Yes — many failed SSDs are recoverable, but not all: it depends on the failure. Controller failures, firmware corruption and "not detected" drives are frequently recoverable, including via NAND chip-off. However, data erased by TRIM on a healthy SSD usually isn't. We'll tell you honestly at the free diagnosis.
SSD recovery is different — and honesty matters
Solid-state drives have no moving parts, so they don't click or crash like hard drives. But they fail in their own ways — sudden controller death, worn or unstable NAND, firmware bugs, and the quiet data-erasing effect of TRIM. Recovering them takes completely different tools and techniques from HDD recovery.
Many providers simply copy their hard-drive process onto an SSD page and over-promise. We won't. Some SSD scenarios have excellent recovery odds; others — particularly data already purged by TRIM — genuinely don't. Our job is to tell you the truth up front, then apply the right method: bypassing a dead controller, repairing firmware, or reading the raw NAND directly with chip-off recovery.
Stop using it and back up immediately. Unlike hard drives, a failing SSD can go from "mostly working" to "completely dead" without warning as the controller degrades. Every power cycle is a risk.
How SSDs fail
SSD failures fall into four buckets. Tap each to understand what's happening — and how recoverable it is.
Controller failure — often recoverable
The controller is the SSD's "brain". When it dies, the drive vanishes from the system. Your data still sits intact on the NAND chips — we bypass the failed controller or read the NAND directly via chip-off, then rebuild the data using the drive's translation logic. One of the most common and recoverable SSD faults.
NAND wear / bad blocks — case-by-case
Flash cells wear out with writes. As blocks fail, the drive may go read-only or corrupt files. If the drive is read-only we can usually image it; if the NAND itself is badly degraded, recovery is partial. We assess the wear level at diagnosis.
Firmware corruption — often recoverable
SSDs run complex firmware that maps logical addresses to physical NAND (the "translator"). Corruption here can make a physically healthy drive unreadable. We access the drive in a technical mode, repair or rebuild the firmware/translator, and extract the data.
TRIM erasure — usually NOT recoverable
Here's the honest part. When you delete files on a healthy SSD, the operating system sends a TRIM command that tells the SSD to physically erase those blocks — often within seconds. Once TRIM has run, that data is genuinely gone, even for a lab. This is why deleted-file recovery on SSDs is far less certain than on hard drives.
The TRIM truth (why we're honest about SSDs)
If a company promises to recover any deleted file from any SSD, be cautious — TRIM makes that impossible in many cases. What we can reliably help with:
- Dead / not-detected SSDs (controller or firmware failure) — data intact on NAND
- Read-only SSDs — image before it fails completely
- Corrupted / RAW volumes where the drive still functions
- Physically damaged SSDs — chip-off from the raw NAND
Where odds drop sharply: files deleted or formatted on a healthy, TRIM-enabled SSD that's been powered on since. We'll always give you a straight answer at diagnosis rather than take a drive we can't help.
Our SSD recovery process
Free diagnosis
We identify the failure — controller, NAND, firmware or logical — and tell you the realistic odds. No cost, no obligation.
Controller / firmware access
We attempt to access the drive by bypassing the failed controller or repairing the firmware/translator in a technical mode.
NAND chip-off (if needed)
For dead controllers or physical damage, we desolder the NAND chips and read them directly, then reconstruct the data — accounting for wear-levelling, XOR and ECC.
Reconstruction & extraction
We rebuild the file system from the recovered image and extract your files, then give you a list to verify.
Verify & return
Verified data returned on fresh media.
More on the lab: how professional data recovery works →
What we can recover — by SSD failure
| Scenario | Method | Typical outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Controller failure / not detected | Controller bypass or chip-off | High |
| Firmware / translator corruption | Firmware repair | High |
| Read-only mode | Image before total failure | High |
| Corrupted / RAW volume | Logical reconstruction | High |
| Physical damage (dead SSD) | NAND chip-off | Case-by-case |
| Deleted/formatted on healthy TRIM SSD | Assessed — often not possible | Low |
We recover Samsung, WD, Crucial, Kingston, Intel and more — SATA, M.2 and NVMe — including MacBook SSDs. See also signs your SSD is failing →
How much does SSD recovery cost?
SSD recovery is specialised work; cost reflects the method needed.
| Case type | Examples | Indicative range (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Logical | Corruption, RAW, read-only imaging | $250 – $900 |
| Firmware / controller | Not detected, translator repair | $400 – $1,800 |
| Chip-off / NAND | Dead SSD, physical damage, monolith | $400 – $1,800 |
Exact fixed price confirmed before any work. Full detail: data recovery cost guide →
SSD recovery case studies
Representative examples from typical laboratory cases. Anonymised.
NVMe SSD vanished from laptop
A Samsung NVMe drive stopped being detected overnight — a controller failure. We accessed the NAND via chip-off and rebuilt the data with the drive's XOR/wear-levelling scheme.
✓ 100% recoveredSSD stuck in read-only mode
A worn SATA SSD flipped to read-only. Because it still responded, we imaged it immediately before it failed completely and reconstructed the volume.
✓ 97% recoveredSSD declined by another shop
A firmware-corrupted SSD another provider called "dead". We accessed it in a technical mode, repaired the translator, and extracted the client's photo library.
✓ Full library recoveredCBL vs a reseller vs DIY software
| What matters | CBL (in-house lab) | Typical reseller | DIY software |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAND chip-off capability | ✓ In-house | ✗ Outsourced | ✗ |
| Controller / firmware repair | ✓ | Rarely | ✗ |
| Honest about TRIM limits | ✓ | Often over-promises | N/A |
| Best for | Any SSD failure | Simple cases | Minor logical + backup exists |
Free diagnosis & a fixed written quote
Free Diagnosis
Honest assessment of your SSD — no cost, no obligation.
Fixed Written Quote
A firm price before any work — you approve before we start.
Fixed Quote First
A firm price before any work. No hidden fees.
SSD recovery FAQ
Can data be recovered from a dead SSD?+
Does TRIM make SSD recovery impossible?+
Do you do chip-off / NAND recovery?+
Can you recover an SSD not detected in BIOS?+
Do you recover M.2 and NVMe SSDs?+
How much does SSD recovery cost?+
If the SSD turns out to be unrecoverable, do I still pay?+
My SSD is showing warning signs — what should I do?+
A photo library on an external SSD would no longer open on a MacBook. Sarah explained the likely procedure and the approximate cost upfront before any work began. — Christopher Chui ★★★★★ · More real case studies →
The bottom line
SSD recovery rewards expertise and honesty over false promises. CBL brings controller, firmware and chip-off capability, a straight answer about what's possible — so there’s no risk in finding out. Back it up if you still can, then let's take a look.