Recover SSD data using a distinct power/data cable.
Recover SSD data using a distinct power/data cable.
UK based Mac user with a "dead" SSD. After viewing a video from Limitless-Hardware on data recover, I'm seeking advice on using a separate power and data connector. Please suggest how to run an SSD power only for thirty minutes for automatic diagnostics before connecting the data cable, and let me know where to find reliable hardware in the UK.
This video isn't about data recovery. What the person on screen is essentially discussing is a slim chance of the drive appearing in the operating system. This method only applies if there was a problem with power/data at the start, such as a loose connector that caused the drive to vanish and appear dead. Additionally, SSDs don’t contain spare NAND flash cells.
If you're looking for a proper data recovery video, check out NorthRidge Fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_oBQ2UFZSU. In this video, Alex demonstrates repairing a Crucial MX500 500GB drive and recovering data. He explains that if the problem lies with the NAND cells, he can’t recover the data. However, if there’s an issue elsewhere, he attempted repairs using a thermal camera and voltage injection, which helped him identify and replace another blown capacitor. This allowed him to restore the SSD and retrieve the data.
With these points in mind, here are your choices:
1. Purchase a new SSD (affordable but no recovery).
2. Contact NorthRidge Fix for a potential recovery (they offer international service).
3. Take the drive to a professional data recovery lab (like DriveSavers) for advanced extraction.
Avoid free fixes—they often worsen the situation and may increase costs. Also, if the system can’t detect the drive, there are no free solutions.
Disk Utility continually spins when trying to load the SSD from another external storage, so there is life in it.
The SSD unit stopped working at the same time as the SSD. However, it was a dual bay enclosure and the other SSD is still fine.
It has been slow for a while, but what are the odds of the enclosure breaking along with the SSD ?
1st, you said that SSD stopped working. Now, you're saying that you used some kind of dual-enclosure, which stopped working, making one of the SSDs to stopped working as well.
This is completely different issue of what you initially described.
Apple certified SSD enclosure? Or some random 3rd party enclosure?
If Apple certified, haul the enclosure to Apple repair shop, along with two SSDs.
If random no-name cheap enclosure, then quality of it can't be confirmed. But it can fry all and any drives connected to it.
Also, what kind of enclosure? RAID? NAS? Something else?
It may have life, but if OS isn't able to utilize the drive, not much to do. There are recovery software out there, like Recuva, but this is solely for Win and not MacOS.
For MacOS, there are other software, like Disk Drill,
further reading:
https://news.macgasm.net/reviews/10-best...tware-mac/
So, you may give those software a go, and look if you can utilize and recover the data. But it can make things worse, costing you more if you end up with data recovery service.
I was relying on a third-party dual bay external SSD (StarTech) to start an OS, meaning only one of the Crucial branded drives was ever active at any given time.
The unit includes a fan, so when it ceased functioning (as reported in a news article while I wasn’t using any peripherals), it triggered a full system freeze.
I forced a shutdown of all devices and rebooted, but nothing worked—no power reached the SSD enclosure, even though the transformer on the two-part power lead was solid.
I then tried another external enclosure to access the drives; the unused one would mount, but not the main unit in use.
On macOS, the disk mounting tool displayed a spinning disk when I opened an app after connecting the nonworking SSD, indicating it was still active. However, Disk Utility worked normally before but failed to load the SSD afterward.
The backup external enclosure I was using had an LED that blinked when in use for all drives, which gave me hope.
I was running the system overnight and it was quite warm, so I suspect I pushed too hard and both enclosures failed. The recent slowdowns and occasional freezes—especially with many windows open across different Spaces—seem to align, though it might just be coincidence linked to the heat?
These items are available on Amazon. The first one features a dedicated power input, and the second is an adapter with a converter.