Backup data from a corrupted ssd drive

Modify the earlier Terminal command to include "internal" option in order to get rid of all the virtual volumes associated with the installer:

diskutil  list  internal

If the physical SSD is seen, then make sure if the SSD uses the APFS file system that you are using a Mac running macOS 10.13+ since older versions of macOS are unable to mount and read the newer APFS file system. Technically macOS 10.12.6 can mount & read an APFS volume, but it has very basic support and is unable to repair an APFS volume. Accessing data from a drive used with macOS 10.15+ can be a bit tricky mounting and finding the mounted data volume containing the user folders and data.

If the physical SSD is not seen, then most likely the SSD is bad, but there is a chance it may not be considered compatible by macOS. While the SSD may physically fit into another Mac, it does not mean that macOS will work with it installed in a different Mac. I personally experienced this myself. I've seen macOS outright not boot while the wrong SSD was installed, to where macOS would boot, but not work properly with the incorrect SSD, to where macOS would actually install to the incorrect SSD and boot properly. I actually have no idea which Apple SSD will fully work in which other Macs. The SSD you pictured physically fits into a 2013-2015 laptops (plus the 2017 MBAir), but it is hard to say whether it will be fully usable in all those models.

Another, better option if you are not using the exact same model Mac is to install the SSD into an OWC Envoy Pro Enclosure. Keep in mind that Apple uses a proprietary PCIe SSD connector so options for connecting an Apple PCIe SSD are rather limited since there is not a huge market for such an accessory. An OWC enclosure will solve the physical compatibility problems with macOS, but it still adds more complexity by using an enclosure that you have not used/tested before.

You also have to consider that the liquid damaged laptop destroyed the SSD as well.

Contacting a professional data recovery service such as Drive Savers or Ontrack is another option. Both vendors provide free estimates and both are recommended by Apple and other OEMs.

cetin34 wrote:

terminal said disk could not found and I also tried with a finely working swapped drive gave me the same answer from the same year and model just a different cpu. while I was able to see it only on the original drive.

What is the exact error message? Or are you saying the command executed without any errors and showed no results? You should not get a "not found" message if the drive is not seen. If you received an error, then it sounds like you may have entered the command incorrectly either by typing an incorrect character or by not having a needed space. Provide a screenshot of the error which also shows the command typed. You can also copy & paste the command and results/error and pasting it here into the "Code Insertion" field which is accessed by the icon in the forum editing window toolbar which looks like "<>" which will provide better formatting to determine if you have the necessary spaces in the command.

On the other side, what complexity can occur with owc enclosure.

If the SSD is not seen, then you will not know for certain if the SSD is bad or whether there is a problem with the enclosure or cable since you've never used it before. Also if you happen to be connecting the SSD to a Mac running macOS 12.x Monterey, then it adds more chances of failure since users have been reporting that Monterey has compatibility issues with many USB3 external drives.

I can tell you from personal experience repairing our organization's Macs, that if you are going this far to troubleshoot the problem, then 99% of the time the SSD has failed. This assumes there is no liquid damage to the original laptop. The original output you posted for "diskutil list" does not appear to show the internal SSD which supports this diagnosis, although it is hard to be sure if everything is not shown in the screenshot. If the SSD is not seen using the "diskutil" command, then you will need to contact a professional data recovery service such as Drive Savers or Ontrack to see if they can recover anything. Both vendors provide free estimates and both are recommended by Apple and other OEMs.

Hi cetin34,

Thanks for that info. You will need to check if any data on your disk is corrupted. If it is, it will need to be copied over to a spare external drive using special methods.

First, check how your drive is set up

1. Start up in macOS Recovery. (Don't reinstall macOS yet.) If you cannot start up in macOS Recovery, please let me know.
2. If you're prompted for an administrator password, enter it to continue.
3. At the top of the screen, select Utilities -> Terminal.
4. Type this command and hit Enter (Return): diskutil list
5. Post the output here. If you see more than 10 disks looking the same, all of those can be ignored. The first 4-5 disks should usually contain all of the needed data.

To post the output here, you have a couple of options:

• Take a photo of it using another device (such as your phone), then post the picture(s) here.

• Select the output in Terminal, then press Command-C to copy it. Then, quit Terminal and open Safari. Use Safari to access this discussion, and press Command-V to paste the output.

You'll likely have to restore from your Time Machine backup.

Try these steps first: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204323

cetin34 Said:

"Backup data from a corrupted ssd drive: So, I have a flashing question mark folder which can not be repaired and bootable, therefore, how can I save my files. its a MacBook Air 2015 ssd drive"

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Re-Mount the Drive:

Boot into Recovery Mode (Intel or Silicon) . Then, using Disk Utility, see if the Hard Drive is seem. If it is, then see if you need to click the “Mount’ button for it. Try rebooting once more. If of no success, then click unmount button, and then the mount button. Try rebooting once more.

cetin34 Said:

"Backup data from a corrupted ssd drive: I can't see the hard drive"

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Reset the SMC and your NVRAM:

Sometimes when changes are made to the system(i.e. updates), system configurations (i.e. for drives) become manipulated, technically. So, reset the SMC and NVRAM. Your hard drive may not be being read promptly, so resetting these, all of the ports would be configured to how they should be.

cetin34 Said:

"Backup data from a corrupted ssd drive: I can't see the hard drive: […]this ssd model MacBook air, I am just trying to recover my data at this point.“

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Use of an Adapter:

This would be an adapter to use, found right on Amazon: SATA to USB Cable, EYOOLD USB 3.0 to SATA III Hard Drive Adapter Converter for 2.5 Inch SSD & HDD Data Transfer, Support UASP (Black)

cetin34 Said:

"Backup data from a corrupted ssd drive: I can't see the hard drive: [...]is this compatible with 2015 MacBook Air ssd drive?"

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According to this Review:

See the Second Page on the reviews. Here it it show in its own page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RYA1FDO4OPHZQ/

Ok, you are booted into a very old version of macOS since that command with that OS does not support the "internal" option which is unfortunate since that "internal" option would remove all of the virtual volumes associated with the macOS installer.

Basically, the drive appears to be deceased and nothing on it is likely recoverable. Trusting your digital life to a single device is an accident waiting to happen as you are finding out the hard way.