topic Re: M.2 SSD Locked in read only ? in Solid State Drives (NAND)

M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

colomailbe — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 16:45:43 GMT

Dear all,

First time that I see that:

- Win10 (pre-installed) never reach login screen (the circle with dot keeps running)
- Impossible to enter safe Mode

Now it starts geeting weird:

- I try to boot an USB Key with Win10 image, same problem !
- I try to boot an USB Key with linux (from https://www.system-rescue.org/).

Good I'm able to access in read-only Windows partition, I backup the data.

Now I try to fdisk, delete all partition and write the partition table. No error, but if I fdisk again all partition are still there?!

Let's try a smartctl -t long -a /dev/sda, no specific error, lifetime 668hours...

MODEL: INTEL SSDSCKKF256H6

Serial: CVLY65060JES256J

Firmware: LBFD07N

The only thing that I found is that this SSD could have locked itself in read-only mode.

Is it the case ? how can I return to a normal operation mode then ? (please note that I can't access any windows anymore, only Linux accept to boot).

Thanks !

Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 18:33:43 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Thank you for contacting Intel® Memory and Storage support.

As we understand, you need assistance with your Intel® SSD Pro 5400s Series that is on read-only mode. We would appreciate it if you provide us with the following information:

1- Is this drive new, or it came preinstalled with your PC?

2- We would appreciate it if you can provide us with pictures of the SSD labels to check the information it contains. The SSD’s serial number and part number need to legible.

3- We would appreciate it if you can provide us with the system details by extracting the SSU logs.

A- Go to https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/ (for Windows*) and to https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26735/ (for Linux) download the software.

B- When you finish downloading it, open it.

C- Attach the file generated by the tool in your reply.

4- We would like to check the SMART attributes of your Intel® SSDs and review them to see if they show any error, using this system or another system that recognize the drives:

*Please extract the following logs by using the Intel® Memory and Storage Tool:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29337/Intel-Memory-and-Storage-Tool-CLI-Command-Line-Interface-

- SMART attributes: intelmas show -smart -intelssd “SSD_index”.

-The SSD information using show -all command from Intel MAS CLI: intelmas show -all -intelssd “SSD_index”.

A complete User Guide is available below. Replace the “SSD_index” with the actual index number of your SSD.

User Guide:

https://downloadmirror.intel.com/30059/eng/Intel_Memory_And_Storage_Tool_CLI_User%20Guide-Public-342245-006US.pdf

Video on Intel® SSD Firmware Update and Health Monitoring Using Intel® Memory and Storage Tool (Intel® MAS)

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000057393/memory-and-storage.html

We will follow up with you again on Thursday, the 8th of July 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

Best regards.

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

Re: Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

colomailbe — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 14:44:59 GMT

Hi Josh,

Thanks for your reply and follow-up and sorry for late reply.

It took me some times to install all pkg on my bootable 1Gb linux key but finally I got everything !!

So here's answers and requested files:

1. pre-installed with computer

2. see attached jpg

3. sysrescue.txt

4. intelmas reports as requested

Again thanks for your help in this matter !

Best regards,

Re: M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 23:03:10 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Thank you for your patience.

Based on the serial number and logs you provided, your SSD is an Intel® SSD Pro 5400s Series (256GB, M.2 80mm SATA 6Gb/s, 16nm, TLC) from Dell* with an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) firmware.

As a best effort to assist you, we tried to review the logs and information you provided us, but this product has OEM internal firmware and other modifications, we recommend you contacting Dell* for them to check the SSD status and if necessary and if available according to their policies, to perform a failure analysis or warranty replacement of this drive.

We would appreciate it if you can let us know if you need further assistance related to an Intel® SSD product or if we can close this thread.

We will follow up with you again on Tuesday, the 13th of July 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

Best regards.

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

Re: Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

colomailbe — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:01:19 GMT

Hi Josh,

This is a computer bought from work. But it's out of warranty since a few months and Dell won't do anything for me.

Now as such Intel SSD typically have at least a 5 years warranty, I was hoping some support from your side.

There should be a way to unlock it, or flash a new firmware (maybe an original one this time).

That would really be a pity to trash a SSD that seems in decent state. From the report that I sent, most tests report a good state.

I really just need a way to reset the state to normal operation mode.

Thanks !!

Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 18:29:45 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Thank you for your reply.

I completely understand your point is a shame that this SSD ended up in this state after a couple of years of usage. Unfortunately, our tools are not able to change or update the firmware on OEM-modified SSDs.

The OEM Dell* is the one responsible for providing support and warranty to this product.

We have two articles that may be helpful:

1- How to Recover the Intel® SSD from a Read-Only State Using Diskpart:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000056306/memory-and-storage.html

2- When to Run a Low-Level Format or Secure Erase on Intel® Solid State Drives and Tools to Use:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000006198/memory-and-storage.html

Another software you can use is the GNOME Partition Editor, better known as GParted (https://gparted.org/). This tool comes pre-installed on the most common Linux* distributions and has a live solution.

*We provide links to third-party tools and sites for your convenience. We don't necessarily endorse the content, products, or services offered there. We don't offer support for third-party tools.

If you can not write information to your SSD after following all the steps and recommendations, the best option will be to replace it.

We will follow up with you again on Tuesday, the 13th of July 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

Best regards.

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

Re: Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

n_scott_pearson — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 01:31:50 GMT

Here's the thing, you don't have any warranty from Intel for any component in this laptop (even if it was produced by Intel). You purchased a laptop from Dell as an integrated product, so it is Dell who provides the warranty for everything that is in this product. Yes, this means that, while drives bought separately have a 5-year warranty, drives bought as part of a laptop system get only the one or perhaps two years of warranty coverage that the system gets. Same goes for processor; those bought separately have a 3-year warranty, but those bought as part of a system have only the one or perhaps two years of warranty that Dell provides.

Note also that part of what you paid Dell up front was actually for support - yet, if you won't pay them extra, the slimeballs punt you over to Intel Customer Support (ICS). What a deal: you pay Dell for support, Dell punts you over to ICS instead and then Dell pockets the money that they didn't spend on support. Remember that Intel gives Dell a warranty on all parts purchased and, if something is wrong, Dell is supposed to bring this issue to Intel. When Dell punts you over to ICS, you present the issue with one voice. If it had been Dell presenting the issue, it would have many hundreds of thousands of voices behind it. See the problem? By punting you to Intel, the priority of the issue is drastically lowered. Dell gets away with it because, unfortunately, HP, Asus, Lenovo, etc. all do the same thing - yet people continue to purchase their crap and put up with their crappy support and crappy warranties. The whole thing is freaking sickening.

Off my soapbox now...

...S

Re: Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

colomailbe — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:32:46 GMT

Hi Josh,

Thanks for your update.

1. Do you know if there's a similar command ("attributes disk clear readonly") that could be run from linux ?
NB. Otherwise I'll try to boot an old Win7 ISO (any Win10 refuses to boot even the installer).

2. I will try those tools too.

Gparted get the same result than fdisk, everything works perfectly but when I restart the program no partition were deleted.

I also tried to "dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=10M", no partition were scrapped after 3 hours.

Well I'll let you know and if I succeed, with any tools proposed above, I'll mark the thread as solved with accepted solution.

Best,

Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 20:19:02 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Thank you for your reply.

To answer your questions:

1- I do apologize, but I am not aware if there is a Linux* command as specific as the one you are requesting. I advise you to contact on your Linux distribution community forum.

2- On GParted, there is an option on the device tab to create the partition table of your drive, have you tried that option as well?

It seems that the device is completely blocked and will not allow you to write any data on the SSD. The best option will be to back up the information and replace the drive.

I will be looking forward to your update. Please, let us know if the other tools help you.

We will follow up with you again on Wednesday, the 14th of July 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please, let us know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

Best regards.

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 23:43:07 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Greetings from; Intel® Memory and Storage support.

We were reviewing your community thread, which is related to your Intel® SSD Pro 5400s Series. We would like to know if you were able to check the previous communication.

We will follow up with you again on Friday, the 16th of July 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please, let us know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

Best regards.

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

Re:M.2 SSD Locked in read only ?

JosafathB_Intel — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 23:49:35 GMT

Hello, colomailbe.

Greetings from; Intel® Memory and Storage support.

We were reviewing your community thread, which is related to your Intel® SSD Pro 5400s Series.

Since we have not heard from you in a while, we are going to close this community thread.

If you need further assistance related to an Intel® product, please do not hesitate to contact us back by opening a new thread.

Best regards,

Jos B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.