Sandisk SSD Hard Drive Failure – Data Recovery of Dentist’s X-Ray Scans & Business-Critical Data

A Sandisk SSD used in a dental practice for storing X-ray scans and business-critical patient data suddenly failed. The reported symptoms included:

  • SSD not recognised on boot, preventing access to all stored files.
  • The drive was not detected in BIOS or Disk Management, indicating firmware corruption, NAND degradation, or controller failure.
  • No backup was available, putting the dental practice’s patient records and operational data at risk.

Since SSDs require specialised recovery techniques, a forensic-level data extraction process was necessary.

Our Expertise in SSD Data Recovery

With 25 years of experience, our team specializes in:
Recovering data from non-detectable SSDs (Sandisk, Samsung, Crucial, WD, etc.)
Advanced NAND chip-off and controller repair techniques
Forensic recovery of medical, dental, and business-critical files

Diagnosis & Recovery Process

Upon receiving the Sandisk SSD, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic assessment. The key findings included:

  • SSD was not recognised due to a firmware-level failure or NAND memory degradation.
  • No physical damage was found, meaning the data was still present but inaccessible.
  • The X-ray scan files and patient records were stored in a proprietary dental imaging format, requiring specialised recovery tools.

To successfully recover the client’s business-critical and patient data, we implemented a multi-step SSD recovery strategy:

Step 1: SSD Controller Repair & Direct Data Extraction

  • Attempted to repair the SSD controller firmware to regain drive recognition.
  • When the controller could not be repaired, we used direct NAND chip-off recovery.

Step 2: NAND Chip Data Dump & Reconstruction

  • Extracted raw data from the Sandisk NAND memory chips using specialized forensic tools.
  • Rebuilt file structures to restore the X-ray images and business data.

Step 3: Dental Imaging File Recovery & Verification

  • Extracted and converted proprietary X-ray scan files used in dental software.
  • Ensured that all recovered images were readable and accessible by the practice’s software.

Step 4: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer

  • Conducted a full integrity check to confirm all recovered X-ray scans and records were intact.
  • Successfully transferred all recovered files to a new encrypted external SSD for security compliance.

The Result

We successfully recovered 100% of the dental practice’s critical files, including:
X-ray scan images and patient dental records
Business and financial documents
Archived scheduling and appointment data

The client was able to resume operations without losing any medical records, ensuring full compliance with patient data protection regulations.

Why Choose Birmingham Data Recovery for SSD Data Recovery?

25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in SSD failures and medical data recovery.
Advanced NAND Chip-Off Recovery – Extracting data even when SSDs are not detected.
Forensic Data Extraction for Healthcare Files – Ensuring recovery of proprietary medical imaging formats.
Fast & Secure Process – Maintaining full confidentiality and compliance with data protection laws.

If your Sandisk SSD has failed and contains critical medical or business data, contact Birmingham Data Recovery today for professional assistance!