Should I worry over m2 drive failling

James1093 · 23 Oct 2022

What happens when an m2 drive fails? Sign of trouble to come. Is there any warning or just dies ?
Yesterday my comp froze, mouse wouldn't move and it failed to reboot.
I took the machine to bits and unplugged all the mech drives, then it did reboot. I went into m2 drive properties and Tools - Error checking. It reported their were problems, but repaired them.
Everything OK since but I'm a bit wary. Thinking of copying C:\ with Macrium Reflect, although I can't plug in twp m2 drives at once. Maybe use an image. Will MR run from a USB stick ?

SIW2 · 23 Oct 2022

I can't plug in twp m2 drives at once

you can with a pcie x1 adapter

Amazon.co.uk

Should I worry over m2 drive failling-mp510-gab75m-pcie-x1-crystaldisk.jpg

NavyLCDR · 24 Oct 2022

James1093 said:

Will MR run from a USB stick ?

If you create the Macrium Rescue Disk from the Other Tools menu:

Should I worry over m2 drive failling-capture.jpg

James1093 · 24 Oct 2022

Thanks for the tip about adapter, will check it out.
NavyLCDR that will boot into MR, and let me copy a previously saved image to a hard drive (that will then boot windows)?
I think thats how it works, but just to be sure.

Megahertz · 24 Oct 2022

Once you have a boot able Macrium Rescue drive and a drive image (all partitions) you can recover to a M.2 drive or even to a SATA drive.

I don't think your m2 drive is failing.
There are two kinds of drive issues:
- Logical where the data is corrupted. A chkdsk C: /f can fix it. In the worst case a drive reset (delete all partitions, create new, format) will do it.
- Hardware failure. Can't be fixed.
Flash memory dies due to the number of times data is written to it. It doesn't die all drive at the same time. It dies cluster by cluster. That is why you see on some applications that the drive is 94% healthy (6% has died).

Open a CMD window as administrator and type:
chkdsk C: /f (replace C with all the other partitions letters)
It will say your disk is in use and ask if you want to schedule to next start = yes
Restart

To see the drive heath, most drive manufactures have their own application.
You can use CrystalDisk Info . Dont need to install. extract and run

James1093 · 25 Oct 2022

Hi @Megahertz, nice info thank you. I've downloaded CrystalDisk Info and working up courage to run it! I'm always suspicious.
Nice you don't think the M2 drive is failing, certainly no problems since it came back on. A local shop had a good price on 1TB M2 so I will get that and swap it in, and keep existing as a backup/spare. It was only 250GB so extra space will be good.
Will run chkdsk on next boot.

Megahertz · 25 Oct 2022

James1093 said:

A local shop had a good price on 1TB M2 so I will get that and swap it in, and keep existing as a backup/spare. It was only 250GB so extra space will be good.

If you don't need the extra space, don't buy it. In a near future it will be a better, faster and cheap for sale. SSD prices will fall vertically very soon.

Be aware that there are many characteristics on a M.2 drive. Compare prices with those that has same characteristics.
First spec that you have to look is the memory type:
As we all know, an SSD often uses NAND flash to store data persistently. When the NAND flash is made via different technologies, the SSD storage, performance, and lifespan will vary accordingly.
MLC, short for Multi-Level Cell, means that one memory cell can store 2 bits of data. TLC, short for Triple-Level Cell, means that one memory cell can store 3 bits of data. QLC, short for Quad-Level Cell, means that one memory cell can store 4 bits of data.
MLC SSD is the most expensive, then the TLC SSD, and finally the QLC SSD.
The MLC, TLC, and QLC also have influence on SSD speed. In general, the performance of MLC SSD is the best, then the TLC SSD, and finally the QLC SSD. The reason lies in the writing and reading mechanism of NAND flash.

James1093 · 25 Oct 2022

Good to know, any idea which ussd by Samsung NVME SSD 980

Megahertz · 25 Oct 2022

The NAND Flash memory used on the 980 NVMe M. 2 SSD, is noted down by Samsung as MLC. The reality, however, is that the configuration shows 3-bits per cell written, and that means this in fact is TLC written NAND.

The 980 PRO is MLC

Megahertz · 25 Oct 2022

This Crucial is faster and cheaper than the 980
crucial-1tb-p3-plus