What file recovery software can retrieve data from a former NVMe M.2 system-SSD?

My dad recently upgraded his self-built desktop computer with modern internal hardware components, and he uses Microsoft Windows 11 Professional 64-bit Norwegian Retail, fully updated.
 
Upon completing his new build, he is now trying to recover his file and folder data from a former Kingston 500GB NVMe M.2 system-SSD that he used on his previous computer build.
 
However, the current issue with the former Kingston NVMe M.2 system-SSD is that being a SYSTEM drive makes it NEITHER have an automatic drive letter, and NOR can one be manually assigned.
 
And hence, my question is as follows: What file recovery software can retrieve data from a former NVMe M.2 system-SSD?
 
Thank you very much in advance!

Edited by midimusicman79, 02 March 2024 - 02:33 PM.

If the drive was functioning before the move then I would boot a live linux distro like mint to see if can mount the drive. If the SSD had Windows 10 on it and FastBoot was enabled then linux will mark it as read only.

 

Can he install the SSD back into the previous build?

I would get something like this https://www.amazon.com/SSK-Aluminum-Enclosure-Adapter-External/dp/B07MNFH1PX?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A41S1C1L96T2O

Thank you, JohnC_21 and Porthos!

However, no, he cannot install the Windows 11 system-SSD with FastBoot off back into the previous build because he already has completely disassembled the previous build and completely reassembled his new build.

He also already has an external NVMe M.2 SSD enclosure but, for some reason, the former Kingston 500GB NVMe M.2 system-SSD will not work with it.

Does new build have a M.2 slot for the NVMe? If it's already filled then put the Kingston in the slot and boot a WinPE or Linux distro to recover any data to a USB HDD.

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/bootable-windows-pe-based-recovery-discs/  5

I would really like to apologize for the late reply, but Thank you, JohnC_21 and Pkshadow!

Yes, my dad's new build has a total of 4 x NVMe M.2 SSD slots, but some of them are already in use for various other storage drives, one new NVMe M.2 SSD for the Operating System, one old NVMe M.2 SSD for Documents, one new NVMe M.2 SSD for backups, and one old SATA 3.0 SSD for Photographs.

He also uses an internal NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe card, plus he recently bought a 500GB USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive for this purpose, and even all the various bootable Windows PE-based recovery disks look essential.

However, he made a well-intended, but panic-driven mistake of only marking the former Kingston 500GB NVMe M.2 system-SSD's Windows basic partition as dynamic, even though I tried to dissuade him from doing so because it would further complicate the issue, but here we are.

There is also an IT company in one of the nearest cities offering a Professional File Recovery Service, but luckily, they do not charge just as much as dedicated Professional Data Recovery Service companies because it is not their only business.

My dad created a bootable Windows 11 installation media on an 8GB USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive with the Media Creation Tool before performing a clean install of Windows 11. However, he has still not produced a 16GB Windows 11 Recovery Drive.

 

However, although he has 34 years of experience with several pre-built laptops and self-built desktop computers, he has yet to become familiar with using the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) and various bootable Windows PE-based recovery disks.

 

I have almost 29 years of experience with two pre-built desktop computers and one self-built desktop computer. I am already familiar with Windows PE because I weekly and regularly use Disk Imaging Software, such as Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Essentials.

 

He once used the now-discontinued Macrium Reflect Free to successfully clone an old 250GB system-SSD to a new 500GB system-SSD, and he used Disk Management to manually extend the resulting simple volume partition so it filled the entire system-SSD.

 

Thank you!

Use a USB to NVMe/PCIe adapter, put Kali Linux Live image either on a DVD or separate USB flash drive.  Boot from the Kali image.  Then use ddrescue to pull the data off the ailing drive to another storage device.

 

ddrescue documentation is here.  Read it!  ddrescue is powerful, but you need to know what the switches do or you can get gibberish.

 

It's the only program I know of short of data recovery services (which often use it themselves) for getting files off damaged drives... assuming the data bus can even detect the drive.

 

Kali Linux is here.  Use the live version appropriate for your architecture.

 

If you're on or have access to a Mac you can use brew to install ddrescue instead of going through Kali Linux.

 

... however, if I remember correctly, marking a partition as "dynamic" in Windows can destroy the data on it, sometimes irretrievably.  You might be able to reverse it... MIGHT... with testdisk.  Testdisk is available here.  It's also available by default on the Kali Linux live image.  While you can use testdisk on Windows, I don't recommend it because you can do more damage to what's on that drive.  Windows, by default, tries to mount everything it sees as a local storage device by default on boot.  Kali Linux in forensic mode will not.  It will only mount additional drives when requested and then only in read-only mode.  Using either testdisk for partition recovery or ddrescue doesn't initiate a mount.  It just reads the device directly.  Make sure you read testdisk's documentation, too.  Testdisk's companion program photorec is also downloadable from there.  It tries to recover known file types, primarily picture files hence the name, and it's documentation is here.  Testdisk and photorec are complimentary but operate separately with different recovery targets.  ddrescue is the only forensic data recovery program I've seen that can operate with a high success rate on drives that turned out to have known or unknown bad sectors (or charge depleted cells in the case of SSDs) without paying for commercial software, especially on the new NVMe drives.

 

Problem is... if that SSD drive was repartitioned then Windows likely issued a TRIM command afterwards... that data is gone for good.  There's no way to recover after a TRIM (assuming the drive's internal TRIM command isn't buggy).  It doesn't cost you anything but time to try with testdisk...  but don't hold your breath.  (I probably should have led with this paragraph, sorry.)

Edited by h_b_s, 03 March 2024 - 02:29 PM.

Thank you very much, h_b_s!

My dad tried to call the said IT company in one of the nearest cities offering a Professional File Recovery Service at a low cost. But he, unfortunately, discovered that the company had closed its operations.

 

There is an article on how to Change a dynamic disk back to a basic disk, and Ddrescue is premium and comprehensive software. But my dad thinks learning to use Kali Linux and Ddrescue requires more effort than he is willing to condone.

 

Thank you!