Intel Optane has been around for a while, and can improve SSD performance by combining “Optane Memory” (fast storage) and a standard SSD. For servers this requires plugging in independent Optane devices. The H10 SSD however comes as a single standard form factor m.2 SSD. The two devices are created by internally splitting the PCIe lanes and providing two separate SSDs over the same connector: one small and fast, the other larger and relatively slower. This allows the host computer to create a lop-sided RAID or cache, where the benefits of both devices are seamlessly blended together to create a large capacity and faster SSD. That is, until something goes wrong. If either half has a problem, the whole thing stops working.
Note: This is similar to Apple’s Fusion Drive system which uses a separate hard drive and SSD to achieve even larger combined drives, but at the expense of speed.
Symptoms of a Failed Optane SSD
After failing to boot, a common symptom of a failed Optane H10 SSD is that any attempts to recover the data will yield an almost empty Windows volume, with little or no user data. They almost appear as a fresh install. If you fail to correctly combine the two devices, you’ll get a very poor recovery result.
Using professional data recovery hardware, we can address the two devices independently, and read and repair them. We can then take a copy of each device, and recombine them in software to gain access to the data.
If you need Optane recovery, let us know.
Issues
Another potential roadblock here is Bitlocker encryption. It is supposed to be impossible to enable bitlocker without making a key backup to a Microsoft account, but we’ve seen countless cases where this went wrong. Effectively locking the disk and throwing away the key.
Drive Info
- D P/N: 0YDH3V
- CN-0YDH3V-PESIT-07M-04ZY-A02
- FW: 7003-7051
- H10 HBRPEKNX0202A
- SA: K35118-202
- RATED DC3.3V 2.5A
- 32GB Optane ™ /512GB NAND
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