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SSD Dying?

S

scottatwittenberg

2[H]4U
Joined
Apr 10, 2002
Messages
3,306
Skip to the end if you don't need to read what I have tried and can simply recommend a drive utility / firmware update etc for me to try.

I am on my 2nd Microcenter 64gb SSD in my Dell D620 laptop. (Which doesn't support AHCI in the bios, even though the chipset should) [Is this damaging the drive?]
The first one just died one day. I put it in an external Sata dock and couldn't really do much with it. I tried reformatting, etc, and didn't get anywhere so I called them and got it replaced.
I have a feeling the 2nd one is dying. I am still within the 1 year warranty (of the original one, probably had the second one 5 months)

Is there a way to verify that there is a problem with the drive so I can go out there and swap it out again?

I tried running checkdisk, and it blue screened on it. then restarted and said

What has been happening, is the computer has been locking up. The cursor will still work, but everything in Windows starts to grey out.

I did get a few cpu thermal warnings, and though maybe the laptop was overheating, so blew the dust out of the heatsinks etc and it was running fine. Now it will only run for 10 minutes or so and freeze up. It is not hot yet..

I don't have anything on it. Everything that I save on that laptop goes into dropbox, or was music, etc that was copied from other computers.

Here is what I am going to do. I am going to put the original sata drive back in the laptop (the same one I used about 6 months ago when the 1st SSD drive died.

Then I will put the SSD into my usb sata dock and run any utilities / tests / or fixes on it that anyone can recommend me.
If the computer is having issues with the original drive in it, then I will know to investigate the overheating issue further. Otherwise, if it runs fine, I will get Microcenter to replace the drive again.

Should I install the latest A-Data s599 firmware on it?
http://www.adatausa.com/index.php?action=product_download&cid=3&piid=33&lan=us
 
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fwiw, when my wife's d620 overheats (usually after about 15 minutes of a flash game), it just clocks the processor way down, does not freeze or bluescreen. Elevating the back a little bit (using a thin book or something) usually helps out.
 
I already swapped the original Sata drive into the D620, I have been using it for 35 minutes now..
It has been cranking away the whole time downloading updates, etc..

Apparently I put the SSD in on Nov 20th. That is when everything stopped updating. So I got about 6 months out of that SSD.

I may try reformatting the SSD and reinstalling Windows, but am hesitant to if it is just going to hit a "bad block" or something and start messing up like it has been doing.

So once again. If anyone knows of a utility I can use to test this drive and ensure it really is messed up (also make it easier to prove to Microcenter that I need a replacement) then let me know.
Thanks

It is running hot, but this laptop always has and still worked..
HWmonD620.PNG
 
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I'd try running a secure erase on it before calling it dead. Just download the Ultimate Boot CD and run a secure erase on it. No AHCI (or no Windows 7) means no TRIM, and some drives don't deal with that well. SSDs normally interpret the ATA secure erase command as instruction to erase everything. It's usually as close as you can get to putting an SSD back in factory new condition. A normal format, overwriting with 0s, etc. doesn't generally do that since those are overwrite operations and they don't tell the drive to erase flash cells.

edit: If secure erase works I'd secure erase it again, sell it to someone running a Win7 machine with working AHCI, and get an SSD that can deal with no TRIM support. I've got a first gen Intel X-25M that's been cranking away for almost 3 years in an old (2006) laptop running XP. XP doesn't support TRIM and first gen X-25Ms don't either, but it's still kicking and at least it reads fast.
 
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I ran the "fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify" command and it said that TRIM was enabled.

Are you saying that even if TRIM is enabled there, it doesn't necessarily run unless AHCI is running too?

Can I run secure erase from Windows? I don't know what box my blank CDs are buried in.
And, I would have to put the drive back into this laptop, boot from the CD and run secure erase.
It would be much easier to throw it in my SATA dock and run something against it.
Does KillDisk do the same thing?

I have another one of these drives in my main computer, and it has been cranking away fine for 1.5 years. So I would probably try to raid this one with that one rather than selling it. Or I would just get a better laptop and sell or give away some of my older ones.
 
If you're daring (and capable of working with dd)... I found this forum post for switching intel controllers into AHCI mode on macs; it might work on on the d620 as well. It's a patched MBR, which sends the controller some settings before starting windows. There's is an AHCI register address being set, which might not be a good setting for anything other than a macbook. And your cd-rom drive may be inaccessible. And your house may catch fire.

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/f...ing-AHCI-for-Windows-on-MBP-2011-now-possible
 
Can you please run CrystalDiskInfo on your drive and post the SMART results?
 
And definitely do update the firmware on the drive if it is an Adata S599 - the newer firmware fixed issues with the drive not being recognized/crashes caused by the drive dropping out (causing a blue screen if it was the system drive). I had the same problems with the one in my server and the firmware update fixed it right up - no problems now in months.
 
You do not need AHCI for TRIM. While AHCI provides some nice features (like hot plugging) and some occasional minor performance improvements, it is not needed for TRIM.

I have firmware 3.4.6 on this drive and haven't had any problems that were reported against the earlier versions. I would update the firmware anyway, but you definitely need to snoop into the SMART data if you want to find some proof of a failing drive.
 
Something is strange on that second one. It shows 277 start/stop counts in just 470 hours, where your other one shows 38 in 11373. Now it is possible that power management in the laptop is doing that, but I would expect that to be less. Also, the second drive has had a number of uncorectable errors. Nothing has failed smart, but it is possible something is going on. Can you run HDTune again, but as a non-os drive in your desktop instead of in your laptop?
 
I never ran HD tune. I will try that later.
(In cause you didn't realize, I ran CrystalDiskInfo just as you described. With the 2nd SSD plugged into my desktop via USB)

As far as the Power Cycles vs runtime goes. that's correct. I use my laptop for an hour at a time and then shut the lid and put it into standby.
My main computer is on 24/7 and has only been restarted 38 times in the last year and a half..
 
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HD Tune says my Main Drive has damaged sectors.

microhdtune1.JPG


The "bad" drive looks fine, but it keeps shutting off or something. It will disappear, and then reappear then the autoplay windows will pop up.

If I can do any tests or maintenance with this program, let me know.

Thanks
 
Ok.. I know if has been almost a week..

So I popped the hood on my main computer and put in that SSD because I couldn't update it over USB.

I updated the drive, all looked fine. So I decided to upgrade the firmware on my "good" drive too. Since it said 78% health..

Now my good drive is reading 80 degrees Celcuis. I read that this could happen with the firmware update.
It it doesn't cause the computer to shut off, and I know it is wrong, then I can just ignore it I guess.

Or, I can try the official Microcenter firmware which is smaller, but maybe will work better somehow.

microc1.JPG


The bad drive.. showed up for maybe the first 5 minutes the computer was on. And then, just disappeared..
So it shut off randomly.. Just like it had been in the laptop causing the laptop to freeze up.

I can pull the power out while it is plugged into my computer, put it back in, and the drive comes up again.
But it is definitely just randomly shutting off after the firmware update.

Cliff notes.

Did firmware update on both drives.
Drive A which was working fine before, how says it is overheating
Drive B which was shutting off randomly, is still doing it.

microc2.JPG
 
The temperature problem is a known bug in the latest firmware. It always reads x degrees over what it actually is. I have the same issue myself.

I'm surprised it's not happening on your other drive though.

For the second drive, I would begin the RMA process since it's still within warranty.
 
I returned it and for $94 store credit even though the drive is only $60 now..
Not bad..
Too bad I couldn't find the receipt for the original one that was $109...
 
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