SSD disappeared

I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop (along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from the
configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management. It's as if
it was physically removed from the system, yet there are no log entries
that pertaining to something that might have failed. I'll pry the laptop
open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised there is no record of
anything going wrong.

On 2019-09-05 5:27 p.m., Jason wrote:
I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop (along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from the
configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management. It's as if
it was physically removed from the system, yet there are no log entries
that pertaining to something that might have failed. I'll pry the laptop
open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised there is no record of
anything going wrong.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You might
want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

Rabid Robot wrote:

Jason wrote:

I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop (along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from
the configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management.
It's as if it was physically removed from the system, yet there are
no log entries that pertaining to something that might have failed.
I'll pry the laptop open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised
there is no record of anything going wrong.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You
might want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

Since the SSDs are in m.2 slots, there is a tiny screw (with fat head)
that not only holds down the PCB but also keeps it in the connector.

https://vjauj58549.i.lithium.com/com...e?v=1.0&px=999
http://www.notebookreview.com/wp-con...00612_1920.jpg

Every write is destructive to an SSD; that is, with writes, the device
gets closer to its maximum write count. Unlike HDDs that can exhibit
behavior indicating impending failure, SSDs just die catastrophically
and instantly. When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

You can use S.M.A.R.T. to monitor the number of write cycles of an SSD.
However, I don't recall the SMART data in an SSD specifies its maximum
expected write count lifespan. With the Samsung 1TB EVO Pro m.2 NVMe in
my desktop, I use their Magician software to indicate remaining
lifespan, but that's just a Good/Fair/Bad assessment, not how many more
writes are left for the SSD.

In article , VanguardLH
wrote:

Every write is destructive to an SSD; that is, with writes, the device
gets closer to its maximum write count.

which is high enough that it can be safely be ignored in normal use.

Unlike HDDs that can exhibit
behavior indicating impending failure, SSDs just die catastrophically
and instantly.

hard drives often die instantly too.

When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

not necessarily. many ssds will become read-only.

On 09/05/2019 03:36 PM, Rabid Robot wrote:
On 2019-09-05 5:27 p.m., Jason wrote:
I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop

Say, that's a high-end pile you got there. Rapid Rooter is proud of you.

(along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from the
configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management.

This group is for discussing Windows 10 features and tricks. Do not
bring problems here, Good Guy pouts when people do that.

It's as if
it was physically removed from the system, yet there are no log entries
that pertaining to something that might have failed. I'll pry the laptop
open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised there is no record of
anything going wrong.

Your sales receipt is the record. Birth Certificate is another.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You might
want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

He's been truly ****ed. "two SSD's... along with the conventional drive
that came with it" is telling us that he spent heaps more on his pile
after acquiring it.

In article , says...
You can use S.M.A.R.T. to monitor the number of write cycles of an SSD.
However, I don't recall the SMART data in an SSD specifies its maximum
expected write count lifespan. With the Samsung 1TB EVO Pro m.2 NVMe in
my desktop, I use their Magician software to indicate remaining
lifespan, but that's just a Good/Fair/Bad assessment, not how many more
writes are left for the SSD.

There's software from WD that performs analysis and test of their
SanDisk SSD's. It shows a percentage value purports to reflect
degradation. I have no idea if it's accurate or not.

I tried re-seating everything - no change. Next is to take the drive out
and attach it via a USB adapter. That's tomorrow's project.

Thanks.

Jason wrote:
In article , says...
You can use S.M.A.R.T. to monitor the number of write cycles of an SSD.
However, I don't recall the SMART data in an SSD specifies its maximum
expected write count lifespan. With the Samsung 1TB EVO Pro m.2 NVMe in
my desktop, I use their Magician software to indicate remaining
lifespan, but that's just a Good/Fair/Bad assessment, not how many more
writes are left for the SSD.

There's software from WD that performs analysis and test of their
SanDisk SSD's. It shows a percentage value purports to reflect
degradation. I have no idea if it's accurate or not.

I tried re-seating everything - no change. Next is to take the drive out
and attach it via a USB adapter. That's tomorrow's project.

Thanks.


Get the model number off the failed unit, and Google it.
And see what the history of the thing is. If other people
have seen premature failures, you have your answer.

The first SSDs, all the firmware was written by "Brick Brickington".
With obvious results. Writing that firmware is "hard", because
consumer drives have no advanced power fail or energy storage
devices, to simplify what the firmware has to achieve
(atomic writes being necessary, in case of power fail).
The SSD internal state always has to be handled
in a "safe" manner, because the power could go off
instantly without notice.

Some of the Enterprise drives have a Supercap or Ultracap,
to provide some time for "cleanup" before internal shutdown.
On the consumer drives, you could sometimes see solder
pads on the PCB, for an energy storage device, but no
surrounding components to make it work. A kind of
"reliability tease" as it were. They left that stuff
in the PCB copper, just to **** people off.

Paul

On 2019-09-05 9:35 p.m., VanguardLH wrote:
Rabid Robot wrote:

Jason wrote:

I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop (along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from
the configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management.
It's as if it was physically removed from the system, yet there are
no log entries that pertaining to something that might have failed.
I'll pry the laptop open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised
there is no record of anything going wrong.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You
might want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

Since the SSDs are in m.2 slots, there is a tiny screw (with fat head)
that not only holds down the PCB but also keeps it in the connector.

https://vjauj58549.i.lithium.com/com...e?v=1.0&px=999
http://www.notebookreview.com/wp-con...00612_1920.jpg

Every write is destructive to an SSD; that is, with writes, the device
gets closer to its maximum write count. Unlike HDDs that can exhibit
behavior indicating impending failure, SSDs just die catastrophically
and instantly. When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

I'm aware but I haven't yet ever seen an SSD die. I too use M.2 drives,
exclusively. If that's what the disappearing drive is, it's clearly just
a Windows issue. I believe I had a similar such issue at some point and
had to go into Computer Management to fix it. I believe that the drive,
for whatever reason, needed to be re-partitioned and re-formatted but I
don't remember all too clearly. I have no idea what caused it.

You can use S.M.A.R.T. to monitor the number of write cycles of an SSD.
However, I don't recall the SMART data in an SSD specifies its maximum
expected write count lifespan. With the Samsung 1TB EVO Pro m.2 NVMe in
my desktop, I use their Magician software to indicate remaining
lifespan, but that's just a Good/Fair/Bad assessment, not how many more
writes are left for the SSD.

I wouldn't mind finding software to be a lot more specific in how much
time is left for my drives because I'm just looking for an excuse to
upgrade the 128GBx2 RAID 0 into a 512GBx2 one (even though it won't
benefit me in any way). I just want to do it because the drives are so
damned cheap nowadays.

Funny enough, this laptop of mine is almost five years-old and still
runs a lot faster than some of the garbage they're selling. No reason to
do anything but upgrade the internals for the time being.

On 2019-09-05 10:03 p.m., nospam wrote:
In article , VanguardLH
wrote:

Every write is destructive to an SSD; that is, with writes, the device
gets closer to its maximum write count.

which is high enough that it can be safely be ignored in normal use.

So far, that has been my experience. Even the SSD I got in 2011 or so is
still in operation on the computer I gave away.

Unlike HDDs that can exhibit
behavior indicating impending failure, SSDs just die catastrophically
and instantly.

hard drives often die instantly too.

Happened to me on a laptop of mine, 8 months after purchase. The machine
had never been dropped or anything either.

When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

not necessarily. many ssds will become read-only.

Which makes them fairly useless.

In article , Rabid Robot
wrote:


When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

not necessarily. many ssds will become read-only.

Which makes them fairly useless.

it's exactly the desired failure mode and means all of the contents can
easily be copied to a new device without any loss.

On 2019-09-06 8:39 a.m., nospam wrote:
In article , Rabid Robot
wrote:


When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

not necessarily. many ssds will become read-only.

Which makes them fairly useless.

it's exactly the desired failure mode and means all of the contents can
easily be copied to a new device without any loss.

Good point.

In article , says...
He's been truly ****ed. "two SSD's... along with the conventional drive
that came with it" is telling us that he spent heaps more on his pile
after acquiring it.


I do a lot of high-def audio editing, photoshop work and some premier
pro video editing. This machine has been terrific throughout. I'll
probably buy another.

Thank you for your helpful response.

On Thu, 5 Sep 2019 20:35:02 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

Rabid Robot wrote:

Jason wrote:

I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop (along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from
the configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management.
It's as if it was physically removed from the system, yet there are
no log entries that pertaining to something that might have failed.
I'll pry the laptop open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised
there is no record of anything going wrong.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You
might want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

Since the SSDs are in m.2 slots, there is a tiny screw (with fat head)
that not only holds down the PCB but also keeps it in the connector.

https://vjauj58549.i.lithium.com/com...e?v=1.0&px=999
http://www.notebookreview.com/wp-con...00612_1920.jpg

Every write is destructive to an SSD; that is, with writes, the device
gets closer to its maximum write count. Unlike HDDs that can exhibit
behavior indicating impending failure, SSDs just die catastrophically
and instantly. When they use up their reserve for masking bad memory
blocks, poof, that's the end of the SSD.

You can use S.M.A.R.T. to monitor the number of write cycles of an SSD.
However, I don't recall the SMART data in an SSD specifies its maximum
expected write count lifespan. With the Samsung 1TB EVO Pro m.2 NVMe in
my desktop, I use their Magician software to indicate remaining
lifespan, but that's just a Good/Fair/Bad assessment, not how many more
writes are left for the SSD.

That's why SSDs are not used in enterprise, or on the Enterprise.

On Thu, 5 Sep 2019 20:16:21 -0700, Dynamo Fireball
wrote:

On 5/09/2019 03:36 PM, Rabid Robot wrote:
On 2019-09-05 5:27 p.m., Jason wrote:
I have two SSD's in an Alienware laptop

Say, that's a high-end pile you got there. Rapid Rooter is proud of you.

(along with the conventional
drive that came with it). One of the SSD's had just vanished from the
configuration. It doesn't show up at all in Disk Management.

This group is for discussing Windows 10 features and tricks. Do not
bring problems here, Good Guy pouts when people do that.

It's as if
it was physically removed from the system, yet there are no log entries
that pertaining to something that might have failed. I'll pry the laptop
open and check the connectors, but I'm surprised there is no record of
anything going wrong.

Your sales receipt is the record. Birth Certificate is another.

Considering how the SSDs in such machines are not firmly connected and
screwed in, it's quite possible that it simply disconnected. You might
want to check the BIOS to see if it still appears there.

He's been truly ****ed. "two SSD's... along with the conventional drive
that came with it" is telling us that he spent heaps more on his pile
after acquiring it.

He did get the one with the 4 Mhz Z80.

In article , Lucifer
wrote:


That's why SSDs are not used in enterprise, or on the Enterprise.

they absolutely are used in enterprise.