apparently they need to be powered up regularly

https://share.google/pT5s7Z0hsWCDK0wFD

--
Linux Mint 22.2


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Fri, 11/28/2025 6:06 AM, Felix wrote:

apparently they need to be powered up regularly

https://share.google/pT5s7Z0hsWCDK0wFD

# Unwrapped link shortener...

https://www.xda-developers.com/your-unpowered-ssd-is-slowly-losing-your-data/

Yes, there is a lot to know about storage, and also
about shortcomings in SSD firmware. Not all firmwares
are created equal.

NAND wears as you write it. 600 write cycles per cell is a typical number
for TLC flash. Either you are using those 600, or if the drive has
"freshen" code, it can use some of those cycles (as long as the drive
is powered up occasionally versus leaving it on the shelf).

I would think a TLC based SSD, left unpowered on the shelf for ten
years, would be in very poor shape. Some brands would be "good but slow",
other drives might well be undetectable.

The message here, is you should be keeping backup copies. And if a
drive has become unbearably slow, you can do a Macrium backup and
a Macrium restore, to try and freshen it.

Samsung had to issue a firmware update for one of their products,
as it became evident it needed freshen code to make the drive
"look like it was normal". Whereas my Lexar NS100 (my cheap "scratch drives"), the initial evidence is, powering them up does... nothing!!!
Does not help to just power those ones. I would have to resort
to backup and restore to freshen. (Macrium does a TRIM before it
does the restore.) I can use Macrium, because it backs up both
NTFS and EXT4, and all my Linux use EXT4 for that reason.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:40:36 -0500, Paul wrote:

NAND wears as you write it.

It?s not even physical wear and tear. As I understand it, it has to do
with accumulation of the wrong charges in the wrong places; if there
was a way to reset those charges back to where they should go (with
some additional circuitry in the right places, perhaps), the drive
would be as good as new.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Fri, 11/28/2025 4:42 PM, Lawrence D?Oliveiro wrote:

On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:40:36 -0500, Paul wrote:

NAND wears as you write it.

It?s not even physical wear and tear. As I understand it, it has to do
with accumulation of the wrong charges in the wrong places; if there
was a way to reset those charges back to where they should go (with
some additional circuitry in the right places, perhaps), the drive
would be as good as new.

It can have an infinite life, via thermal annealing to correct
the defects. They've tested that in the lab, lift the silicon
to a certain temperature, and the cells are writable again
(for their 600 cycles).

The problem with the lab discovery, is incorporating a heater
to apply the annealing.

But it would also not be "good for business", if NAND lasted
forever, so you can see why they would be less than
enthusiastic about the prospect.

It would be easier to just go back to SLC :-) That would fix it.

Paul

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.1
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)