Question How to access the data on the soldered SSD in a Surface Laptop 2 ?

[thectower]

Hey so I have a Surface Laptop 2 that's long since dead and wont charge but we need to get all the data off of it.

I know these laptops are famously unrepairable. I'm happy to tear up the keyboard and desolder the SSD, i just need advice on how to read data from it.

I have this reader:

https://www.scorptec.com.au/product...3qZtDMH7pbiUjH83KQ_aem_m7EjsKhchOMrH7Yfn18KUg

I'm thinking I might be able to solder some wires on the SSD and mount it to the reader. Does anyone have any guidance or suggestions?

 

[BFG-9000]

As with Windows in general, if you originally set up the Surface with a Microsoft account rather than a local account, the SSD is automatically encrypted with BitLocker. Log into the Microsoft account used and see if there are any BitLocker recovery keys there first.

I have no idea how standard or not the form of the soldered SSD is in the 2nd gen, but here is where it is, in red:

People have replaced dead ones before, but with the same model and didn't attempt to mount it to a M.2 card. They went with normal PCIe M.2 in the 3rd gen

 

[evermorex76]

Unless you can locate the exact pinouts of the chip (which you probably can't), which seems to have an integrated controller, and wire it to the M.2 slot on the adapter appropriately, I don't think you're transferring it. If the data is that important, ship it to a recover service. They MAY be able to read it if you can also provide the BitLocker recovery key.

Does dead mean it won't even turn on with the power cord connected? You could maybe transfer the SSD to another Surface board if you can find one on eBay or something. You'd still need the recovery key since the TPM won't match.

 

[thectower]

Unless you can locate the exact pinouts of the chip (which you probably can't), which seems to have an integrated controller, and wire it to the M.2 slot on the adapter appropriately, I don't think you're transferring it. If the data is that important, ship it to a recover service. They MAY be able to read it if you can also provide the BitLocker recovery key.

Does dead mean it won't even turn on with the power cord connected? You could maybe transfer the SSD to another Surface board if you can find one on eBay or something. You'd still need the recovery key since the TPM won't match.

Yeah that's exactly what I'd like help doing, locating the pinouts. Even just some direction on where to could find documentation or an example of someone doing this. I don't mind getting my hands dirty and learning.

Bitlocker is a non-issue. I know the person whose computer it was and i've sussed that out before.

Dead means it won't turn on even with the cord. I'm thinking, worst case, i could try and jerry rig a temporary battery and supply enough power to get something off it.

 

[thectower]

Hi, sorry. To clarify.

The state of the laptop is such that when the charger is plugged in, the light on the charger turns on. However, pressing the power button doesn't do anything. There is no indication that the laptop is turned on at all and no matter how long its left to charge, this doesn't change.