Asus laptops equipped with Corsair SSDs provide fast storage solutions for academics, researchers, and professionals. However, when an SSD is no longer detected in BIOS, it typically indicates controller failure, NAND degradation, or firmware corruption, making all stored data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical research papers from a Corsair SSD inside an Asus laptop, after the drive was not recognized by BIOS and deemed unrecoverable by a local computer shop.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used chip-level NAND extraction and SSD firmware repair techniques to restore lost data.
The Challenge: Corsair SSD Not Detected in BIOS
A lecturer from Oxford University contacted us after their Asus laptop stopped detecting the Corsair SSD in BIOS. The reported issues included:
- Laptop displaying “No Bootable Device” error.
- BIOS failing to recognize the Corsair SSD, making Windows inaccessible.
- No visible partitions when connected to another computer.
- Critical research papers, thesis documents, and lecture materials at risk.
- A local computer shop was unable to recover the data.
Since SSD failures are often complex and require specialised recovery tools, an immediate professional solution was required to prevent permanent data loss.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Corsair SSD arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full diagnostic assessment. Our findings:
- SSD controller failure – The drive’s controller was non-responsive, preventing BIOS detection.
- NAND chip wear – Some flash memory cells had degraded, making data retrieval more difficult.
- Corrupt firmware – The SSD’s internal firmware had become unreadable, preventing normal operation.
Since conventional data recovery software cannot repair SSD controller failures, we proceeded with chip-off NAND data extraction.
The Recovery Process
1. Disabling Power to Prevent Further Damage
To protect the SSD’s NAND memory, we:
- Prevented further power cycles to avoid additional corruption.
- Isolated the drive’s components to prepare for advanced recovery.
2. Extracting Data from NAND Flash Chips
Since the SSD controller was non-functional, we:
- Manually accessed the NAND flash memory chips using specialized hardware.
- Rebuilt the SSD’s file structure without relying on the failed controller.
- Reconstructed fragmented research documents and academic files.
3. Verifying & Restoring Research Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Checked all research papers, thesis documents, and lecture materials for accuracy.
- Repaired partially corrupted Word, PDF, and LaTeX files.
- Transferred the restored data to a secure external SSD for the lecturer.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our NAND chip-level extraction and SSD firmware repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the lecturer’s academic data, including:
✅ Thesis documents and research papers
✅ Lecture notes, presentations, and student project files
✅ Scientific data, digital archives, and reference materials
The lecturer was relieved to have all their critical work restored, avoiding years of lost research.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of data recovery and forensic experience, we are the leading SSD data recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ Corsair SSD firmware failure recovery
✔ NAND chip-level data extraction & file reconstruction
✔ SSD controller repair & power circuit bypassing
✔ Secure & confidential academic data retrieval
If your SSD is not detected in BIOS, has suddenly stopped working, or contains important research data, do not attempt DIY fixes—contact us for expert data recovery.