26, August 2020

Signs Your Solid-State Drive Is Failing

Solid-state drives (SSDs) have an advantage over hard disk drives (HDDs) as a means of data storage in that they have fewer moving parts. An SSD is a fixed piece of hardware, whereas an HDD must use a mechanical arm to read and write on its spinning disk. This means that SSDs are generally more reliable since they are more resistant to having their components break over time. Still, SSDs aren’t invulnerable. If they get cut off from electricity unexpectedly in a power outage or surge, they can become damaged and some of the data they hold may become corrupted. Furthermore, they have a limited write lifespan after which you cannot store new information on them. Get to know the signs your solid-state drive is failing so you aren’t caught off guard and can prepare a backup plan for your PC’s storage needs.

Bad Blocks Hinder Your Computer

To understand why and how an SSD is most likely to fail, you must learn about bad blocks. Bad blocks are sections of your SSD that are unusable, each of which contains multiple flash memory cells. In an SSD, bad blocks may develop due to physical damage to the transistors and/or capacitors that compose its individual memory cells. They may also form by way of software problems, such as when file writing is interrupted by a computer shut down and the half-saved data is jumbled up. Furthermore, the memory cells of flash storage can degrade over time and become unreliable—a fact we will expand upon in the final section.

When your SSD contains bad blocks, you will see symptoms such as overall slowness when opening up files, freezes while running programs, problems with transferring files, and an inability to read and write data. You should check to see whether these are happening because of bad blocks by inspecting your SSD physically and running software meant to assess your SSD for complications. A prominent example of this kind of software is called CrystalDiskMark. Should the software identify bad blocks, you can take this a firm sign that your SSD is failing.

A Notification for Repair Appears

In some instances, your computer may notice an SSD problem before you do yourself. You might receive a notification that your computer requires repair because a necessary file is missing or there are errors in a file that keep the PC from completing a task. You can run the built-in file corruption repair tools that exist in your computer, which the notification will suggest to you, in response to the message. You will have a variation of such tools regardless of your operating system type, as Windows, macOS, and even Linux will have them. Should your default option fail, you can also look to third-party repair applications.

Regardless, when you must go through this process, you should check your SSD for a breakdown. Look for physical bad block damage in the actual storage area or damage in the SATA or NVMe port through which it communicates with the rest of the computer. Sometimes SATA cables may also get disconnected, so you’ll need to put them back into place. These may all be behind the error notification you received.

Your Computer Crashes While Booting

A crash is never an indicator of healthy computer operation since it is by nature unintended and it can be a sign that your solid-state drive is failing. If the crash is the result of an issue within your SSD, it may happen specifically as you try to boot up your PC. After a crash, try restarting your computer repeatedly. You can start to verify that the crash stemmed from an SSD by restarting a few times. If it functions normally after the resets, it is likely that your SSD is failing in some way. Afterwards, you can more accurately validate your suspicions by opening an running the built-in corruption repair tools, as well as tools you downloaded for the purposes of identifying bad blocks. These programs may be able to solve the problem with your SSD before it gets worse.

If you have previously saved a copy of your computer’s data on a separate storage device as a backup, you can also try reformatting the SSD or reinstalling your operating system. Reformatting will erase all the data in the SSD and bring it back to its initial ready-to-use state. Reinstalling the OS will similarly wipe your computer clean of malfunctions by bringing it back to its original condition before you started using it and the SSD began to fail.

A Read-Only Error Occurs

SSDs can stop working because of the limited nature of flash memory. Their cells store data by having electrical current run through them which causes electrons to travel from a transistor called a control gate to another transistor called a floating gate. Every time data is added or changed on a cell, the entire cell must be wiped and rewritten with the new change with a larger-than-normal current. Eventually, the cells can no longer change at all because the insulating layer that separates electrons from the floating gate wears out. This in turn can lead to bad blocks that lead to your computer, giving you a read-only error when you try to store new information on the SSD.

This error is relatively rare since it will take a lot of usage before an SSD gets to this point, but you will now know why it has shown up if you see it. As soon as your SSD becomes read-only, it’s a good idea to take the data it holds and transfer it to another storage device that is not failing. You can do this by connecting it to a different PC or an external hard drive.

If your current form of nonvolatile storage has ceased to work from age or another problem, visit Digifast. We provide PC users and builders with NVMe solid-state drives that will support all your activities, whether you are a gamer or someone who uses high-demand applications frequently.

About DIGIFAST

DIGIFAST is a professional gaming equipment brand based in California, USA, and has been providing technological innovations and custom solutions for over 20 years. Through intelligent research and professional production capacity, we deepen the 3C, esports, and IT markets. We focus on developing high-quality and long-life products and provide consumers with personal storage devices, game peripherals, and bold innovative 3C technology products. The brand has been recognized by the industry and has pushed quality standards to become a trusted brand in the 3C technology and esports industry.

Official website: https://www.digifast-inc.com