Questions on SSD problem

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

My brand new (2 months old) Dell XPS8960 has run into boot up problems and I'm only able to interrogate it via the command prompt window (the machine makes it to 'post'). It has a single 2T PCIe M.2 SSD and is showiing as the 'X' drive. The DIR command list folders for Program Files, Program FIles (X86), Sources, Users and Windows. A file is also listed called 'OfflineRecEnvTrace/etl. The Windows folder has System32 subfolder, which has windows-related files. The Users folder has the subfolder 'Public', which has Sources folder has 'folders for documents, photos, etc., but they're all empty.
I have (had?) several hundred GB of personal data on the drive in a 'My Documnets' folder when this problem occurred. Some of it is backed up on a portable HD, but some is not. I would like to recover the data, whos disappearance I suspect is related to the machine not booting up properly.

As I understand it, the X:\ drive is the SSD, and the computer boots from this drive. So the drive is working to an extent and I am able to get to the BIOS and troubleshooting (and command window). I think the free space number is a clue that a large partition of the drive isn't showing (it's a 2T drive) and this is where my personal data (hopefully) still resides.
I've read that I may need to remove the drive and try reading it on another PC to recover the data there, then do a full reinstall of Windows 11. This option would be inconvenient for me. Is there anything I can do with the machine as-is to see if the data is still there?

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

I forgot to add, I did contact Dell support and they had me try to boot it using 'BootX64.efi', rather than Windows boot manager. The boot behavior didn't change and at this point Dell said I would have to do a full reinstall of Windows (and losing my data). I'm not ready to concede...

zbook · Apr 30, 2024

Some options:

Run the Sea Tools bootable Long generic test to see whether the drive passes or fails testing.

On a working computer create a bootable Ubuntu / Linux flash drive.

Boot the problematic computer to Ubuntu / Linux to see if there are files that can be saved.

Boot the problematic computer to a windows media creation tool / windows iso > command prompt > type:

Notepad
Notepad
Notepad

Run these diagnostic commands and save to notepad > save to a flash drive > post commands with results as images or share links

Bcdedit
Bcdedit | find "osdevice"
Diskpart
Lis dis
Lis vol
Sel dis 0
Det dis
Lis par
Sel par 1
Det par
Sel par 2
Det par
Sel par 3
Det par
Sel par 4
Det par
Sel par 5
Det par
Sel par 6
Det par
Sel dis 1
Det dis
Lis par
Sel par 1
Det par

Exit

Bree · Apr 30, 2024

Mike C555 said:
My brand new (2 months old) Dell XPS8960 has run into boot up problems and I'm only able to interrogate it via the command prompt window (the machine makes it to 'post'). It has a single 2T PCIe M.2 SSD and is showiing as the 'X' drive. The DIR command list folders for Program Files, Program FIles (X86), Sources, Users and Windows. A file is also listed called 'OfflineRecEnvTrace/etl. The Windows folder has System32 subfolder, which has windows-related files. The Users folder has the subfolder 'Public', which has Sources folder has 'folders for documents, photos, etc., but they're all empty.

Mike C555 said:
Dell said I would have to do a full reinstall of Windows (and losing my data). I'm not ready to concede...

Welcome to Eleven Forum.

If you are booting to a command prompt from Advanced Startup then the X: drive is not a physical drive, it is a virtual drive that has been loaded into RAM from the Recovery partition before booting from it.

Your actual physical drive is drive C:. You should be able to copy all your data from the C:\Users\<your name> folder to a USB drive before attempting any repairs or reinstall.

SIW2 · Apr 30, 2024

Is there anything I can do with the machine as-is to see if the data is still there?

You can have a look using notepad

at cmd prompt, type

notepad
(then press enter)
when notepad pops up click File then Save

the save dialog will open, select All files in the dropdown an then you can use the dialog to have a browse round.

Depending on your setup, the windows partition you are looking for will not necessarily have been assigned C by winpe/winre you will find out easily with notepad.

SIW2 · Apr 30, 2024

You should be able to copy data off using cmd or one thing at a time using copy and paste, which can be very laborious.

If you get stuck, you can borrow one of my boot media which has explorer , Copy To on the context menu and other fun things.

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

Thank you for the replies. The first thing I tried was the DIR C:\ from the command prompt and the reply was 'can't find specified path'. So, I'm creating a bootable usb with Balena and Ubuntu. In the meantime, if the SSD was totally kaput or say the cable became disconnected to it, would this type of behavior be expected? I mean, would the virtual drive X still show up and I'd still be able to get to the troubleshooting menus, BIOS, etc? I did buy one of those adapters that lets you plug the SSD into a different computer (after removing it), but that's a last resort.

SIW2 · Apr 30, 2024

winre.wim booted off the disk, so the disk hasnt completely failed. possibly your winre needs the irst drivers.

you can borrow one of my boot media. It has the DEll suplied drivers already integrated. Extract the iso file to create bootable usb stick.

23v7.iso

bobkn · Apr 30, 2024

Maybe I'm being too literal-minded, but an M.2 drive has no cable connected to it. It's slotted, and retained by a single screw (or screwless cam). If the drive wasn't properly secured at the factory, I suppose that it could have popped out of its slot, but that seems unlikely.

As already remarked, the X: drive is a virtual drive, in RAM. Its existence says nothing about the state of the M.2 drive.

I hope that the M.2 drive hasn't failed. Good luck.

SIW2 · Apr 30, 2024

I hope that the M.2 drive hasn't failed.

winre.wim booted off the disk . Unless he has it on a separate disk which he didnt mention.

Bree · Apr 30, 2024

Mike C555 said:
The first thing I tried was the DIR C:\ from the command prompt and the reply was 'can't find specified path'.

To identify the correct drive letter (if it's there) run Diskpart from the command prompt, use the command List volumes, then exit Diskpart.

bobkn · Apr 30, 2024

SIW2 said:
winre.wim booted off the disk . Unless he has it on a separate disk which he didnt mention.

I find that the thread lacks clarity so far.

johnlgalt · Apr 30, 2024

Agreed. It's almost as if there is a bootable USB drive that is booting, if it is not what SIW2 proposed:

SIW2 said:
winre.wim booted off the disk . Unless he has it on a separate disk which he didnt mention.

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

No separate disk. I tried Diskpart (from X:\Windows\System32 prompt) and then List Volumes and it just shows me a list of commands. I did open notepad and the only dive I find is X, which has Windows folder and system 32 subfolder. I'm going to see what happens with the Ubuntu bootable usb, but I don't expect to find anything new. It looks like I'll have to open up the box..

johnp · Apr 30, 2024

Mike C555 said:
No separate disk. I tried Diskpart (from X:\Windows\System32 prompt) and then List Volumes and it just shows me a list of commands.

try: list volume

Bree · Apr 30, 2024

Mike C555 said:
I tried Diskpart (from X:\Windows\System32 prompt) and then List Volumes and it just shows me a list of commands.

Sorry, there's no S at the end. In fact, diskpart will recognise just the first 3 characters of a command, you could abbreviate it to LIS VOL

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

It says 'there are no volumes'

SIW2 · Apr 30, 2024

I did open notepad and the only dive I find is X,

Most likely your winre.wim doesnt have the drivers needed to see your disk. It is a common issue with oem 11/12/13 and presumably also 14th gen intel machines.

I already linked to a copy of my boot media which does have the Dell drivers already integrated. post#8

format an mbr usb stick to fat32, then just use 7-zip or whatever to copy the entire contents of the 23v7.iso onto the root of the usb stick.

then boot from the usb stick and you shoiuld be able to see your disk.

Mike C555 · Apr 30, 2024

I'll give it a try. Something went wrong when trying to create the bootable usb with ubuntu and balena flash. It seemed to complete the flash but then when I try and see what's on the stick, the machine says 'you must format the disk first to use it'... give me a break...