Dead Transcend 240GB M.2 SATA SSD

[Jovan]

Hi guys!

I have a 240GB Transcend M.2 SSD (SATA interface), model TS240GMTS820S ( https://www.transcend-info.com/Products/No-749 ) mounted in M.2_2 slot (the one designed for SATA 3 M.2's) in an Asrock AB350m Pro4 motherboard (updated to most recent bios).

It was working OK until I decided to update it's firmware. I recently downloaded the support application from Transcend "SSD Scope" ( https://www.transcend-info.com/Support/Software-10/ ) and at first run said it's available an update for my drive and offered to download it. Unfortunately I didn't resist temptation.

The downloaded package contains an .iso file (a bootable image), a PDF file (instructions) and a copy of unetbootin. You're supposed to format an USB drive as FAT32, label it "TRANSCEND" and burn the .iso on it with unetbootin. Then boot from it.

It boots a Tiny Core Linux distribution, the Transcend's updating program starts automatically. All I had to do was press "Update". It showed a progress bar for 20-30 seconds, then it said "Update successful". After that it shut down the computer.

On restart it got stuck for 50-60 seconds or more in "press DEL to enter bios" screen showing an "A2" error. Then entered in UEFI BIOS configuration (by itself, no DEL pressed). And, what do you know, my SSD is no more detected by BIOS. In the Storage configuration tab there is only my other drive, a Toshiba HDD, which does not have a boot partition. Transcend SSD vanished.

After I managed to put in another drive with a boot partition and boot from it, it seems that Windows still does detect a drive (kind of). In "Disk Management" it shows Disk 1, Unknown, Not initialized, but can't initialize it (it shows "A device which does not exist was specified")

Disk management 04.png (3.79 KiB) Viewed 24767 times

Disk management 02.png (3.61 KiB) Viewed 24767 times

In "Device manager" it shows as an "Unknown device" drive.

Device manager 01.png (4.47 KiB) Viewed 24767 times

The only tools I tried that can see a drive there are Victoria and HDDScan, but as size 0. Transcend's own recovery app "RecoveRx" doesn't see it.

My first thought was to try and re-update the firmware but, of course, Transcend's updater can't see the drive either.

My question: is there any way to bring this back? Are there any tools to try?

Could a specialized service do something with it? Should I buy a M.2 adapter and try to read/write to it that way (I'm thinking maybe by updating it became incompatible with my motherboard, or something, I don't know). I'm not trying to recover the data on that drive, the firmware update instructions said that will be erased. I just want to have back the SSD as a functional device.

Many thanks in advance!

[fzabkar]

If you short the two locations marked "SW1" at power-on, I expect that the SSD will enter safe mode or "ROM mode".

https://www.wootware.co.za/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/2/120.jpg
https://www.wootware.co.za/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/4/240.jpg
https://www.wootware.co.za/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/4/8/480.jpg

I can't tell you whether this is OK to try. The SSDs in the photos are not the same model, so it is unclear as to whether this area (bottom right corner) has the same function in all examples.

[Jovan]

Thank you for your reply!

If you short the two locations marked "SW1" at power-on, I expect that the SSD will enter safe mode or "ROM mode".

This location, a short between A and B? Shorting at power-on means I have to release the short after is done powering on or I can leave there whatever I put to make a short?

If this works for my drive what would it mean to be in "ROM mode"? What would I achieve with that? (Probably a stupid question but my knowledge is limited.)

And what is the risk, if it goes wrong?

From what I can see looking at the photos taken with my phone A is ground but B seems not connected to anything?

[fzabkar]

I suspect that the PCB is multilayer. "SW1" suggests "switch" or maybe "software" (?). Shorting this "switch" at power-on (with tweezers?) and then releasing it after power-up would normally enter "ROM mode" on other SSDs. That's the mode in which the SSD is prepared to accept factory firmware.

See http://vlo.name:3000/hw/ssd/rommode/

[Jovan]

I suspect that the PCB is multilayer. "SW1" suggests "switch" or maybe "software" (?). Shorting this "switch" at power-on (with tweezers?) and then releasing it after power-up would normally enter "ROM mode" on other SSDs. That's the mode in which the SSD is prepared to accept factory firmware.

See http://vlo.name:3000/hw/ssd/rommode/

Shorting the contacts worked! I'm making progress thanks to you.

The M.2 slot is right under the video card, I have no access with tweezers. I improvised with an insulated wire, something like this:

I left the short in place for the duration of investigations bellow because is dificult to put it back, requires complete unmounting the drive from the slot and mounting it back. As far as I understand it needs to be removed only when I'm ready to write a firmware to the device, am I right? I plan to pull out the shorting wire when I'm ready to actually flash something.

Starting the computer and entering in UEFI/Bios - the device is detected. (As something else, not original Transcend name)

I booted from the firmware updating stick - the Transcend flashing program doesn't detect it.

Booting in Windows - the disk is detected by the OS as SM2258AB-80-10000000, 1 GB capacity.

I searched for the program in the screenshots from your link, TxBench, and this is what it shows
Model name: SM2258AB-80-10000000
Firmware: 20141211

Now I don't know how to proceed further, Transcend's tool doesn't detect it. Searching the internet I figured out that I need to use a tool named MPTool but are many versions and I don't know which and how they work.

I looked at the firmware package that was downloaded by Transcend's app "SSD Scope" when it offered to update my drive and it looks like this:

Archive name is "R0123A0_TSXGMTS820S_SM2258XT_B0K.zip". Inside is "MTS820S_R0123A0.iso". Unpacking de .iso, inside there is a file named "mydata.tgz" which have, inside a folder named like my drive (TS240GMTS820S), these files:

What I figured out is that I need something in relation to SM2258AB or SM2258XT. Searching for SM2258XT took me to this site: https://flashboot.ru/files/ which has several tools related to SM2258XT but I'm not sure which is the right one (if any), how those tools work and what files should be flashed on the device.

[fzabkar]

I'm sorry, but I don't know how to help you. You appear to be on the right track, though.

You might want to have a look at this:

http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=106&t=2819&p=21160#p21647

[Jovan]

I made some more progress but I got stuck. My drive enters ROM mode but doesn't become writable by SMI MPTool when I remove the short.

I removed the label in order to better identify controller and memory modules.

Controller: SM2258XT-G-AB
Memory: Micron 7WB2D NW852 (2 modules), 7VB22 NW851 (1 module)

Checking for human readable strings in binary files that came in Trascend's firmware .iso i got this string in file "MPINFO.bin": Micron,384Gbit,MT29F384G08EBCBB(B0KB)(78)(SM2258XT)

Based on all those informations I chose from this page https://www.usbdev.ru/files/smi/sm2258xtmptool/ the file "SMI MPTool SM2258XT Micron_B0KB P1116A". It recognizes my drive as "Ready(ROMmode)"

AfterI edit the configuration in Parameter tab to match my memory, when I try to write to SSD, I get this error: "Not MPISP mode". Although I removed the short from contacts.

I tried some other versions of SMI MPTool SM2258XT but with the same result.

I don't know what to do to get rid of this error. Searching google for this error I found that some people resolved it by connecting the drive to a SATA->USB adapter. I wonder why would that be the case, what difference does it make connecting the drive internally vs. to an USB adapter? Would make sense to buy a M.2->SATA adapter? (I already have a SATA->USB 2.0, I'm thinking to connect M.2->SATA->USB->PC)

[fzabkar]

NW851 = MT29F384G08EBHBBJ4-3R:B = 46GiB

https://www.micron.com/support/tools-and-utilities/fbga?fbga=nw851#pnlFBGA

NW852 = MT29F768G08EEHBBJ4-3R:B = 96GiB

https://www.micron.com/support/tools-and-utilities/fbga?fbga=nw852#pnlFBGA

"EF4S" = STEF4S = 3.3V/5V electronic fuse

[fzabkar]

EP53A7HQI, Altera/Enpirion, 1A PowerSoC DC-DC Step-Down Converter with integrated inductor & MOSFET, 2.4V - 5.5Vin, 3-pin VID, marking AGxx, QFN16:
https://www.altera.com/content/dam/altera-www/global/en_US/pdfs/literature/ds/ep53a7xqi_015432.pdf

STEF4S, STMicroelectronics, Electronic fuse for 3.3 V and 5 V lines, Output clamp voltage 5.7V in 5V mode, Protection trip current 5A, marking EF4S, DFN 3x3 - 10L:
http://www.st.com/web/en/resource/technical/document/datasheet/DM00095426.pdf

http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/Datasheets/DATAURLS.HTM

[fzabkar]

NW851 = MT29F384G08EBHBBJ4-3R:B = 46GiB

Sorry, that should be 48GiB.

[HaQue]

I made some more progress but I got stuck. My drive enters ROM mode but doesn't become writable by SMI MPTool when I remove the short.

I removed the label in order to better identify controller and memory modules.

Transcend SSD label removed.jpg

Controller: SM2258XT-G-AB
Memory: Micron 7WB2D NW852 (2 modules), 7VB22 NW851 (1 module)

Checking for human readable strings in binary files that came in Trascend's firmware .iso i got this string in file "MPINFO.bin": Micron,384Gbit,MT29F384G08EBCBB(B0KB)(78)(SM2258XT)

Based on all those informations I chose from this page https://www.usbdev.ru/files/smi/sm2258xtmptool/ the file "SMI MPTool SM2258XT Micron_B0KB P1116A". It recognizes my drive as "Ready(ROMmode)"

SMI MTool Reasy (ROM mode).png

AfterI edit the configuration in Parameter tab to match my memory, when I try to write to SSD, I get this error: "Not MPISP mode". Although I removed the short from contacts.

SMI MTool NotMPISP mode.png

I tried some other versions of SMI MPTool SM2258XT but with the same result.

I don't know what to do to get rid of this error. Searching google for this error I found that some people resolved it by connecting the drive to a SATA->USB adapter. I wonder why would that be the case, what difference does it make connecting the drive internally vs. to an USB adapter? Would make sense to buy a M.2->SATA adapter? (I already have a SATA->USB 2.0, I'm thinking to connect M.2->SATA->USB->PC)

did you select AHCI mode in BIOS? M.2->SATA likely the best bet. I am going by translation from here: https://www.usbdev.ru/files/smi/sm2258xtmptool/