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SSD problems · not detected

SSD not detected? We can recover it.

When an SSD stops being detected by your computer, laptop or Mac, your data is still held on the flash memory. Our engineers repair the firmware or recover at chip level, in-house.

£300 + VAT
Most jobs — no fix, no fee
Chip-off recovery in-house
~ ssd_2026-001 — live RECOVERED
$ bdr diagnose /dev/nvme0
 Device: Samsung 970 EVO (1 TB, NVMe)
 Status: NOT DETECTED — controller failure
 Client: Wallace, T. · Henleaze BS9

$ bdr engineer-working
 NAND read: chip-off · raw flash dumped
 Reconstruction: wear-levelling + ECC resolved
 Imaging: 0.91 TB / 1.00 TB (91%)

$ bdr verify
 ✓ documents — 71,440 files
 ✓ photos — 44,900 files
 ✓ data reconstructed — recovered
!

Stop power-cycling a failing SSD.

Repeatedly plugging in and unplugging an SSD that has dropped offline can make a recoverable controller or firmware fault worse. Don't run repair or formatting tools against it, and don't attempt a firmware update — these can overwrite the very mapping data we need. Disconnect it and talk to us.

// drives we recover

Every SSD brand. Every model.

We recover data from solid-state drives of every major manufacturer. If it stores data on NAND flash, we can almost certainly help.

SamsungCrucialSanDiskWestern DigitalKingstonCorsairSeagateADATAIntelMicronSK HynixSabrentPNYTranscendKioxiaLexarTeam GroupSilicon PowerPatriotOWC

2.5" SATA · M.2 SATA and NVMe · mSATA and PCIe · internal, external and portable · from early SATA SSDs to the latest high-capacity NVMe drives.

// our recovery process

How we recover an undetected SSD.

SSD recovery means working at controller, firmware and chip level. We find the real fault, repair or bypass it, then rebuild your data from the flash — carefully, in the right order.

01

Free diagnostic

Bring in or post your SSD. We work out whether it is a controller, firmware, NAND or connection fault, and send a written quote — usually within 48 hours.

02

Check connection and enclosure

We rule out the cable and port, and on external or portable SSDs bypass the USB bridge to test the bare drive directly.

03

Repair the firmware

Where we can reach the controller, we use specialist tools to access the SSD in a safe mode and repair its firmware and mapping tables.

04

Read the NAND (chip-off)

Where the controller has failed, we remove the flash memory chips and read them directly on specialist NAND equipment.

05

Reconstruct the data

We reverse the controller's wear-levelling, error correction and scrambling to rebuild your files from the raw flash.

06

Recover and verify

We extract your data, check it against a file listing, and return it on fresh media.

07

Backup Drive or Download

We backup your data to either an external drive and ship it back to you, or we also offer a free download service for your data up to 75GB.

// ssd recovery

Recovery down to the flash chip.

We recover failed SSDs at controller, firmware and chip level in-house — repairing the firmware, or removing the NAND and reconstructing your data directly from the raw flash.

Chip-off
NAND recovery
SATA · M.2
NVMe & mSATA
In-house
Every recovery
48 hr
Diagnostic SLA
3–4
Working days typical
25 yrs
Recovering data
// get a custom quote

Get a custom quote

Tell us about your SSD and we will get back to you, usually within 30 minutes during the day.

Prefer to call? 0117 332 1137 · Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm

// pricing

Clear, fixed pricing.

No hidden fees and no pressure — just a free diagnostic and a written quote before any work starts.

SSD not detected recovery
£300 + VAT
Standard price for a single SSD that is not detected.
  • Free written diagnostic and quote
  • No fix, no fee on most jobs
  • Parts and labour included in the quoted price
// recent recoveries

Dead SSDs. Real recoveries.

A snapshot of recent SSD recoveries, handled in-house. Names redacted, results verified.

// CASE 2026-037recovered
Samsung 970 EVO 1 TBM.2 NVMe SSDNot detected

Samsung NVMe that vanished from a laptop.

The controller had failed completely. We removed and read the NAND chips, reconstructed the data from the raw flash, and recovered the bulk of the volume.

// CASE 2026-031recovered
Crucial MX500 1 TB2.5" SATA SSDBricked

Crucial SSD bricked after a power cut.

A sudden power loss had corrupted the mapping tables. We repaired the firmware at controller level and rebuilt the translator to recover everything.

// CASE 2026-024recovered
SanDisk Extreme 2 TBPortable USB SSDNot recognised

Portable SSD that stopped showing up on a Mac.

The internal controller had failed. We recovered the drive at chip level and reconstructed the data from the flash.

// client reviews

SSDs recovered. Customers relieved.

Reviews from real clients whose failed and undetected SSDs we brought back.

★★★★★
My Samsung SSD suddenly was not detected and I thought my data was gone for good. They recovered it at chip level and saved everything. Incredible expertise.
T
Tom W.Henleaze, Bristol · November 2024
★★★★★
My SSD bricked after a power cut. They repaired the firmware and got all of my work back. Brilliant, knowledgeable and honest service.
A
Aisha K.Staple Hill · July 2019
★★★★★
My portable SSD stopped being recognised on my Mac. They recovered all of my photos and files. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
C
Connor B.Yatton · March 2015
// sending your device in

Two simple steps.

Send us your device for a free diagnostic, and tell us a little about what happened — an engineer will review it and confirm your exact quote in writing before any work begins.

1

Send us your device

Recovering your data starts with getting the device to us. Pack it safely, add your contact details, and send it over — after we run a free diagnostic, we’ll confirm your exact price in writing before any work begins.

How to pack it
  • Package the device into a small, sturdy box or padded envelope.
  • Leave out caddies, cables and power supplies — we won’t need them for the recovery.
  • Include your details inside the package: name, address, phone and email — on a slip of paper, or use our shipping form — then seal it up.
Post toBristol Data Recovery
Castlemead, Lower Castle Street
Bristol BS1 3AG
Shipping formPDF · print & include with your devicePDF ↓

Posting it in? We recommend a tracked, insured service. Prefer to drop it off? You’re welcome Monday–Friday, 9am–5:30pm — please still package the device as above.

2

Need more information?

If you need more information on our data recovery service, fill out the form with more detail about your issue and an engineer will review it and give you a custom quote.

An engineer reviews every enquiry personally — we usually reply within 30 minutes during the day. Prefer to call? 0117 332 1137.

Thanks — your message is in.

We’ll be in touch shortly. For anything urgent, call 0117 332 1137.

// frequently asked questions

SSD not detected, answered.

The questions we are asked most about SSDs that are not detected or recognised.

An SSD usually disappears because its controller chip or firmware has failed — the part that manages access to the flash memory. The data itself is still held on the memory chips, so even a drive that will not show up at all is frequently recoverable.

In most cases, yes — though SSD recovery is more specialist than a hard drive. We repair the firmware where we can, and where the controller is dead we read the flash chips directly and reconstruct your data from the raw memory.

Usually not. A sudden power loss can corrupt the SSD's mapping tables and leave it undetected, but your data is still on the flash. We repair the firmware and rebuild those tables to bring the drive and your files back.

When an SSD's controller has failed completely, we physically remove the NAND flash memory chips and read them on specialist equipment, then reconstruct your data from the raw flash. It is one of the most advanced recoveries we carry out.

It can. TRIM permanently erases deleted data on many SSDs, and hardware encryption can complicate chip-level recovery. We will always tell you honestly at the diagnostic stage what is realistically recoverable in your specific case.

Sometimes the fault is the enclosure or USB bridge rather than the SSD itself. We test the drive directly to find out, and if the SSD has genuinely failed we recover it at controller or chip level.

Our standard price is £300 + VAT, with a free written diagnostic first and no fix, no fee on most jobs. Complex chip-off recoveries may need a higher quote, which we always confirm in writing before any work begins.

Most SSD recoveries are completed within 3 to 4 working days once you approve the quote, though chip-off reconstruction can take longer. The initial diagnostic is usually finished within 48 hours.

Every major SSD manufacturer, including Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk, Western Digital, Kingston, Corsair, Seagate, ADATA, Intel, Micron, SK Hynix, Sabrent, PNY, Transcend, Kioxia, Lexar, Team Group, Silicon Power, Patriot and OWC — in 2.5-inch SATA, M.2 SATA and NVMe, mSATA and external or portable form factors.

You can drop it off at our Bristol location Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, or post it to us fully insured. Ensure the drive is packaged and sealed, include your full contact details inside the package including Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address so we can fully book in your drive. Once we have it, we will run the free diagnostic and send you a written quote before any work begins.

// ssd not showing up?

Don't reformat it — let us recover it.

Free written diagnostic, no fix no fee on most jobs, and controller, firmware and chip-level recovery in-house. Start your recovery today.

Call us — 0117 332 1137
Mon–Fri · 9am–5:30pm · No fix, no fee
Start a free diagnostic →