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 Post subject: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 20th, 2020, 21:14 
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Joined: July 27th, 2019, 17:40
Posts: 113
Location: Vienna
Hello,

as some of you may know I had some SSDs which I tryed to recover. I found a fix for one of them and in case someone else would have the same issue I will share with you the whole story.

I was trying the MRT-modules but there was just a BX100 in the Crucial-module and that's it. So I started googeling and found the Dokumentation of PC-3000 where they suggest to try the ADATA or Patriot modules and use some SSDs which have the same controller as the MX500 - the SM2258H.

I found on my MRT in the ADATA- and Patriot-modules just some SSDs which has an SM2258G controller. So I contacted the MRT-support and they suggest do try the two modules and drives with the SM2258G. That failed on both drives with all of the Modules. So I contacted MRT again and ask if they are working on some Update and if the missing drives will be soon implemented. They are working on something but they can't tell when that could be ready. Thatfor they suggested to try it with SMI EasyTools for the SM2258XT (again another chip but why not - give it a shot).

They provided me some images and other materials which helped me to identify the firmware-version and they also got a loader and some other file for me to start the Romdebug. I tryed to connect the SSD with an SATA -> USB3 borad (as suggested by MRT) to the PC but Easy Tools could not even find the SSD. After trying arround different versions, adapter-boards and various other stuff I connected the SSD directly to a SATA-port of the motherboard and hurray, the SSD get displayed in the programm. Suddenly the upload of the loader worked somehow but it quit with an error and starting of the Romdebug failed so I could also not use Easy Tools to get an image. :(

Again MRT-support helped me out with some useful links, various versions of loaders, etc. So don't tell that MRT-support don't exist. If you say awake till they are in the office you get help and oftern good tipps. There english is not the best but the same is valid for me and that leave some room for missunderstandings. Anyway I really apriciate the time they spend trying to help me out with that case.

After 2 days searching the web for some useful hint's and ideas how to fix the problem and various articles about drive-firmware, etc. I decided to give it some more try with the DE. I started MRT and went directly to the Data Explorer and try to image the drive. When I don't get an ID MRT will ask for the LBA-count and often I could image a drive after manuelly setting the LBA-count. While I was waiting that the identification timed out I got a call and the SSD was for a while powered on and ideling arround. After 6-8 minutes I got back and enter some estimated LBA-count and hit start and Bingo - imaging works I still had no ID but I get valid data. So I get the data off the drive and started to find out what made this happen.

I tryed the afternoon and the half night to reproduce that what made the drive come accessable again. I retry all previous fixing attemps on various combinations, i tryed various possible errors I coud made like fergetting to power off and power on the drive before the next step, ... After a half sleepness night i remembered the call and the fact, that the drive was just running a few minutes before imaging. So after trying everything else again that could be the last possible way which lead to the bottom of this rabbit-hole. So I powered the SSD off and powered it on again. This time I let it sit just idle for 10 minutes and then I started an Imaging-Task and Booom - i got the ID, Size, Firmware-version, everything.

Long story short - sometimes it can help to give the drive a few minutes time to fully boot up or whatever it need to do to become ready. And sometimes you need a bit luck. 8)

Good night to you all.


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 Post subject: Re: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 21st, 2020, 10:02 
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Joined: July 12th, 2010, 4:38
Posts: 1418
Location: Portugal
I have recovered several SSD that wasn't recognized by any tool and couldn't create a translator, but working only with PC3000 DE I could image them and get the data out.

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 Post subject: Re: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 21st, 2020, 11:24 
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Joined: July 27th, 2019, 17:40
Posts: 113
Location: Vienna
pclab wrote:
I have recovered several SSD that wasn't recognized by any tool and couldn't create a translator, but working only with PC3000 DE I could image them and get the data out.


OK - would you please share the trick how you got that working?


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 Post subject: Re: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 21st, 2020, 15:35 
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Joined: September 8th, 2009, 18:21
Posts: 15463
Location: Australia
There's no trick or magic involved. DE just waits longer for the drive to become ready.

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 Post subject: Re: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 21st, 2020, 18:54 
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Joined: July 27th, 2019, 17:40
Posts: 113
Location: Vienna
fzabkar wrote:
There's no trick or magic involved. DE just waits longer for the drive to become ready.

OK so basically the same what I did manually - give the drive a few minutes and then start the imaging...

Anyway there are other imagers like MRT, DFL, Atola, Spark, HDT, Rapidspar, ... maybe the tip with waiting a few minutes is helpful for users of them.


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 Post subject: Re: Crucial MX500 1TB - fixed
PostPosted: January 21st, 2020, 19:39 
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Location: Australia
ISTR that some Samsung drives have a SMART attribute which counts the number of times that the drive has had to perform a "firmware repair" on power-up. I suspect that these repairs are probably the reason for the timeout.

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