Samsung 850 EVO SSD Data Recovery

Zero Alpha can recover data from various capacity Samsung 850 Evo Solid State Drives. Below, we outline the most common issues associated with this SSD where we can help to recover your data.

Samsung SSD 850 EVO 2TB Data Recovery MZ-75E2T0

Samsung SSD 850 EVO 2TB MZ-75E2T0 in for data recovery

1. NAND Flash Wear

The 850 EVO uses NAND flash memory, which has a limited lifespan determined by its program/erase (P/E) cycles. Over time, the following issues can arise:

  • Bad Blocks: Certain memory cells become unreadable or unwritable, leading to corrupted files.
  • Read/Write Errors: The drive may struggle to read or write data, resulting in slow performance and data inaccessibility.

2. Controller Failure

The Samsung 850 EVO features the proprietary MGX or MEX controller, which can occasionally fail due to:

  • Firmware Corruption: Outdated or malfunctioning firmware can make the SSD inaccessible.
  • Overheating: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause controller damage, leading to a complete drive failure.

3. Electrical Damage

SSD electronics are sensitive to power fluctuations, which can lead to:

  • Power Surges: Sudden voltage spikes may damage the drive's circuit board or components.
  • Short Circuits: Faulty power supplies or improper handling can cause irreversible damage to the SSD's internal electronics.

4. Logical Errors

Logical issues are among the most common causes of data loss, often arising from software-related problems:

  • Accidental Deletion: Files or partitions may be mistakenly deleted by the user.
  • File System Corruption: Improper ejection of the SSD, power loss during a write process, or malware attacks can corrupt the file system, making the drive unreadable.
  • Unsupported Formatting: Reformatting the SSD for a different operating system or file system can erase all existing data.

5. Firmware Issues

Firmware problems can severely impact the SSD's functionality, causing:

  • Unrecognized Drive: The SSD may not be detected by the BIOS or operating system.
  • Sudden Capacity Loss: The drive may report incorrect storage capacity, often showing as 0GB.
  • Locked State: The SSD may enter a read-only mode, preventing further writes.

6. Physical Damage

Though SSDs are more durable than traditional hard drives, they can still suffer from physical damage:

  • Impact Damage: Dropping the SSD can damage its components, especially the connectors.
  • Liquid Exposure: Spills or submersion can short the circuitry, rendering the drive inoperable.

7. Trim and Over-Provisioning Complications

Features like TRIM and over-provisioning are designed to enhance performance and longevity but can create recovery challenges:

  • Data Overwriting: TRIM commands actively erase deleted data, making recovery more difficult.
  • Partition Issues: Misconfigured over-provisioning can lead to inaccessible partitions or reduced available capacity.

8. Wear Leveling Failures

Wear leveling is a key feature of SSDs, distributing write cycles evenly across cells. However, problems with wear leveling can result in:

  • Unbalanced Wear: Certain memory cells wear out faster, leading to data loss in affected areas.
  • Drive Malfunction: Failure in wear leveling algorithms can cause the SSD to crash or become unresponsive.

9. Sudden Drive Failure

The Samsung 850 EVO, like other SSDs, can fail without warning. Symptoms include:

  • No Detection: The drive is no longer recognized by the system, even in BIOS.
  • Freezing or Crashing: The computer freezes or crashes during file transfers or booting.
  • Static LED Indicators: External enclosures with static LEDs may indicate no communication with the drive.

850EVO SAFE MODE & UART PINOUT

samsung 850evo safe mode uart pinout data recovery

Model shown MZ-75E1T0

Data Recovery MZ-75E2T0 2TB Case Log

21Feb24: This ssd stays locked in busy mode. The screws have been opened and you can tell they are damaged from not using the correct screw driver. These screws are not a standard screw and require special tools. Once opened it was very obvious that something very bad has occured. The metal lid is bent and pressed against the poor little fragile SSD inside

Samsung SSD 850 Burnt Chips Damage to Case

An examination under microscope shows significant damage to the nand memory chips and the e-fuse

Samsung SSD SEC 531 850 EVO Data Recovery Burnt NAND Chip

You can see the burnt out cracks in the memory chip

Samsung SSD 850 EVO 2TB Data Recovery eFuse Blown

Samsung SSD 850 EVO 2TB Data Recovery eFuse Blown

Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSD MZ-75E1T0 Data Recovery Case log

samsung 850 evo 1tb ssd data recovery mz-75e1t0

10Dec24: This ssd came in for deleted data recovery. This model does have TRIM but the customer was able to turn the ssd off very quickly and avoided losing data from TRIM. Zero Alpha recovered all deleted data.

Samsung 850 EVO 1TB SSDs in a Raid Array Data Recovery Case log

13Mar25 - The customer brought in 4 Samsung 850 evo SSD that were in the Raid Array 4 tb. The array contained VMFS Container partition. One of the ssd has failed.Thermal camera shows normal activity on the failed ssd. Loader fails due to encrypted firmware. CPU S4LN045X01-8030

Samsung 850 Evo 500gb MZ-75E500 Data Recovery Caselog

Samsung 850 Evo 500gb Data Recovery MZ-75E500

Samsung SSD 850 Evo 250GB MZ7LN250 Data Recovery Case Log

Samsung SSD 850 Evo 250GB Broken SATA Connector Data Recovery MZ7LN250

09Jun24: This ssd was from a pc that was in very bad condition. The sata connector of the ssd is heavily damaged but all data was able to be recovered by Zero Alpha.