SSD Not Detected or Showing 1 MB: Controller, FTL and Chip-off
An SSD that shows 1 MB or a strange model name is usually alive: the controller is in a safe mode and the data is still on the NAND. What is missing is the mapping table.
What safe mode means
The controller falls back to a minimal firmware image when its FTL metadata is inconsistent. The drive enumerates so the vendor tool can talk to it, but user data is not addressable. This is a firmware-level failure, not necessarily a NAND failure.
Chip-off reading
NAND packages are read directly, then the FTL is rebuilt from page metadata, then the logical image is reassembled. If the drive used full-disk encryption (BitLocker, eDrive, OPAL), the rebuilt image is still ciphertext without the key.
What to avoid
Do not flash vendor firmware as a first step, and do not run repeated 'secure erase' attempts. Both can destroy the very metadata needed for reconstruction.
FAQ
Is the data gone when the SSD shows 1 MB?
Usually not. The mapping is lost; the payload often is not.
Can TRIM make chip-off useless?
Yes, for already-deleted files. TRIM reclaims the physical blocks, so there is nothing left to reconstruct.
What about NVMe drives that vanish entirely?
No enumeration means the controller or its power rail is down — board-level work or chip-off, decided after inspection.
Boundary: FTL rebuild works when NAND is intact and the mapping metadata is recoverable; encrypted drives additionally require the key.
Free evaluation in our Shenzhen lab; written quotation after inspection; no recovery, no fee. Mail-in service available for Hong Kong and overseas clients.