An Adata external drive that won't respond after a drop, an XPG or Legend SSD that suddenly vanished from the system, a computer asking to format a flash drive… We have years of experience recovering data from every type of storage media. Data recovery from Adata external drives, SSDs and flash memory.
Adata is primarily a maker of memory, SSDs and flash—not a traditional hard-drive manufacturer—and that changes the recovery procedure depending on the type of media. We work with external drives HD710 Pro, HD650, HD330 or HV620S (with a hard drive from another manufacturer inside) and others, with internal and external SSDs of the XPG Gammix, Legend, SX and SU lines, and with Adata USB flash drives and SD cards. Diagnostics are free and data recovery starts at CZK 1,500.
Adata is a distinctive brand in the storage market. Unlike Western Digital, Seagate or Toshiba, it is not primarily a hard-drive manufacturer—its core lies in system memory, SSDs and flash. This is reflected both in the kinds of devices Adata arrives at the lab with and in what their recovery looks like. Adata external drives do not contain a hard drive of Adata's own making, but a hard drive from another manufacturer (most often Toshiba, Seagate or WD; on older units, other brands too), whereas the SSDs and flash are Adata's own product. The recovery procedure therefore differs depending on the type of media.
Typical situations, broken down by device type:
Adata has a broad portfolio across storage categories. Alongside the main brand there is the gaming sub-brand XPG (Xtreme Performance Gear), which covers the higher-performance SSDs and memory. For data recovery it is useful to break the portfolio down by media type, because each one requires a different procedure. Below we list the most common lines from roughly the past 15 years—we also see models not listed here.
Adata external 2.5" hard drives powered directly over USB. The key thing for data recovery: Adata does not make hard drives itself—inside the enclosure is a 2.5" hard drive from another manufacturer, most often Toshiba, Seagate or WD (and on older generations, other brands too). Once removed from the enclosure, the recovery procedure is governed by the specific drive inside.
The enclosure architecture varies between generations. On some models the USB bridge is a separate board to which the drive is connected over a standard SATA interface—once removed, it can be connected directly. On others the bridge is more closely integrated. The rugged models additionally have a silicone shell and a damping layer that must be professionally removed when opening them.
2× photos: external Adata drives (HD710 Pro + HV620S / HD330)
The core of Adata's products. Here it is already Adata's own product, built on controllers from three main suppliers: Silicon Motion, Realtek and InnoGrit. The controller type determines the recovery procedure.
NVMe (M.2) SSDs:
SATA (2.5" and M.2) SSDs:
Note: across individual capacities and production batches of the same model, Adata occasionally changes both the NAND supplier and the controller revision. We therefore always verify the specific controller during diagnostics, not from the commercial name.
2× photos: internal Adata SSDs (XPG Gammix NVMe + SU-series SATA)
Portable Adata SSDs with a USB interface. Inside is an SSD module (NVMe or SATA) connected to USB through a bridge (typically an ASMedia chip).
Note: the presence and type of encryption differ from model to model on external SSDs—which is why we return to it in the recovery specifics section.
Adata Technology was founded in 2001 in Taiwan; it began with system memory (DRAM) and gradually expanded its portfolio to flash and SSDs. The gaming sub-brand XPG targets the performance segment. For data recovery the point made above is essential: Adata is not a hard-drive manufacturer. External HDDs under the Adata brand are enclosures fitted with a hard drive from another manufacturer, whereas the SSDs and flash are Adata's own products built on third-party controllers (Silicon Motion, Realtek, InnoGrit). This distinction determines the procedure by which data is recovered.
The procedure differs by device type and by whether it is a physical failure or a logical fault (a damaged file system, deleted data, an accidental format). Several principles, however, are universal and determine the chance of a successful recovery:
→ More information: HDD repair and data recovery
Because Adata covers several different storage types, there is no single universal procedure. The following sections summarize how recovery differs by media type.
The key specific of Adata external drives is that inside the enclosure there is a 2.5" hard drive from another manufacturer (most often Toshiba, Seagate or WD). Once removed from the enclosure, data recovery is effectively recovery from that specific drive—governed by its manufacturer, generation and fault type. This has a practical consequence: the know-how and the workshop base (donor parts) for the given drive are the same as for any 2.5" drive.
In technical detail
On a mechanically damaged drive (damaged read heads, a seized motor), the standard procedure is to replace the damaged component with a part from a donor drive of exactly the same family and firmware revision, performed in a cleanroom. From the repaired drive we then create a binary (bit-for-bit) copy, and only from that copy do we recover the data—the original is no longer worked with. On rugged models it is additionally necessary first to professionally remove the silicone enclosure and the damping layer without damaging the USB connector or the drive.
A separate category is electronics failure after a power surge or a short circuit—typically through a faulty USB port on the computer or a damaged cable. A surge may damage only the USB bridge in the enclosure, but it can also hit the electronics (PCB) of the hard drive itself and, in some cases, its internal electronics in the read-head assembly. If only the bridge failed, the solution is the simplest one—once removed, we connect the drive directly over SATA. Merely swapping the drive's PCB for a board from another unit, however, does not lead to the data, because almost every hard drive stores unique adaptive service data in two places: in the ROM chip on the PCB and in the service area on the data platters. Recovery therefore requires reprogramming a donor board with the contents of the original ROM, or in some cases transferring specific chips. On the newest drives, moreover, part of the adaptive data is integrated directly into the main chip (MCU) tied to that specific drive—then even swapping the board with a transferred ROM is not enough and the procedure is handled individually. We perform this work with PC-3000 technology. Exactly what the surge affected is determined by diagnostics.
Note: the 2.5" drives inside current external drives may use shingled SMR recording, which has its own specifics for recovery. If an Adata external drive reports as empty or returns zeros, this may be exactly that case.
Logical faults are also common—accidentally deleted files or a performed format. On the hard drives inside external enclosures, the write technology matters here: on classic drives (CMR) deleted data is usually recoverable, while on shingled (SMR) drives the situation is more complex and recovery depends on the specific generation. We cover these specifics in detail on the hard-drive data recovery pillar.
→ Detail: Data recovery from hard drives (HDD)
On SSDs, faults fall roughly into two groups that often overlap. The first is a failure of the controller's service data (the translator, mapping tables, firmware modules), where the NAND memory with the data stays fine but the controller has lost the ability to read and assemble the data correctly. The second, no less common, is defective NAND memory cells—their wear or failure very often also corrupts the service data stored on the NAND, and thereby disables the controller. In practice we therefore address both on SSDs, often at the same time.
If the fault lies in the controller or service data, the procedure depends on the specific controller (on Adata, Silicon Motion, Realtek or InnoGrit):
If the cause is defective memory cells, the procedure differs or is combined with the above—the damaged blocks have to be bypassed and the data reconstructed even from partially readable memory. With deleted files or a performed format it also holds that if the controller has already discarded the data (TRIM, garbage collection), logical recovery may not be possible; in some cases we reach the deleted data only by working with the service data. Diagnostics will show the specific chance.
In technical detail
On most modern SSDs, so-called chip-off recovery (desoldering the NAND chips and reading the memory directly) is ineffective, because the data is transformed at the controller level. Some Adata controllers—for example the InnoGrit IG5236 in the XPG Gammix S70 Blade line—use hardware AES-256 encryption, where the key is generated inside the controller and tied to a unique key fused into the silicon; after desoldering the chips, only encrypted data would be read. Other controllers (for example the SATA Silicon Motion SM2258XT, SM2259XT) use XOR scrambling to even out the wear on NAND cells—this is not encryption in the security sense, but even so the data cannot be read directly without knowing the algorithm. On non-encrypted controllers the controller itself is usually replaceable with another unit of the same family, because the unique data is in the service area on the NAND chips, not in the controller; on controllers whose encryption is tied to the specific silicon (such as the IG5236), however, this does not hold—the key cannot be transferred, so the original controller must be revived on the original board. Even where swapping the controller is possible, in most cases it is more reliable to work with the original, repaired controller than to swap it or attempt a chip-off.
→ Detail: Data recovery from SSD
A large share of Adata SSDs and external SSDs use hardware AES-256 encryption directly in the controller—this does not apply to all models, though, and on some it also depends on the specific firmware version, which is why we avoid absolute statements. What this means for recovery: if encryption is active and tied to the controller, it is necessary to work with the original controller, because the key cannot be transferred elsewhere. This is precisely why chip-off (desoldering the memory) is the last resort on encrypted SSDs—only encrypted data would be read. We always verify the specific state during diagnostics.
On USB flash drives and memory cards the principle is similar to SSDs, only with a simpler architecture. Here too, a common cause is both a controller failure and defective NAND memory cells. When the controller fails, recovery is done by reading the raw NAND memory and reconstructing the controller's algorithm in software (ECC correction, descrambling, reassembling interleaved blocks, reconstructing the mapping) in order to assemble the original data from the memory; with defective NAND, the damaged blocks additionally have to be bypassed. On monolithic SD and microSD cards, where the controller and memory are in a single potted chip, the procedure is more demanding and requires connecting at the level of the chip's internal contacts.
For work with SSDs, flash and hard drives we use a range of hardware and software technologies—alongside the ACELab PC-3000 platform (including the PC-3000 SSD and PC-3000 Flash modules), also UFS Explorer and our own procedures and technologies developed in-house at EXALAB. ACELab is one of our suppliers, not the only one.
The final cost of recovering data from Adata media depends on the type of media, the nature of the fault and the extent of the damage. Recovering data from Adata external drives, SSDs and flash memory starts at CZK 1,500; more demanding cases (mechanical damage requiring a donor part, translator reconstruction on SSDs, monolithic cards) can be more expensive. We always set the specific price only after free diagnostics—you know in advance how much the recovery will cost, and only then do you decide whether to approve it.
Current prices for the individual media types are in the pricing list, and more detailed information about the recovery process is on the relevant pillar pages:
Diagnostics are always free and non-binding. If data recovery is not technically possible, or you decide not to approve the quote, you pay nothing for the diagnostics or the recovery—only the return shipping, if applicable.
In most cases, yes. Even though rugged Adata drives have high enclosure protection (an IP68 rating on the HD710 Pro line, shock resistance on the HD330), this protection mainly shields the enclosure, not the drive inside. After a drop, the 2.5" drive inside (typically Toshiba) may be damaged, or just the USB connector in the enclosure—externally this looks similar, and ordinarily not even a more experienced user can tell the difference.
Do not reconnect the drive; bring or send it in for free diagnostics. It is better not to disassemble the enclosure yourself: the multi-layer rugged construction, and sometimes glued parts, require professional disassembly so that neither the connector nor the drive inside is damaged.
Yes, in most cases. A sudden disappearance of an SSD is a common type of failure. The cause is usually a failure of the controller's service data, often as a result of defective memory cells. If the data on the NAND is preserved, it is a matter of regaining access to it; if part of the memory is also damaged, we address both at once.
Recovery is done by switching the controller into a service (technological) mode, repairing the firmware and reconstructing the mapping (translator). Adata uses Silicon Motion, Realtek and InnoGrit controllers, and for the common families we have the corresponding procedures. The important thing is not to keep using the SSD and not to try "repair" tools—every write lowers the chance of recovery.
Two levels of encryption need to be distinguished. Hardware encryption in the SSD controller—a large share of Adata SSDs use it; if it is active, the data cannot be obtained by a chip-off, because only encrypted data would be read, and it is necessary to work with the original, repaired controller. Software encryption of the system (BitLocker, FileVault, LUKS)—this is independent of the drive's maker; we can read the data off the drive, but to decrypt it you need the password or key (recovery key), which you must have available.
That is also why we do not recommend experimenting with desoldering chips on SSDs. We determine the actual encryption state and the most suitable procedure during free diagnostics.
In most cases, yes. On flash drives and cards the cause is both a controller failure and defective NAND memory cells. Recovery consists of reading the raw NAND memory and reconstructing the controller's algorithm, and with defective memory also bypassing the damaged blocks, in order to assemble the original data from the memory.
With mechanical damage (a broken USB connector, a cracked or crushed housing), do not keep using the media and do not try to repair or resolder it yourself—you risk damaging the memory or the controller. On memory cards (especially compact microSD), it is often a monolithic construction whose recovery is more demanding, but solvable.
Do not respond to the prompt to format and do not keep using the drive. This situation usually means a damaged file system or partition structure—the data is mostly still on the drive, but the computer has lost access to it. If you format the drive or write to it, the chance of recovery drops.
Disconnect the drive and contact us. Recovery in such a case is done by bypassing the damaged structure and reading the data directly—this is one of the most common and usually readily solvable cases.
On SSDs, a sudden failure with no prior symptoms is unfortunately typical. A hard drive can sometimes signal an approaching problem (for example rising error rates), but even that is not a rule—and once a drive is already knocking or making unusual noises, it is usually too late. An SSD, by contrast, can stop working from full operation without warning. The cause is both a failure of the controller's service data and degradation or failure of NAND cells—both are common and often related.
A regular backup therefore matters on all media—SSDs, hard drives, flash drives and memory cards. If a failure has already occurred, do not keep using the media and have it diagnosed—in many cases the data is preserved and it is a matter of restoring access to it; if part of the memory or surface is also damaged, we reconstruct the data from it too.
Because Adata covers several types of storage, this overview is followed by the individual pillar pages for the specific media:
Send us your device for free diagnostics—within the Czech Republic we will arrange free pickup as well. After diagnostics you will receive a specific quote, and only then do you decide whether to proceed with recovery. You pay only for successfully recovered data.
EXALAB Data Recovery
Microshop s.r.o.
Pod Marjánkou 4
169 00 Praha 6
Česká Republika
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday
9.00 - 18.00
Friday 9.00 - 17.30
other opening hours are possible upon agreement
Hotline: +420 608 177 773
Office: +420 233 357 122
E-mail: [email protected]
Hotline: +420 608 177 773
Kancelář: +420 233 357 122
E-mail: [email protected]
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday
9.00 - 18.00
Friday 9.00 - 17.30
other opening hours are possible upon agreement
EXALAB Data Recovery
Microshop s.r.o.
Pod Marjánkou 4
169 00 Praha 6
Česká Republika
