Question Need Help with possibly dead M.2 Recovery - “Please back up your data and replace your hard drive” ?

[ricefield_man]

As the title says, my M.2 has run into a problem.

Before this happened, I was using my computer and got stuck in an infinite loop on Visual Studio Code and my PC couldn’t respond or do anything.

I did a force shut-down since not even task manager was responding to ending VSC. After the reboot I got the message in the title (American Megatrends).

I have removed the M.2 from my computer.

For context, I have had the M.2 for around +4 years as a boot drive, but had also started getting BSODs previously, with stop code: “system thread exception not handled”.

Model is “WD GREEN SATA SSD M.2 2280”.

How can I recover my data from the M.2 and store it on a new one? Some tutorials use an enclosure or a hub. Can someone guide me through recovering my data?

My specs:
- i7-8700K
- Asus Z390-f Gaming
- 1TB HDD (for games)

Kind regards,

 

[Lutfij]

Model is “WD GREEN SATA SSD M.2 2280”.
That drive has a history of failing. On the same note, they are bottom of the barrel style SSD. You can use TestDisk or Recuva but your mileage can and will vary.

 

[ricefield_man]

Model is “WD GREEN SATA SSD M.2 2280”.
That drive has a history of failing. On the same note, they are bottom of the barrel style SSD. You can use TestDisk or Recuva but your mileage can and will vary.

Never knew that, thanks for the info.

What is a good M.2 you would recommend? Obviously, I won’t be buying the WD model again after this.

 

[USAFRet]

If you put the WD Green back in, is it readable in any way?
If so, copy the data to some other drive.
Any other drive.

Recommendations for a replacement, we'd need to know the full parts list of the system.

 

[ricefield_man]

If you put the WD Green back in, is it readable in any way?
If so, copy the data to some other drive.
Any other drive.

Recommendations for a replacement, we'd need to know the full parts list of the system.

What do you mean by readable? I am unfamiliar.

When I tried rebooting after seeing the message it would just take me back to the message again. I turned off an option to disable the message and it would keep taking me to the BIOS instead.

The warning message could recognize the name of the WD Green.

Also here’s my full part list:
CPU: i7-8700K
Cooler: NZXT Kraken X52 Liquid cooler
Motherboard: Asus Z390-F Gaming
RAM: 32gb DDR4-3200 G.Skill Ripjaws V
HDD: WD Caviar Black 1TB 3.5” 7200RPM
GPU: 1660 6gb MSI GAMING X
PSU: Corsair CX550M 550 W 80+ Bronze

 

[USAFRet]

By readable, I meant can you see the contents.
That message does not always mean it is "dead", just that it is about to die.

Your OS is on the WD Black HDD?

You should really have that on an SSD. Your motherboard has 2x slots that can use an NVMe drive.

 

[ricefield_man]

By readable, I meant can you see the contents.
That message does not always mean it is "dead", just that it is about to die.

Your OS is on the WD Black HDD?

You should really have that on an SSD. Your motherboard has 2x slots that can use an NVMe drive.

No, the OS is on the WD Green M.2. I was using it as a boot drive. Not the WD Black HDD, I am using that to store games onto.

 

[USAFRet]

No, the OS is on the WD Green M.2. I was using it as a boot drive. Not the WD Black HDD, I am using that to store games onto.

Ah, OK.

I don't suppose you have a full backup of that drive?
(if you did, you wouldn't be here asking)


About all you can do now is get a new drive, and start over with a fresh OS install.

Samsung 970 EVO or EVO Plus would be a good choice.

 

[ricefield_man]

Yeah nah, no backup for the WD Green.

So is there just no way to clone it over to the future new one?

Cool, I will have a look at the 970

 

[USAFRet]

Yeah nah, no backup for the WD Green.

So is there just no way to clone it over to the future new one?

Cool, I will have a look at the 970

If the data on it can't be seen, it can't be cloned.
And, you'd just be moving bad data to the new drive.


Backups are what we do before the BadThing happens.

 

[ricefield_man]

Is it possible

If the data on it can't be seen, it can't be cloned.
And, you'd just be moving bad data to the new drive.


Backups are what we do before the BadThing happens.

Is it possible then to just copy the files I want from the WD Green (if I can access the WD Green) and put them onto the new M.2 and give it a new start of windows?

Also I'm curious how to backup files before things like this happen? Do I backup my files, in the future, onto a different HDD?

 

[USAFRet]

Is it possible

Is it possible then to just copy the files I want from the WD Green (if I can access the WD Green) and put them onto the new M.2 and give it a new start of windows?

Get the new drive installed and Windows on it.

Then, in the other M.2 port, connect the WD Green.
See what, if anything, you can get from it.

Only one of the M.2 ports is SATA capable, so choose wisely.
Put the new Samsung in the port where you did NOT have the WD Green.

 

[ricefield_man]

Get the new drive installed and Windows on it.

Then, in the other M.2 port, connect the WD Green.
See what, if anything, you can get from it.

Only one of the M.2 ports is SATA capable, so choose wisely.
Put the new Samsung in the port where you did NOT have the WD Green.

Gotcha. Also, how come I have to put the new M.2 in the slot where the WD Green wasn't in? What's the "theory" behind that. Just curious lol.

 

[USAFRet]

Gotcha. Also, how come I have to put the new M.2 in the slot where the WD Green wasn't in? What's the "theory" behind that. Just curious lol.

There are 2x M.2 ports.
Both of them can use an NVMe drive like the Samsung 970.
Only one of them can use a M.2 SATA drive, like your WD Green.

If you put the new NVMe drive in the same port where you had the WD Green, you can't then attach the WD later in hopes to recover something.

 

[ricefield_man]

There are 2x M.2 ports.
Both of them can use an NVMe drive like the Samsung 970.
Only one of them can use a M.2 SATA drive, like your WD Green.

If you put the new NVMe drive in the same port where you had the WD Green, you can't then attach the WD later in hopes to recover something.

Ahh alright cool. I'll see what I can do now. Thank you guys for the help, you guys are legends. I'll respond back here if anything comes up.

 

[USAFRet]

Specifically:

ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING | Motherboards | ROG United States

Fully command your gaming experience on 9th generation Intel® Core™ processors with the ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming featuring 5-Way Optimization for dynamic system control with AI overclocking. Dual M.2, Gigabit LAN and USB 3.1 Gen2 deliver maximum connectivity speeds while ASUS OptiMem II ensures...

rog.asus.com

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*1

(this is where the WD Green was)​

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)

(this is where you put the 970 EVO)​

 

[ricefield_man]

Specifically:

ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING | Motherboards | ROG United States

Fully command your gaming experience on 9th generation Intel® Core™ processors with the ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming featuring 5-Way Optimization for dynamic system control with AI overclocking. Dual M.2, Gigabit LAN and USB 3.1 Gen2 deliver maximum connectivity speeds while ASUS OptiMem II ensures...

rog.asus.com

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*1

(this is where the WD Green was)​

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)

(this is where you put the 970 EVO)​

I see now. Yeah I had the WD Green at the very top-first slot. So I will put the new EVO in the slot below.

 

[ricefield_man]

Specifically:

ROG STRIX Z390-F GAMING | Motherboards | ROG United States

Fully command your gaming experience on 9th generation Intel® Core™ processors with the ROG Strix Z390-F Gaming featuring 5-Way Optimization for dynamic system control with AI overclocking. Dual M.2, Gigabit LAN and USB 3.1 Gen2 deliver maximum connectivity speeds while ASUS OptiMem II ensures...

rog.asus.com

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)*1

(this is where the WD Green was)​

1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)

(this is where you put the 970 EVO)​

Oh one more thing, is there any difference in getting the 980 over the 970? Probably the first is faster than the latter.

 

[USAFRet]

Oh one more thing, is there any difference in getting the 980 over the 970? Probably the first is faster than the latter.

Without getting too technical, the 980 is DRAMLess. The same in short bursts, but will slow down much more than the 970 in sustained performance.

The 970 is actually better overall.

 

[ricefield_man]

Without getting too technical, the 980 is DRAMLess. The same in short bursts, but will slow down much more than the 970 in sustained performance.

The 970 is actually better overall.

Interesting, i will get the 970 EVO then. Thanks mate😁