Is my USB SSD Unrepairable?

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jimford

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A couple of years ago I had a power cut whilst formatting (IIRC) a new 2TB USB SSD.rawer. I assumed it was 'bricked' without hope of recovery, and put it in a drawer.

I recently decided to dig it out and see if I could get it working.

After using a 'power cycling' technique, I can now get it to be 'seen' by the gdisk utility. I've been treading carefully (mainly in the dark!), but whatever I've tried the messages from gdisk report that there are 0 sectors and 0 bytes. This is the output from the 'p' command:

Command (? for help): p
Disk /dev/sdb: 0 sectors, 0 bytes
Model: Z3-2TB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512/512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): FA182BC0-55EF-409B-8C66-306EC7BB5940
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 18446744073709551582
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 0 sectors (0 bytes)

Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name

If I try creating a new partition and accept the defaults I get huge numbers, but still 0 sectors and bytes.

Where do I go now - is the disk irrecoverably corrupted/bricked? I'd be grateful for any suggestions or directions to a forum more specialised in disk recovery., please.

Jim
 


Thanks for the reply 'arochester'. The thread on superuser looks interesting and relevant (though old). I'll pursue my problem over there.
Jim
 
You could also try initializing it again by giving it a new MBR or GPT.

(If that works, you should be able to partition it, & put a new file system on it.)
 
If you are using a "live pen-drive with Linux, then I would run smartctl to analyse the SSD [it is in the repository of most distributions]

​

 
There seems to be an MBR - on start up of gdisk I get:
Code: 
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.8

Problem reading disk in BasicMBRData::ReadMBRData()!
Warning! Read error 22; strange behavior now likely!
Warning! Read error 22; strange behavior now likely!
Partition table scan:
  MBR: MBR only
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: not present


***************************************************************
Found invalid GPT and valid MBR; converting MBR to GPT format
in memory. THIS OPERATION IS POTENTIALLY DESTRUCTIVE! Exit by
typing 'q' if you don't want to convert your MBR partitions
to GPT format!
***************************************************************
but whatever I try I get the message that there are zero sectors and zero bytes.
 
jimford said:
smartctl doesn't find the USB SSD.
Click to expand...
If its a usb pen-drive then no it will not be SMART enabled, if its a SSD drive connected with a SATA to USB cable it should work
the command is
sudo smartctl -t short -a /dev/sdX .......where X is Your drive letter [ sdc/sdb/sde etc]
 
Brickwizard said:
If its a usb pen-drive then no it will not be SMART enabled, if its a SSD drive connected with a SATA to USB cable it should work
the command is
sudo smartctl -t short -a /dev/sdX .......where X is Your drive letter [ sdc/sd
Click to expand...
Thanks 'Brickwizard'
The smartctl command gives:
Code: 
dev/sdb: Unknown USB bridge [0x0578:0x0578 (0x1214)]
Please specify device type with the -d option.
lsusb gives: Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0578:0578 Intrinsix Corp. Z3-2TB which is not listed in the 'd' options of smartctl.
 
i had an older 2tb external usb hdd that i needed to use the -d sat option with. i think that might work for an ssd as well or it could at least be worth a try.

i'm not sure the option order matters, but i would add it in early to try and identity the drive with
sudo smartctl -d sat -t short /dev/sdX
 
I usually use...

smartctl -d sat,auto -T permissive /dev/sdb -a
smartctl 7.3 2022-02-28 r5338 [x86_64-linux-6.3.8-200.fc38.x86_64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-22, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Vendor: JMicron
Product:
Revision: 0104
Compliance: SPC-4
User Capacity: 1,000,204,886,016 bytes [1.00 TB]
Logical block size: 512 bytes
Physical block size: 4096 bytes
LU is fully provisioned
Logical Unit id: 0x3020171218507700
Serial number: 201712185077
Device type: disk
Local Time is: Fri Jun 23 08:43:38 2023 PDT
SMART support is: Unavailable - device lacks SMART capability.

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
Current Drive Temperature: 0 C
Drive Trip Temperature: 0 C

Error Counter logging not supported

No Self-tests have been logged

... if I plug this drive into a SATA cable. I get full info.
However this drive is currently connected via USB adapter.
It tells me this drive lacks SMART capability, even though that isn't true.

It says the vendor is JMicron, the Hard drive is a Seagate.
The USB adapter is JMIcron.

It does at least get the block size, block count and capacity right.
 
I have successfully used fdisk to repair "broken" or corrupted USB thumb drives.
It depends on the drive, but I usually have better luck with fdisk than gdisk.

fdisk /dev/sdx

g ( enter )

w ( enter )

Will usually fix the partition table.
This kicks you out of fdisk when the command completes.
So I go back in...

fdisk /dev/sdx

n ( enter )

keep pressing enter to accept all the defaults if you're not sure what to do.

w ( enter )

This will create a single partition on your USB drive. Generic Linux type.

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdx1

This will format that partition as ext4. ( be sure to add the "1" at the end )
Some times gparted will do all this, but some times I have better luck with the command line.
 
Using the above command, I get:
Code: 
=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Vendor:               KingSpec
Product:              Z3-2TB
Revision:             1214
Compliance:           SPC-4
LU is fully provisioned
Logical Unit id:      0x3044564198838738
Serial number:        DD564198838738C7
Device type:          disk
Local Time is:        Fri Jun 23 16:49:55 2023 BST
device Test Unit Ready  [medium or hardware error (serious)]
SMART support is:     Unavailable - device lacks SMART capability.

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
Current Drive Temperature:     0 C
Drive Trip Temperature:        0 C

Error Counter logging not supported

Device does not support Self Test logging
The above "serious" looks ominous - maybe it's time to try 'the oven treatment!
 
dos2unix said:
I have successfully used fdisk to repair "broken" or corrupted USB thumb drives.
It depends on the drive, but I usually have better luck with fdisk than gdisk.

fdisk /dev/sdx

g ( enter )

w ( enter )

Will usually fix the partition table.
This kicks you out of fdisk when the command completes.
So I go back in...

fdisk /dev/sdx

n ( enter )

keep pressing enter to accept all the defaults if you're not sure what to do.

w ( enter )

This will create a single partition on your USB drive. Generic Linux type.

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdx1

This will format that partition as ext4. ( be sure to add the "1" at the end )
Some times gparted will do all this, but some times I have better luck with the command line.
Click to expand...
In my case fdisk doesn't find the SSD, whereas gdisk does.
 
Try to create a NEW Partition Table as previously suggested.
I use Parted Magic, Puppy (bionic, fossapup) on a pendrive for cases like these.
If that does not work maybe its destiny is in a thrash bin - even its brand name does not sound good.
 
I find it odd that a power failure would brick a hard drive... a surge yes, but power loss? The worst I've ever hard is a warning about corrupt partition tables and needing to reformat the drive again, but that was it.

I guess that, considering what I read about you guys, its more common that I thought and I've been extremely lucky; or buying quality has paid off...
 
Last edited:
jimford said:
In my case fdisk doesn't find the SSD, whereas gdisk does.
Click to expand...
gdisk has an option not available on fdisk... zap. It may (or may not) help you to recover your drive. "Zap" the drive first, then try rebuilding with gdisk or any other tool you prefer.

I think "zap" will ask if you want to erase/destroy the MBR too... I always answer "yes" to try to eliminate all possible problems that are going on with a drive. Zapping both GPT and MBR will still let the drive take a new partition table and partitions if it is otherwise healthy. Good luck!

From the gdisk man page:
z Zap (destroy) the GPT data structures and exit. Use this option
if you want to repartition a GPT disk using fdisk or some other
GPT-unaware program. You'll be given the choice of preserving
the existing MBR, in case it's a hybrid MBR with salvageable
partitions or if you've already created new MBR partitions and
want to erase the remnants of your GPT partitions. If you've al‐
ready created new MBR partitions, it's conceivable that this op‐
tion will damage the first and/or last MBR partitions! Such an
event is unlikely, but could occur if your new MBR partitions
overlap the old GPT data structures.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I found this same issue a few years back in Puppy, when I bought a 3TB SeaGate 'External Desktop' drive. Naturally, it connected via USB 3.0 cable.

Turns out the problem was with smartctl itself, NOT GSmartCtl. The option to obtain S.M.A.R.T info from these external USB 3.0 HDDs/SSDs needs to be compiled-in at build time. The ability to do this had only just been added - it's all to do with the 'bridge' card these drives use to convert the data path from SATA to USB 3.0 - which up until then hadn't been supported.

I obtained the source for the latest smartctl, compiled it with the appropriate flags (adding in the option to read Nvme drives as well), re-built/re-packaged the GSmartCtl package.....and after that, everything worked.

I assume these options are now compiled-in as standard at build-time....


Mike. ;)
 
ML_113 said:
maybe its destiny is in a thrash bin
Click to expand...
Amen.

(I do appreciate the challenge this drive poses....however, would you put data on it and actually TRUST it ever again ?)

I had a 1TB hard drive...external.......which finally wore out my available patience, yesterday.
Its final journey was out the back door to my workshop, where a 2kg hammer ended its life with immediate effect
 
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