solid state drive.

SSD vs HDD.

Solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs) are the two main storage options. The type of storage your computer uses matters for the performance, power usage, and reliability of the computer. Therefore, choosing the right storage isn’t just about comparing capacity and cost.

Solid State Drives or SSDs got their "solid state" name because they have no moving parts.
An SSD consists of solid-state electronic memory chips to read and write data. Semiconductors alter the electric charges of these arrays, storing code in the process.

A HDD is essentially a metal platter with magnetic coating that stores your data. A read/write head on an arm accesses the data while the platters are spinning.

what makes SSDs so popular.

- What makes SSDs an increasingly popular choice is their speed. SSDs are faster, because their access time doesn't depend on a read/write interface head synchronizing with a data sector on a rotating disk.
- SSDs provide greater physical resilience to physical vibration, shock, and extreme temperature fluctuations. They are also immune to strong magnetic fields that can sanitize a hard drive.
- SSDs in general are more reliable than HDDs.
- SSDs are smaller and weigh less than HDDs, which is especially important with laptops.
- SSDs are more power efficient than HDDs. SSDs commonly use less power and result in longer battery life because data access is much faster and the device is more often idle.
- SSDs make no noise at all because they're non-mechanical.
- SSDs are more expensive than HDDs per amount of storage (in GB or TB), but the gap is rapidly closing as SSD prices quickly begin to drop.

do SSDs fail.

SSDs can fail, but in a different way than traditional HDDs. While HDDs often fail because of mechanical issues, SSDs may fail due to the methods used to write information.

SSDs use flash memory cells to store data. In this way, SSDs function almost like large flash drives, programming data onto these cells by changing their electric charges. However, once you fill the available memory on an SSD, the SSD can only add new information by erasing older data. This process is called a program/erase cycle, or P/E cycle.
Importantly, each SSD has a limited number of P/E cycles. Each P/E cycle gradually degrades the memory of an SSD’s cells until they eventually become worn down. At this point, you will no longer be able to rely on the SSD to store information. The gradual wearing out of SSD flash cells means the drive will no longer be usable.

While SSDs may fail with less frequency than HDDs, they do have a higher error rate that can affect the end-user experience. So-called uncorrectable errors are relatively common in SSDs. They can affect data retention and lead to effective failure.

warning signals for SSD failure.

Unfortunately, SSD failures are hard to detect. Unlike HDDs, SSDs do not emit audible signals like whirring, clicking, or humming when they’re approaching a complete shutdown. SSDs can operate in silence until they simply stop functioning.
Typical SSD failure symptoms include slow transfer rates, repeated file access issues, file corruption, and a large number of bad sectors.

Here are some of the most common indicators that your SSD is failing:
- Bad blocks for saving files, low speed for copy or transfer files, failed files transfer.
- Your computer shows the following notification: 'file system requires repair'.
- Your computer crashes while booting up but detects the drive after a few reboots.
- Your SSD operates in 'read-only' mode.
- This message appears: 'operating system not found'.
- External USB drivers can not be detected.

common causes of SSD data loss.

Data loss can be caused not only by SSD failure but many other factors:
- Human error
- Viruses and malware
- SSD damage
- Power outages
- Computer / laptop theft
- Liquid damage
- High temperatures
- Disasters (fires, storms, floods)
- Software corruption
- SSD formatting
- Hackers


how to prevent unexpected SSD data loss.

While SSDs are considered reliable, there is still the possibility of drive failure and data loss. Here is what you should do in order to prevent data loss:

- Backup important data to another drive or external storage device.
Backup data regularly and routinely, even if your SSD appears to be in good health. Unexpected corruption, power surges, viruses, or physical harm could hit your drive and cause permanent data loss. You truly never know what can happen, which is why valuable data should always be duplicated somewhere secure. - Download and install anti-virus software to scan and remove all viruses from the SSD drive.
- Download a program designed to monitor SSD health by tracking operating temperature and performance metrics.
- Make sure that you always leave a portion of your SSD empty to ensure that the leveling algorithms work well. These algorithms are responsible for redistributing data to minimize the wear and tear on the drive and keep it functioning optimally.
- Stop using your SSD immediately when you find data loss trouble has occurred to your drive. SSDs' issues are often progressive, which means that they become worse as the drive continues to operate.
- Call a professional data recovery company to help you protect and retrieve your data.
- When investing in a new SSD, buy strategically. Many SSDs come equipped with S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) that warns users of potential failure and prompts them to take preventative measures.


SSD Data Recovery

Due to the completely different mechanics and working methods, SSD data recovery greatly differs from HDD data recovery, and requires a special set of knowledge and tools.
The latest SSDs come with complex and highly proprietary features. SSD controllers contain ever-evolving technologies like compression, de-duplication and high-level encryption protocols. They protect the security of stored data and provide greater data protection than HDDs. These complex features can present a challenge for data recovery and engineers need to use a specialized process to recover data from an SSD.

If your SSD has failed you and you have lost your critical data, Kotar Data Recovery experts can help. We have a long history of expertise with SSD data recovery and can recover data from any make, model, or brand of SSD using proprietary tools and techniques.