sound terrible yet but you need to share more details. Is the SSD not showing in BIOS, or just not detected in the OS? And what type of connection is it - NVMe SSD or SATA SSD?
Quote from DataNerd on January 27, 2026, 1:25 pmssds are a nightmare. Once they go bad diy is mostly pointless. Either take it to specialists or accept the loss
I wouldnāt be that categorical. SSD recovery is tricky mostly because of the TRIM command, or in cases of physical damage or controller failure. Outside of that, there are scenarios where recovery still works.
@ohiotom, your chances donāt sound terrible yet but you need to share more details. Is the SSD not showing in BIOS, or just not detected in the OS? And what type of connection is it - NVMe SSD or SATA SSD?
Quote from em_on_pc on January 27, 2026, 1:49 pmWhen I was looking into how to recover data from a dead SSD on a laptop I couldnāt find anything useful on Reddit or other forums, just a lot of vague answers. The only thing that made sense was this guide. It explains quite clearly whether you can recover data from a dead SSD or not. Give it a read. If it helps, great. If not, your best bet is probably to look for a data recovery lab nearby.
When I was looking into how to recover data from a dead SSD on a laptop I couldnāt find anything useful on Reddit or other forums, just a lot of vague answers. The only thing that made sense was this guide. It explains quite clearly whether you can recover data from a dead SSD or not. Give it a read. If it helps, great. If not, your best bet is probably to look for a data recovery lab nearby.
Quote from OhioTom on January 27, 2026, 1:50 pm@bryan You actually gave me some hope! From what I can tell itās an M.2 SSD. Iāve already rebooted my computer a few times but Windows still doesnāt show the drive in File Explorer. I also tried searching Reddit for possible fixes but couldnāt find anything useful which is why I decided to post here and see if I get luckyš
@bryan You actually gave me some hope! From what I can tell itās an M.2 SSD. Iāve already rebooted my computer a few times but Windows still doesnāt show the drive in File Explorer. I also tried searching Reddit for possible fixes but couldnāt find anything useful which is why I decided to post here and see if I get luckyš
Quote from DataRecoverExpert on January 27, 2026, 1:53 pmHi @ohiotom,Ā
SSD data recovery is usually considered a hard mode task, but your case can still have a chance!
If your SSD shows up in Disk Management, you can move forward and try data recovery software to extract the projects that are still there.Ā
If you prefer more detailed, step-by-step instructions with screenshots, we have a guide that explains how to recover data from a dead SSD and what to try first - https://help.7datarecovery.com/ssd-data-recovery/Ā
Hope this helps, and good luck with the recovery!š
Hi @ohiotom,Ā
SSD data recovery is usually considered a hard mode task, but your case can still have a chance!
If your SSD shows up in Disk Management, you can move forward and try data recovery software to extract the projects that are still there.Ā
If you prefer more detailed, step-by-step instructions with screenshots, we have a guide that explains how to recover data from a dead SSD and what to try first - https://help.7datarecovery.com/ssd-data-recovery/Ā
Hope this helps, and good luck with the recovery!š
Quote from bryan on January 27, 2026, 6:15 pm@ohiotom First, check if the SSD shows up in Disk Management. If itās not in File Explorer, that doesnāt automatically mean the SSD is inaccessible everywhere. If itās missing there too, try messing with the connection. Since itās an M.2, pull it out, clean the contacts, and reseat it. Sounds dumb, but sometimes it actually helps.
@ohiotom First, check if the SSD shows up in Disk Management. If itās not in File Explorer, that doesnāt automatically mean the SSD is inaccessible everywhere. If itās missing there too, try messing with the connection. Since itās an M.2, pull it out, clean the contacts, and reseat it. Sounds dumb, but sometimes it actually helps.
Quote from bryan on January 27, 2026, 6:16 pm@ohiotom Iād really like to help more, but I donāt have time to sit around waiting for replies. If my advice helps, after that just pick a data recovery tool that works for you. A quick search led me to a solid top list on Reddit, and since youāre dealing with video files you might also want to check this list of the best video recovery software.
@ohiotom Iād really like to help more, but I donāt have time to sit around waiting for replies. If my advice helps, after that just pick a data recovery tool that works for you. A quick search led me to a solid top list on Reddit, and since youāre dealing with video files you might also want to check this list of the best video recovery software.
Quote from JohnMiller on January 27, 2026, 6:24 pmAfter an improper shutdown on a MacBook, my SSD wasn't detected, so my friend fixed it using a method called power cycling. I had no idea what that even meant, so I asked him to explain it properly. He sent me these linksĀ
- https://superuser.com/questions/1566310/power-cycling-ssd-drive
- https://www.reddit.com/r/datarecovery/comments/xcm0cm/fix_your_dead_ssd_with_the_power_cycle_method/Ā
No guarantees but it worked in my case, so it might be worth a look.
After an improper shutdown on a MacBook, my SSD wasn't detected, so my friend fixed it using a method called power cycling. I had no idea what that even meant, so I asked him to explain it properly. He sent me these linksĀ
- https://superuser.com/questions/1566310/power-cycling-ssd-drive
- https://www.reddit.com/r/datarecovery/comments/xcm0cm/fix_your_dead_ssd_with_the_power_cycle_method/Ā
No guarantees but it worked in my case, so it might be worth a look.
Quote from Ryan404 on January 27, 2026, 6:33 pmIām not sure about how to recover data from a dead SSD in general but when I had SSD issues after a firmware update failure TestDisk actually helped. Itās not user-friendly at all but it can repair the file system if thatās where the problem is. If the issue is something deeper (like motherboard failure or a dead controller) I have no idea what to do there. Thatās probably lab territory only.
Iām not sure about how to recover data from a dead SSD in general but when I had SSD issues after a firmware update failure TestDisk actually helped. Itās not user-friendly at all but it can repair the file system if thatās where the problem is. If the issue is something deeper (like motherboard failure or a dead controller) I have no idea what to do there. Thatās probably lab territory only.
Quote from OhioTom on January 27, 2026, 6:34 pmOkay, @bryanās advice actually worked. The SSD now shows up in Disk Management. Quick question though should I disable the TRIM command or not? Iāve already read way too much about SSDs, so now Iām basically afraid to even breathe near it and accidentally finish it off for good. I really donāt want to send my projects to heaven or hell, wherever deleted files end upš¬
Okay, @bryanās advice actually worked. The SSD now shows up in Disk Management. Quick question though should I disable the TRIM command or not? Iāve already read way too much about SSDs, so now Iām basically afraid to even breathe near it and accidentally finish it off for good. I really donāt want to send my projects to heaven or hell, wherever deleted files end upš¬
Quote from DataRecoverExpert on January 28, 2026, 12:24 pmHi @ohiotom, moderator from 7 Data Recovery Experts here again.
Looks like no one has answered your last question yet, so letās clear it up.
In general, TRIM becomes a real problem when youāre trying to recover deleted or formatted data. In those cases, TRIM can mark blocks as free and make recovery impossible.
In a situation like yours, where the files are still there but you temporarily couldnāt access the SSD, TRIM usually doesnāt apply and wonāt automatically wipe existing data.
That said, in our guides we often recommend disabling TRIM as a precaution. It helps cover more scenarios and protects users who arenāt sure what exactly happened to their data.If you want an explanation of how this command works, we break it down in our glossary section on the TRIM command.š
Hi @ohiotom, moderator from 7 Data Recovery Experts here again.
Looks like no one has answered your last question yet, so letās clear it up.
In general, TRIM becomes a real problem when youāre trying to recover deleted or formatted data. In those cases, TRIM can mark blocks as free and make recovery impossible.
In a situation like yours, where the files are still there but you temporarily couldnāt access the SSD, TRIM usually doesnāt apply and wonāt automatically wipe existing data.
That said, in our guides we often recommend disabling TRIM as a precaution. It helps cover more scenarios and protects users who arenāt sure what exactly happened to their data.
If you want an explanation of how this command works, we break it down in our glossary section on the TRIM command.š
Quote from OhioTom on January 28, 2026, 12:38 pmThanks everyone for the help. Iām going to move forward and try to recover my video projects now. Fingers crossedš¤š»
Thanks everyone for the help. Iām going to move forward and try to recover my video projects now. Fingers crossedš¤š»
Quote from AlexR on January 28, 2026, 12:49 pmOne thing no one mentioned here is SSD encryption. If the SSD is encrypted and it died because of file system issues, the only real way to get the data back is to restore the original file system. If that fails, you can pretty much say goodbye to the data.
One thing no one mentioned here is SSD encryption. If the SSD is encrypted and it died because of file system issues, the only real way to get the data back is to restore the original file system. If that fails, you can pretty much say goodbye to the data.
Quote from OhioTom on January 28, 2026, 12:50 pmQuick update
The advice here actually helped. I managed to get the SSD to show up in Disk Management, and after that I used Disk Drill to recover my video projects. During the process I noticed signs of an overheating SSD, so Iām not going to mess with it any further. Iāll send it in for inspection and switch to a new drive for now.
Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help. All the best š«
Quick update
The advice here actually helped. I managed to get the SSD to show up in Disk Management, and after that I used Disk Drill to recover my video projects. During the process I noticed signs of an overheating SSD, so Iām not going to mess with it any further. Iāll send it in for inspection and switch to a new drive for now.
Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help. All the best š«