Many Sandisk external SSDs produced since the end of 2022 do not run reliably. Since the beginning of the year, there have been more and more reports that operating systems can no longer access the data carrier. The stored data is practically no longer accessible.
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The hardware doesn’t seem to break down per se. Instead, there are problems with the file system – regardless of the format and the operating system. For example, the SSDs say goodbye under Windows with FAT formatting, but also under macOS with HFS+. On Reddit and There are numerous reports on this in the Sandisk forum.
Also the Websites Arstechnica, The Verge and Petapixels are themselves affected. In all cases, Sandisk will ignore press inquiries and public contributions. An inquiry by heise online on August 10 has also remained unanswered so far.
Insufficient firmware updates
On a support page writes the Sandisk mother Western Digital (WD) only that several external SSDs need a firmware update because they can “unexpectedly disconnect from the computer”. The company writes nothing about the possible loss of data. On the site, WD also lists its own SSD:
- SanDisk Extreme Portable 4 TB (SDSSDE61-4T00)
- SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 4 TB (SDSSDE81-4T00)
- SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 2 TB (SDSSDE81-2T00)
- SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 1 TB (SDSSDE81-1T00)
- Western Digital My Passport 4 TB (WDBAGF0040BGY)
On the page you can use the search field to check whether your own serial number is affected. The Information from a distributor and user reports indicate that the issue occurs on models produced since November 2022. According to reports, Sandisk’s Pro-G40 also seems to be affected.
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The firmware update does not seem to provide a reliable remedy. The current versions have been available since May, but since then the problem reports have continued to accumulate – including from people who installed the firmware update.
The current rule is that users should definitely back up their data. If the file system is damaged, it is difficult to recover the data using tools. A reformatting can make the SSD usable again – until the error occurs again.
(mma)