Issues arising from system restart and correct boot configuration
Issues arising from system restart and correct boot configuration
About a week back, my computer stopped working even under regular use. After a hard restart, the prompt "reboot and select proper boot device" showed up. Various online solutions were attempted, but they didn’t help much. The issue started with a Samsung 970 Evo plus M.2 (hereafter M.2). M.2 can display files and S.M.A.R.T reports normal status, yet the PC won’t start. I replaced it with a new M.2 and installed a fresh system, but another problem emerged: moving user files (desktop setup, common programs) from the old to the new M.2 is problematic. Until recently, I couldn’t read the old M.2 on Windows—it only worked on Mac. It appears folders can’t be copied or moved directly, and admin rights are needed. I’m stuck. Could you offer your thoughts? Summary: 1. Is it possible to recover the old M.2? What might cause this failure? How can I avoid it next time? 2. If recovery isn’t an option, is there another method to export user files onto the new M.2? Thanks.
For 1. It's unclear whether it was acknowledged in the BIOS during the time it was accessible on Windows but failed to start. Also, what occurs if you connect it to a Windows computer now? Doesn't it appear at all in Disk Management or Device Manager?
Regarding 2. Yes, if the previous storage device is still functioning properly and won't malfunction during reading, there are tools that can copy data directly from one drive to another—though I’m mainly familiar with `dd` on Linux. Once this is completed, you should be able to restart from the new drive and revert to your previous setup.
Are both storage devices connected to the device? Currently I’m running a Debian-based application named Redo Rescue to recover data. If you have an external hard drive, connect it and launch Redo via USB (using Rufus or balenaEtcher). Once inside Redo, choose your source and destination drives. You can also store backups on an FTP server or a NAS in your local network. Redo offers great features like network drivers, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and even web browsing. Just be cautious with the browsing part—it caused a crash earlier. After fixing it, I would use DBAN to wipe the drive and then restore the files you need.
The M.2 (old) remains identifiable in the BIOS currently. I attempted to adjust the priority between the M.2(old) and the HDD, but it didn’t make a difference. The condition of the M.2 in the disk management is stable, yet the error message says "USB Device not recognized." Interestingly, despite this warning, the Windows File Manager still sees the disk as Disk G. It might be wise to back up the data soon before the M.2 fails again.