SSD and NVMe recovery in Calgary.
An SSD gives no warning noises. It just stops showing up, freezes, or reports a strange size. Some of these are quick firmware recoveries. Others depend on the controller, encryption, and whether the drive has already wiped deleted data on its own. We will tell you which kind you have.
What a failing SSD looks like.
Missing from the BIOS or Disk Management
Often a controller or firmware fault rather than lost data.
Shows a tiny size or a name like SATAFIRM S11
The drive has dropped into a safe mode. The data is usually still on the chips.
Freezes, disconnects or turns read-only
The drive is protecting itself. Stop copying.
Files deleted or the drive formatted
Time matters here more than on any other device.
BitLocker or FileVault was on
Recovery is possible only with your key or password.
How we approach it.
- 01
Identify the controller
The controller decides what is possible, so we start there.
- 02
Keep it stable
With firmware-level access, and custom routines when needed, we stop the drive from crashing long enough to read it.
- 03
Image
We copy the whole drive while it is stable.
- 04
Recover and unlock
Files are rebuilt from the copy and decrypted with your key where needed.
From the bench.
When an SSD shows up with a strange name and a capacity of a few megabytes, the controller has failed to start properly and is reporting from its own safe mode. The data is generally still on the memory chips. Getting to it means working with that specific controller, not running recovery software.
Deleted files are a different story. Most SSDs act on the operating system's TRIM command and clear deleted blocks in the background. A drive that was switched off right away has a real chance. One that stayed on for a day usually does not.
Before you bring it in.
Helpful next steps
- Turn it off.
- Find your BitLocker recovery key or your Mac login password.
- Tell us if anything was deleted or formatted, and when.
Best avoided for now
- Keep powering it on to test it.
- Run recovery software on it.
- Install a firmware update.
What clients said.
…they had written a custom routine to trick the drive into not looping into a "death spiral".
Our terms, in plain numbers.
- Who does the work
- iCube Development (Calgary) Ltd., recovering data since 2005.
- Where
- One address, and it is our lab: #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE. Recovery is done here by our own staff and is not outsourced. No drop-off depots, no appointment needed.
- Evaluation
- Free standard evaluation within 72 hours, for one device per client. Priority (24 hours) and same-day evaluations, multi-drive arrays and devices another company has opened are quoted before we start.
- Your quote
- In writing, before any recovery work. Nothing extra is done or billed without your approval.
- If we cannot recover your files
- You pay nothing for the recovery, parts included. Any exception, such as a paid diagnostic for a device another company has opened, is agreed with you in writing first.
- Success rate
- We do not publish one. A percentage cannot describe your device; your evaluation tells you what is actually recoverable.
- Your recovered files
- Returned on new media or, with your permission, by secure download. Our working copy is deleted seven days after completion unless you ask in writing to keep it longer.
- Privacy
- Your device and files are handled only by our own staff, who are bound by confidentiality, unless the law requires otherwise.
- Your device
- Please collect it within 30 days. Photo ID is required at pickup.
Questions we get asked.
Why are SSDs harder than hard drives?
The controller scatters your data across the memory chips and usually encrypts it. If the controller fails, its logic has to be worked around.
Can deleted files come back from an SSD?
Sometimes, if the drive was turned off quickly. TRIM can clear deleted data within minutes of the drive being idle.
Do I need my BitLocker key?
Yes. Without the key or password, encrypted data cannot be read by anyone, us included.
Will the price change after I approve the quote?
Not without your approval. If we find something the quote did not cover, we stop and explain it before going further.
Tell us what happened.
Send the details or call (587) 387-2346. We will tell you what to do with the device in the meantime.
Drop-off: Southcentre Executive Tower, #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary. Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.