[SOLVED] Did MSI Dragon Center ruin my ssd?

[Vasile187]

The hardware:

• MSI X570 Tomahawk wifi
• Ryzen 7 5800
• ADATA Gammix S70 1TB nvme ssd
• Corsair Dominator ddr4 @ 3466
• Seasonic Focus 850W

I know the title sounds like clickbait but hear me out… I got the parts for a new system, put it together, installed Windows and all drives, I created 2 partitions, C: drive for Windows and D: drive for files and various documents/folders, I used the PC with no issues for a couple of days and then (don’t ask why, I most likely had a lapse in judgement) I changed the ratio and base clock of the CPU in the software MSI Dragon Center (so not in the BIOS, I was in Windows while doing this and I used values under the default) and everything just froze.

After a while I gave up waiting and forced shutdown the PC with the on/off button, and when rebooting it wouldn’t start Windows and it got stuck in “Preparing automatic repair” and nothing happened, I tried with Windows media installer trying to get into System Restore but it would not work.

Things I have tried (always paying attention to the boot order in BIOS and the source/disk):

1. Reinstalling Windows
2. Booting Linux Live directly from usb stick
3. Booting into Windows from other ssd from other pc

• BIOS update and repeated 1, 2, 3 = did not work
• CMOS Jumper reset with cable and repeated 1, 2, 3 = did not work
• Took out the nvme drive from the main slot and then 1, 2, 3 worked as expected
• Inserted the nvme drive in the secondary slot on the mobo and once more 1, 2, 3 did not work

My conclusion is that the presence of the nvme in the mobo somehow prevents the step between BIOS and Windows booting from a different source (or any kind of source like step 1, 2, 3). Each time after confirming the boot order and disk nothing would happen, it's like the nvme presence prevents anything else from happening.
I could use the mobo option to format the nvme and start all over, don’t know if that would solve the issue, but I have some documents I don’t want to loose from the D: partition (don’t ask, same lapse in judgement when I didn’t back everything up) so I really want to recover them.
Therefore another thing I tried is using an adapter from nvme to pci, hoping I would see it as a removable drive and be able to copy the files, but it has the same behavior, it prevents Windows booting on a fully functional system (tried this on the other PC).
One other thing I will try (waiting for parts to be delivered) is a case enclosure nvme to usb, hoping I can connect it to the pc after it is booted and hoping it will recognize the nvme as a removable drive in Windows without having to format it first (facepalm, saw some youtube videos and it seems it must be formatted before working)
Therefore if anyone has any suggestions please feel free to drop a line and help me out. The last resort is contacting some data recovery center, but that will be tricky as I live in Romania and don’t know what tech they have or if they can actually pull it off, and of course the fact I would have to sell a lung on the darkweb to pay the bill
If you’ve made it this far… respect!
Thank you all, stay safe in these trying times and have a nice day 😊

 

[punkncat]

My go to answer would be that the drive corrupted due to the ratio changes and subsequent forced shutdown. The real curve ball here is the aspect where you can't get it to just wipe and reinstall.

If this was a new drive it could absolutely just be coincidence and it just failed....? I mean it would be one heck of a coincidence, but stranger things have happened.
Do you have warranty?
Do you have another M.2 that you can utilize to make sure the motherboard itself isn't having an issue, or perhaps a USB to M.2 adapter to check the current one in?

 

[Vasile187]

My go to answer would be that the drive corrupted due to the ratio changes and subsequent forced shutdown. The real curve ball here is the aspect where you can't get it to just wipe and reinstall.

If this was a new drive it could absolutely just be coincidence and it just failed....? I mean it would be one heck of a coincidence, but stranger things have happened.
Do you have warranty?
Do you have another M.2 that you can utilize to make sure the motherboard itself isn't having an issue, or perhaps a USB to M.2 adapter to check the current one in?

Hello and thank you for the answer, yes this is a new drive, I have warranty but I don't think it will cover data recovery.
I am waiting delivery of a Samsung m.2 and will try it out, to see if it will behave the same or if it will let me boot, thus figuring out if it's the mobo or the drive causing the problem
Also waiting on delivery for an adapter m.2nvme to USB hoping it will be recognized as removable drive

 

[punkncat]

Hello and thank you for the answer, yes this is a new drive, I have warranty but I don't think it will cover data recovery.
I am waiting delivery of a Samsung m.2 and will try it out, to see if it will behave the same or if it will let me boot, thus figuring out if it's the mobo or the drive causing the problem
Also waiting on delivery for an adapter m.2nvme to USB hoping it will be recognized as removable drive

I would not expect them to cover data recovery. Having backups of your information is your responsibility and just a darned good idea.
It appears that you are doing the best methods I can think of and hope it works out to the positive.

 

[Vasile187]

I would not expect them to cover data recovery. Having backups of your information is your responsibility and just a darned good idea.
It appears that you are doing the best methods I can think of and hope it works out to the positive.

thank you for your answers and your time, I'll see how it goes but in the meantime I'm fraking out

 

[USAFRet]

...but I have some documents I don’t want to loose from the D: partition (don’t ask, same lapse in judgement when I didn’t back everything up) so I really want to recover them.

Well....that may be a problem.

Secure Erase of the drive will almost assuredly return it back to functioning condition.
But without the data.


If you've booted from a Linux OS, and as a secondary drive in a different system, and still can't read it...you're probably out of luck.

 

[Vasile187]

Well....that may be a problem.
Secure Erase of the drive will almost assuredly return it back to functioning condition.
But without the data.
If you've booted from a Linux OS, and as a secondary drive in a different system, and still can't read it...you're probably out of luck.

Yeah I probably am, which is just so bad! Anyway I'll keep trying hopying it is not lost. Thank you for the reply