SSD Stuck in Write-Protect Mode – Unable to Access Files After Windows Reinstallation

[seancogan2]

Hi everyone,

I'm experiencing a frustrating issue with my SSD, and I'm hoping someone here can help.

The Issue: My main SSD, which had my previous Windows installation, has somehow gone into write-protect mode, and I’m unable to access or modify any files on it. Recently, I reinstalled Windows on a different drive since I couldn’t boot from the SSD due to registry errors and other startup issues. Now that I have Windows up and running on the new drive, I’m trying to access my files on the SSD, but every attempt fails due to write protection.

What I’ve Tried So Far:

1. Booting from a Linux Live USB: I tried accessing the SSD through a Linux Live USB (Ubuntu) to transfer my files to an external USB. However, I keep getting errors related to write protection when attempting to mount or copy files from the SSD.

2. Diskpart Commands in Windows:

   • I opened Diskpart and ran the attributes disk clear readonly command, but it returned an error indicating the command couldn’t complete due to an I/O device error.
   • I also tried selecting the partitions individually and clearing the readonly attribute on each, but no luck there either.

3. CHKDSK and Disk Repair:

   • I ran chkdsk on the SSD, but it reported that the disk is write-protected and didn’t proceed with any repairs.
   • I attempted using the bootrec commands to fix potential boot sector issues, but these commands didn’t help with removing the write protection.

4. Using TestDisk in Linux:

   • I tried using TestDisk to see if I could recover or rebuild the partition table, but TestDisk reported various errors about the superblock and couldn’t read the filesystem properly.
   • A deeper scan in TestDisk showed the partitions but flagged them as unrecoverable.

5. Checking for Physical Write Protection:

   • As far as I can tell, my SSD doesn’t have a physical write-protection switch, so I’m confident this is a software-level or firmware issue.

System Info:

• SSD Model: Crucial Nvme m.2 P3
• OS: Windows 11 (currently installed on a separate drive)
• Previous OS on SSD: Windows 11
• Attempts: Both Linux (Ubuntu Live USB) and Windows tools

Question: Does anyone know how to remove the write-protection status from an SSD, or has anyone encountered a similar issue? I’m trying to recover important files from this drive, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[seancogan2]

Also updating the firmware just spits out another ERROR code

[Electronics Wizardy]

I'd first make a image of the drive using something like ddrescue in linux.

 

Then try using a tool like testdisk to get the files from the image.

[seancogan2]

4 hours ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

I'd first make a image of the drive using something like ddrescue in linux.

 

Then try using a tool like testdisk to get the files from the image.

Thanks for the reply. I am trying that right now.

[Sawa Takahashi]

5 hours ago, seancogan2 said:

SSD Model: Crucial Nvme m.2 P3

Does that SSD come from Amazon ? I got a few Crucial P3s from Amazon and they all failed in various ways. Unrecoverable partitions, write errors, write-protect and vanishing partitions are all ways for a SSD to turn into a dead brick (a very small one).

It is hard to tell with Amazon's inventory system if they got a bad batch or if some scammy seller introduced counterfeits into the inventory. Only the Silicon Pwer A60 gave me more trouble than the Crucial.

As for recovering your previous data. Unless it is worth a good amount of money, I'd say to consider it gone. You may have some chance with recovery experts (like Louis Rossmann Group) and others but the cost is rarely worth it. And if the data was that important to begin with, why is it not on a backup ?

Good luck !

[seancogan2]

2 hours ago, Sawa Takahashi said:

Does that SSD come from Amazon ? I got a few Crucial P3s from Amazon and they all failed in various ways. Unrecoverable partitions, write errors, write-protect and vanishing partitions are all ways for a SSD to turn into a dead brick (a very small one).

It is hard to tell with Amazon's inventory system if they got a bad batch or if some scammy seller introduced counterfeits into the inventory. Only the Silicon Pwer A60 gave me more trouble than the Crucial.

As for recovering your previous data. Unless it is worth a good amount of money, I'd say to consider it gone. You may have some chance with recovery experts (like Louis Rossmann Group) and others but the cost is rarely worth it. And if the data was that important to begin with, why is it not on a backup ?

Good luck !

Yes It came from amazon. That's a shame. 
I will keep trying to recover the files but if by next week I still haven't succeeded I will give up. And yes I know I should have backed up. Rookie mistake

[Sawa Takahashi]

4 hours ago, seancogan2 said:

Rookie mistake

I long ago stopped calling it a Rookie Mistake. I've seen many computer users of all ages and of various degrees of competence goin without backups. You are not the only one

I remember recovering files from a damaged HDD by freezing it overnight and then copying like hell for 3 or 4 minutes before it crashed again.

People just put too much faith in recovery skills. These should be only last resort and in no case a replacement for a backup solution.

4 hours ago, seancogan2 said:

Yes It came from amazon. That's a shame. 

You may be interested in googling Amazon co-mingled inventory to have a glimpse of how buying from legitimate sellers can land you with a counterfeit product. There is also the possibility that the lower priced SSDs are cheaper because they were not tested as extensively as the pricier models resulting in some bad batches,

[spunk.funk]

Add Take Ownership to the Right Click Context menu.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3841-add-take-ownership-context-menu-windows-10-a.html

Take ownership of the drive and see if that helps

 

Chances are the drive has become corrupted and it will not be accessible.