Ruth Holt, our Customer Service Manager says:
"Even a snapped SanDisk can give back your data - precision, expertise, and care turn broken drives into recovered memories"
How We Recover Data from Snapped SanDisk Drives: A Technical Look
When a SanDisk USB drive or SD card snaps, the data inside isn’t necessarily gone—it’s often the physical connections that fail. We specialise in recovering data from these devices by repairing broken circuits and accessing memory chips using advanced techniques.
1. Careful Assessment and Disassembly
The first step is a thorough assessment. Our technicians examine the drive under a microscope to identify fractures, broken solder joints, or damaged traces on the PCB (printed circuit board).
At this stage, we determine whether the memory chip itself is intact or if only the physical connections need repair.
2. Circuit Repair and Reconnection
If the PCB has a broken trace or severed connection, we use micro-soldering tools to reconnect the circuit. This process involves applying microscopic amounts of solder to restore continuity between the memory chip and the controller.
Precision is critical: too much heat can damage the chip, while too little can result in an unstable connection.
3. Desoldering the Memory Chip
In cases where the PCB is severely damaged, the safest approach is to desolder the memory chip and transfer it to a recovery board.
Using a hot air station or infrared desoldering system, we carefully lift the chip from the broken board without disturbing the delicate NAND flash die inside.
This allows us to bypass the damaged PCB entirely.
4. Data Access via JTAG or Direct Chip Read
Once the chip is secured on a recovery board, we use JTAG or direct NAND flash reading techniques to access the data.
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JTAG: Allows low-level communication with the controller for data extraction.
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Direct Chip Read: Reads the raw memory cells directly.
Specializsed software then reconstructs the file system and retrieves documents, photos, videos, and other files—even from devices that appear completely destroyed.
5. Verification and Secure Transfer
Finally, the recovered data is verified and transferred to a secure medium. Every step is carefully documented to ensure maximum data integrity.
Physical damage doesn’t have to mean permanent data loss. With precision circuit repair, careful desoldering, and advanced recovery techniques like JTAG, even snapped SanDisk drives can yield their valuable files.
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Author:
Ruth Holt, Customer Service Manager
Further reading
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