ADATA XM11 SSD Dying on ASUS UX31A

Hey everyone,
I've been battling a dying SSD for a while now. Windows suddenly froze and it tried to recover with the recovery partition. Unfortunately, as I've discovered using a linux recovery OS, the SSD tends to totally disconnect from the system after about 15 minutes of use.

SSD is ADATA XM11 128GB (sandforce)

unfortunately, ADATA's website doesnt even list the SSD on it as I was looking for a potential firmware upgrade might fix the issue. There are other SSD firmwares listed but I'm nervous to try. ASUS website doesnt help.

I'm out of 90 day warranty period (purchased in August 2013). and the SSD connector is nonstandard and will cost ~$200 to replace on a laptop I bought for $600


Any ideas/firmware options, before I throw this thing on ebay?

 

i have no experience with the SSD firmware update, but how about sandforce website ? maybe they provide the good firmware.

 

Sandforce just makes the controller used by ADATA and Asus,

Apparently they are all designed to fail and everyone with one of these drives should back up their computer and get rid of them

Major flaw in SandForce SSD controllers


Even if Asus sent me another SSD, I would not trust the computer with my data

 

i'm getting an UX31E tomorrow, so according to you i hope i will get the sandisk model even if it is a bit slower than the Adata one since it doesn't use sandforce controllers right ?

 

just got my asus ux31E, and fortunately it has the sandisk SSD
i have to order a new screen and it will look new.

 

Speed is useless in the setting of terrible reliability and complete data loss. I would consider not getting this laptop at all, and getting one that uses a standard msata connector rather than the nonstandard ones Asus and Apple use. This would help if you ever need to upgrade or repair.

I contacted Adata and they don't provide any support for this ssd they manufactured it only for Asus.

 

Oh this sucks. I've got the same laptop as you OP and just got the blue screen of death saying "PC error" and then rebooting over and over again.

Did you email asus directly? Also, where did you see $200 for replacing the SSD? I saw $300 and would prefer a cheaper cost if I end up having to get a new ssd before I sell the laptop.

 

Asus says I would have to go through warranty but I'm out of warranty as mine was only 90 days (refurbished)

I just searched ebay, and I think I saw them in the $200-$300 range

Here is another thread about the issue, looks like the SANDISK isnt spared either
http://forum.notebookreview.com/solid-state-drives-ssds-flash-storage/724042-ssd-problem-asus-ux31-e.html

Honestly, our only hope is that ASUS will recall the UX31 series all together as Apple did with the 2012 Macbook Air's for their faulty SSDs (which used the same connector)

 

Got my laptop working again. Feels good as new (good enough to sell anyway).

Bummer. Zenbooks are absolutely fantastic laptops IF they're working.

 

Hey Ajamer, I think its a problem with the laptop than anything. Here is someone else who voices the same - To quote Marksman30k -
" Unfortunately my friend, that laptop is absolutely notorious for its proprietary SSD. Your only real option is to RMA (if you still have it in warranty) because replacement SSD units for this machine are so expensive its not worth it (they either come from ASUS directly or salvaged from dead machines). I also highly doubt that the OWC SSD will work since its tailored for Apple's proprietary connector."
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...h-storage/724042-ssd-problem-asus-ux31-e.html

Hope this helps.

 

if you find any solution pleas share it here, maybe some one could try it to repair its machine, thank you

 

I don't think you are suffering the same problem I was so don't think I can help you unfortunately. I think I just corrupted some file somehow. My ssd is actually still fine.

I pushed f2 and f3 slowly back and forth (one of those brings up the bios screen - I'm not sure which).

Then I disabled fast boot and switched to the boot priority to my restore flash drive I had created when I first got my laptop. It ended up giving me system restore and repair options. I tried a bunch of them. It didn't look like it was working so I just turned my laptop off and on after that and turned out everything was fixed.

I think I'll still sell my laptop but I'm hestitating cause it has really been working for over a year and I really love it (if it doesn't collapse on me).

 

I have a UX31-A and my Adata xm11 just died last month. I was a month out of my warranty. My windows 8 locked up a few times then my computer would only boot into bios. SSD dead.

 

I guess I better sell mine too even if it seems ok right now. I had paid $1000 for it too!

Now what to get? I don't think any laptop compares to this one working.

 

maybe take the asus UX32 with a full sata port.

 

I also got my SSD dead on UX31A. Seems there is no solution? The SSD is visible in Linux. I can even try formatting partitions. But the get the I/O error. Strange that I can't access OS partition at all. It even doesn't mount. But the recovery or "Intel" partition is accessible. How can it be? Is it really working but buggy?

 

You say it is accessible, can you move data from or to it?