In most cases, physical errors in SSDs are related to an electrical problem such as an incorrect power supply, a power surge, or some other electrical error. Another very common problem for SSDs is a damaged controller chip. A physical data recovery solution must be applied which includes repairing the device to a usable state, and the use of state-of-the-art technology and analytical equipment in order to properly extract the data for secure storage onto a working device. SSD data recovery for physical failures can be related to direct damage to the device such as compressing it, extreme temperatures or humidity, or exposing the device to contaminates such as water, beverages, food items, dirt, and other debris.

Logical failures of SSD drives are uncommon but not impossible. SSD data recovery may also be required in the event that a user error causes the drive to fail, including the inadvertent admission of a malicious virus, program or malware, or when a user mistakenly deletes valuable information.