Check whether your SanDisk drive is affected by the firmware issue here: https://support-en.wd.com/app/firmwareupdate?!&a\_id=50098.
If it's affected, there will be a message: "Your product may have been impacted." Even if not, but you want to update your SSD's version to the latest, follow the link for the guide with the updater: https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a\_id/50763.
It didn't solve my SSD's corruption, but it might prevent it from happening again. To fix the corrupted file system without installing and paying for anything:
\[Windows\] Open your console (Command Prompt) and run chkdsk X: /f /r /x where X is the drive with the corrupted file system. See the YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0V0H\_GykOM. Depending on the size of the SSD and amount of data on it, it can take a while. Don't do anything until the cursor in the console starts blinking again.
\[Mac\] The equivalent to chkdsk is "Disk Utility" with "First Aid".
Fixed my SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable 2TB. At least for now.
Thank you for the heads up! I've been storing invaluable stuff on one of these (the 4TB model). My usage has been low on writes, but I guess it would've given up eventually. Gotta up my backup game.
Sounds expensive, but an interesting prospect nonetheless. Hope they'll eventually release lower end 4TB SSDs as well. With prices slowly decreasing there will only be more competition as time goes on.
As far as flash storage goes I had good experiences with Samsung's products since their 830 SATA drive, so I'd have preferred a Samsung drive given the choice between it and the SN850X. But I have a feeling that with controller standardization and the small number of NAND flash manufacturers, SSDs seem to drift towards an equilibrium in terms of quality inside their price tier. So maybe it doesn't even matter that much which drive one chooses, aside from reputation and warranty...
Whelp. Should have known those sales were too good to be true. I haven't used mine a lot but now I'll look for a backup for that one now.
Are the Samsungs more reliable? I had issues with their old EVO ssds and don't really want to go back down that road again.
Any brand can experience weird bugs there's no guarantee Samsung is immune to something similar. That being said it's still better than a known bad drive I guess lol. Kingston, Sabrent, and Crucial all have native USB drives these days check them out.
hmm....I have both 1tb extreme, and the extreme pro. Bought these within the last 3 months, the pro is attached to my steamdeck and the extreme is for portable file storage. I seriously hope these dont die on me....I already loss a 8tb hdd and all my data on it lol, I cant handle another massive data loss.
The first rule of computer storage is that reliable storage does not exist. Treat every disk and card like it can fail at any moment and keep at least 2 copies of anything you have any use for.
It seems mostly be the 4 TB version that's having problems, with some 2 TB versions. Hopefully that means that the 1 TB is fine.
But don't take that chance. Follow the 3-2-1 rule of backups.
Any is fine. They all use the same Asmedia controller anyway. Just buy an aluminum enclosure for cooling of both the SSD controller and the bridge controller
I work in post production and these drives have really started to make a name for themselves for how unreliable they are… specifically the 4TB models. It’s been talked about several times over the last 6 months in /r/editors.
As always, don’t forget to have adequate backups!
Samsung or Sandisk whichever is not under scandal at that given moment, so Samsung now. That being said I prefer Sabrent and Kingston because they use native USB controllers. The XS2000 in particular is my fave.
You can never be sure of what second-rate NAND chips manufacturers stuff into their portable SSDs (usually the poorer kind, and it's not uncommon to silently switch suppliers midway), so if drive reliability is a huge priority your best bet would be to purchase a $20 NVMe SSD enclosure and buy an SSD stick of your choice, that way you control the quality of the drive.
If the port or connector fails on a store-bought portable SSD, you're royally screwed as it's often soldered to the storage. On an enclosure though, you just remove the drive and plug it in another/insert it into a computer.
It's also an excellent way to repurpose SSDs from old computers you have lying around, turning them into portable SSDs.
Is the T5 even made anymore? The T7 is the current model, isn't it?
Not that it really matters, since I haven't heard of any problems with either the T5 or T7.
They both existed at the same time. The T5 is USB 3.0 5Gbps with a SATA SSD inside. The T7 is USB 3.0 10Gbps with an NVMe SSD inside.
But yeah… looks like the T5 has been discontinued. Oh well. The T7 had some thermal throttling issues when it first came out but I’ve heard that’s no longer an issue. Should be a good way to go.
I've had a SanDisk extreme 512gb for years and have always felt it gets unnecessarily hot while just plugged in with no disk activity.
Recently got a Samsung T7 2tb, it stays cool to the touch in most situations even in use. I don't trust the SanDisk drive and it's got to be using more power if it's heating up all the time.
I have an 7yo 128GB, and it is similar. When I write it to it it stays hot for 12+ hours. But if unplug it, let is cool for a couple minutes, and plug it back in, it will remain relatively cool. A little above room temp. I have no idea why that is, but I'm guessing it's a firmware issue.
I can't see any link to where the firmwares might be.
Maybe this: [https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a\_id/50098/h/p2#gs=eyJndWlkZUlEIjoyOTgsInF1ZXN0aW9uSUQiOjEsInJlc3BvbnNlSUQiOjE0LCJndWlkZVNlc3Npb24iOiJfeTZsT3g3cSIsInNlc3Npb25JRCI6Ii1iQmFPeDdxIn0](https://support-en.wd.com/app/answers/detailweb/a_id/50098/h/p2#gs=eyJndWlkZUlEIjoyOTgsInF1ZXN0aW9uSUQiOjEsInJlc3BvbnNlSUQiOjE0LCJndWlkZVNlc3Npb24iOiJfeTZsT3g3cSIsInNlc3Npb25JRCI6Ii1iQmFPeDdxIn0).
I forgot there are [**4 versions of this SSD**](https://www.westerndigital.com/support/product-list?productName=8830): Extreme, Extreme Pro, Extreme V2, Extreme Pro V2.
//
Backup advice aside, what a horrific firmware bug: the drive dies, and the data is virtually unrecoverable? God damn.
I have a 2 TB version (can't remember which one atm) and I think better to not wait for Sandisk QA to "take a look" a few months later.
As for how the SSDs are failing, it’s not in a pretty way:
> SanDisk customers have been complaining about the company's Extreme and Extreme Pro portable SSDs suddenly wiping data and, in some cases, becoming unreadable. Complaints go back at least four months, and SanDisk told Ars today that a firmware fix is coming "soon." However, SanDisk only confirmed a firmware update for the 4TB models, despite an Ars staffer and online users reporting issues with 2TB drives.
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