MacBook Air laptops use high-speed SSD storage, ensuring fast performance and reliability. However, when a MacBook boots to a black screen and fails to load macOS, it may indicate SSD failure, firmware corruption, or file system errors, making business data inaccessible.
This case study details how we successfully recovered restaurant business data from a MacBook Air SSD, after it stopped booting and only displayed a black screen.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used chip-level NAND extraction, APFS file system repair, and SSD controller recovery techniques to restore lost data.
The Challenge: MacBook Air Booting to Black Screen Due to SSD Failure
A restaurant owner contacted us after their MacBook Air failed to boot, with the following symptoms:
- MacBook powered on but only displayed a black screen.
- macOS recovery mode failed to recognize the internal SSD.
- Disk Utility showed no available startup disk.
- The SSD contained crucial business records, inventory data, and employee schedules.
Since MacBook Air SSDs are soldered to the motherboard, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the MacBook Air SSD arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full NAND-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- SSD controller failure – Preventing macOS from detecting the drive.
- APFS file system corruption – Making the partition structure unreadable.
- No physical damage to NAND chips – Meaning data was still recoverable.
Since standard recovery software cannot access a failed SSD controller, we had to use advanced chip-off NAND extraction techniques.
The Recovery Process
1. Disabling Power to Prevent Further SSD Damage
To prevent additional corruption, we:
- Powered down the MacBook Air immediately to avoid SSD degradation.
- Removed the SSD module from the motherboard using specialized tools.
2. Extracting Data Directly from NAND Flash Chips
Since the SSD’s controller was non-responsive, we:
- Used chip-off NAND data recovery techniques to access raw storage.
- Rebuilt the APFS file system from extracted NAND data.
3. Verifying & Restoring Restaurant Business Data
Once data extraction was complete, we:
- Checked all recovered files for corruption or missing records.
- Repaired damaged business spreadsheets, invoices, and scheduling data.
- Transferred the restored data to a secure external SSD.
The Results: 98% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our NAND chip extraction and APFS file system reconstruction, we successfully recovered 98% of the restaurant’s lost data, including:
✅ Restaurant financial records and supplier invoices
✅ Employee payroll, schedules, and operational files
✅ Inventory tracking and digital order logs
The restaurant was able to continue business operations without losing any critical data.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading Mac SSD data recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ MacBook Air SSD controller repair & NAND data extraction
✔ APFS file system reconstruction & data retrieval
✔ Mac logic board data recovery
✔ Secure & confidential business data retrieval
If your MacBook Air is booting to a black screen, failing to detect the SSD, or showing no startup disk, stop further recovery attempts and contact us for expert SSD data recovery.