SSD won’t read

Question

I have an SSD, that as far as I know, is not self-encrypting, BitLocker is not turned on, I’ve checked the bios for a hard drive password and it doesn’t have one. It does have trusted computing turned on in the bios though.

I’m trying to make a physical copy of the drive, either but it will not read in the enclosure. When I plug it in to my laptop, disk management says it needs to be initialized. However, when I tell it to initialize, it has a fatal error. I’ve tried placing it in my laptop and booting from it but it just goes to bios. My offline copier won’t read it either.

It will read and boot just fine from the source computer. What could be causing this? I have a feeling it has to do with the trusted computing feature, I’m just not 100% sure. I’m not sure if I should turn that off as I don’t know what keys it might have stored

***Move from Windows / Windows 10 / Settings***

Answer 1

Hello Justin Bradburn,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

Since Trusted Computing and related technologies such as TPM (Trusted Platform Module) can be involved in drive encryption or access control, they may be responsible for the issues you're encountering.

Please check if the same problem also occurs when you plug this SSD on other machines (except your laptop).

Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Check for BitLocker Encryption:

Even if BitLocker is not turned on, it's worth double-checking. On the source computer, open the Control Panel, go to "System and Security", then "BitLocker Drive Encryption" to confirm its status.

2. Review BIOS/UEFI Settings:

Since Trusted Computing is turned on, it indicates the presence of TPM. TPM can manage various keys and encryption states. You could try turning off the Trusted Computing or TPM feature temporarily to see if this allows other systems to recognize the drive.

Be cautious, as this could potentially affect data access if the drive relies on TPM for decryption. Document any changes you make in the BIOS so you can revert them if necessary.

3. Check for Manufacturer-Specific Encryption:

Some SSDs come with manufacturer-specific encryption features, which might be active even if not explicitly visible. Check the SSD manufacturer's documentation for any such features and how to manage them.

4. Data Recovery Tools:

If the drive is not recognized correctly, you might need to use specialized data recovery software.

5. Clone the Drive While Attached to the Source Computer:

Since the drive boots and works fine on the source computer, consider using cloning software directly from the source computer.

Note: Make sure to back up any critical data before making changes to system settings or attempting recovery steps.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou