Samsung EVO 850 500GB - Disappear when put to work

[Baco84]

Hello,

I bought a Samsung EVO 850 500GB to add to my desktop, where I have a Samsung EVO 850 250GB as system drive and a Seagate Barracuda 1TB working without problems.

I installed the new SSD without issues, initialized it on disk management, new volume, formatted and it seems to be ok. Used Samsung Magician to optimize and made a benchmark run.

When I try to copy/install something to the drive, it starts normally and then the transfer speed decreases until it freezes and the disk disappear from everywhere (windows explorer, device manager, even from the BIOS). Only way to get it back is to unplug and plug back the SATA cables, then it seems to be working ok, until I put it to use again.

What I have done troubleshooting so far, with same results:
- switched SATA cables, including the one I have with the optical drive
- switched SATA ports
- tried on other desktop
- updated drivers (Chipset SATA controller)
- updated BIOS
- Refreshed windows 10 installation
- Upgraded windows 10 to the latest available

I sent the SSD to Samsung for RMA and they sent it back saying that there is no problem with the SSD.

Any ideas on what is going on?
Any help will be appreciated.

My system:
- Asus Maximus VIII Ranger Z170
- i7 7700k
- 16GB Corsair Vengeance 3000MHz
- 2xGTX 1070
- 1 Samsung EVO 850 250GB
- 1 Seagate Barracuda 1TB

 

[ArtPog]

Really strange. Just as a test (unless you've already done this); undertake a disk-cloning operation using the Samsung problem SSD as the destination drive. You could use the Samsung Migration program of course or any other disk-cloning program of your choice. Ensure that ALL OTHER DRIVES other than the boot drive of course) are temporarily uninstalled from the system at the time of the d-c operation. Let's see what happens.

 

[Baco84]

Really strange. Just as a test (unless you've already done this); undertake a disk-cloning operation using the Samsung problem SSD as the destination drive. You could use the Samsung Migration program of course or any other disk-cloning program of your choice. Ensure that ALL OTHER DRIVES other than the boot drive of course) are temporarily uninstalled from the system at the time of the d-c operation. Let's see what happens.

Hello,
Thanks for the effort.

The SSD disappeared during the cloning process.

Today I connected the SSD to a SATA to USB3.0 cable and it worked ok. Copied some files there and installed one game from origin.

Last resort is to make a total format to the system, that I am trying to avoid.

Meanwhile, I contacted Samsung again and they told me to send the SSD back to them again and they will replace it.

So should I wait for the new SSD before the total format or should I go ahead with it?

Regards,
Diogo

 

[ArtPog]

Obtain the new SSD. Don't think twice about it. There's something definitely amiss with the SSD in your possession.

 

[Baco84]

Obtain the new SSD. Don't think twice about it. There's something definitely amiss with the SSD in your possession.

Will do!

I will get back here to clarify if it was a faulty SSD or windows messed up.

 

[Baco84]

It was a faulty SSD.

Got the new yesterday and it is working normally.

 

[ArtPog]

Good. Based on our fairly extensive experience over the past three years or so with various models of Samsung SSDs we've found very, very few problems with their drives. Generally speaking, when we have encountered a defective Samsung SSD it's invariably one that's DOA - similar to your situation.

Of course we all know that ANY drive - HDD or SSD - can fail at ANY time. There's simply no way of telling when that time will come. But it WILL come. All a user can (and should) do as a precautionary measure is to create & maintain comprehensive backups of one's system while the system is operating without problems. So when that dreaded day arrives when the user is confronted with a defective or failing drive, or the system has become hopelessly corrupted for one reason or another, the user has at hand the means to return his/her system to a bootable, functional state.