Data Recovery from SSD – Samsung EVO “Format Drive” Error Specialists

At Cardiff Data Recovery, we are Wales’s No.1 experts in data recovery from SSD devices, including the full range of Samsung EVO SSDs. With over 25 years of experience, we specialise in non-destructive data recovery from solid-state drives showing the common and worrying message:

“You need to format this drive before you can use it.”

This message typically means partition table corruption, file system damage, or controller-level issues, but does not necessarily mean your data is lost. If your Samsung EVO SSD has become inaccessible after a crash, power failure, or improper disconnection, our professional data recovery technicians can help.

🔧 Common Causes of the “Format This Drive” Message on SSDs

  • Corrupted or overwritten partition table (MBR/GPT)
  • File system corruption due to unsafe removal or OS crash
  • Bad sectors affecting file allocation or volume header
  • NAND wear or SSD controller instability
  • Power failure or surge while the drive was active
  • Incomplete OS update or firmware bug

Samsung EVO SSDs, like the 860 EVO, 870 EVO, and 980/990 NVMe series, are high-performance drives — but like all flash storage, they can suffer data structure damage when exposed to hardware or software-level disruption.

🛠️ Our Samsung EVO SSD Recovery Process – Step-by-Step

1. Initial Assessment and Write-Protected Imaging

  • The SSD is first connected via a write-blocker or to an imager with read-only mode
  • Drive health, SMART data, and NAND status are examined using tools like PC-3000 SSD Edition
  • A full sector-by-sector image is created, preserving all readable data and bypassing damaged sectors
  • We isolate failing cells or corrupted controller firmware from interfering with the recovery process

⚠️ We never work on the original SSD — all recovery is done from the cloned image to ensure safety.

2. Partition Table Repair or Emulation

  • If the drive shows as “RAW” or unallocated, we examine the cloned image to identify missing or broken partition headers
  • Using known volume start sectors and file system signatures, we rebuild the MBR or GPT manually
  • If partition metadata is too damaged, we use virtual volume reconstruction to access the file structure within

3. File System Reconstruction

  • The recovered partition is mounted in a controlled environment
  • We scan for NTFS, exFAT, or APFS structures (depending on system use)
  • File allocation tables, journal entries, and inodes are rebuilt
  • Deleted, orphaned, or fragmented files are restored using content-aware recovery algorithms

4. Bad Sector Handling and File Extraction

  • Areas of the image containing bad sectors are processed using error-correction codes (ECC)
  • We prioritise critical user folders (Desktop, Documents, Photos, Project files) for extraction
  • Files are saved in full directory hierarchy where recoverable, and verified for usability

💽 Supported Samsung EVO SSD Models

We recover data from all EVO models, including:

  • Samsung 860 EVO (SATA 2.5”)
  • Samsung 870 EVO (SATA 2.5”)
  • Samsung 960 EVO (NVMe M.2)
  • Samsung 970 EVO / 970 EVO Plus (NVMe M.2)
  • Samsung 980 / 980 Pro / 990 Pro (NVMe M.2 Gen4)
  • Samsung T5 / T7 Portable SSDs

We support both SATA and NVMe PCIe SSDs, as well as drives used in laptops, desktops, external USB enclosures, and high-performance workstations.

💻 File Systems and Operating Systems We Support

We recover data from Samsung SSDs used with:

  • NTFS / FAT32 / exFAT – Common on Windows PCs and external drives
  • APFS / HFS+ – Used in macOS environments
  • EXT4 / XFS / BTRFS – Used in Linux systems and embedded devices
  • Encrypted volumes (BitLocker, FileVault, VeraCrypt – where credentials are available)

✅ Why Choose Cardiff Data Recovery?

  • 25+ Years of Data Recovery Expertise
  • In-house lab with NAND-level tools and SSD-specific recovery platforms
  • Safe, non-invasive imaging to prevent further wear or corruption
  • Support for failed firmware, controller, and file system damage
  • Emergency 48-hour recovery option for critical situations
  • Free diagnostics and no-obligation recovery assessment
  • Full data confidentiality and secure handling

Our engineers are trained to handle Samsung SSD recovery cases that go beyond what software tools can resolve, ensuring the highest success rate for data recovery from SSD drives.

📞 Contact Cardiff Data Recovery Today

If your Samsung EVO SSD asks to be formatted, don’t click “Format” — doing so may overwrite vital file system data. Power off the drive and contact our expert recovery team immediately.

Contact Cardiff Data Recovery today for a free diagnostics. We’ll assess your SSD and provide a full recovery plan — quickly, securely, and professionally.

We are your trusted specialists in data recovery from SSD – even when your drive appears beyond repair.