For years, when a logic board failed, it would simply be replaced with a functional one. Unfortunately nowadays, if your logic board fails, your files go with it. Why? To keep it’s razor thin form factor, the hard drives are now built right onto the board. Specifically, it’s soldered onto the board, meaning it is not like the old days where you can simply take a small drive off the board to replace. It’s so easy to have your full computer not turn on because everything is integrated into one slate of a part.
The M1 Chip
The M1 chip is a super secure chip that is integrated onto the board itself and it functions as the main controller for everything. Even the SSD controller which controls how the data flows throughout the system is housed into the chip itself. Which means if the chip goes bad, the data is ultimately lost forever, normally. Recently there has been new development in the tech industry that is able to crack the case of saving the data and not many can actually do it. The chip’s way of storing the data and it’s functionality encrypts the data on the chip and makes it extremely difficult to recover. With the release of the M2 chip, engineers have had enough time to dive into the M1 family of chips to see how it works together with the thousands of micro components that are on the logic board itself.
Why is it so hard to get the data?
As mentioned before, the old way of recovering data wasn’t so difficult because it was stored in a separate drive that is not part of the logic board itself. As technology is becoming more advanced and demands for a thinner, lighter, more attractive device, Apple has found ways to make their Macbook models more appealing than other competitors. The M1 chip is also a way to keep all the data, including the system software, from crashing or failing. When the logic board gets damaged, either with a liquid spill or fall damage, the physical nature of the machine needs a repair that is inevitable. A software issue is usually easily resolved with the knowledge we have nowadays, but no one can prevent that elbow from spilling coffee all over your keyboard. Because the drive is connected to the board itself, the board needs to be repaired before even being able to access any data, let alone get it to boot up safely. The M1 chip makes it hard for the board from ever being repaired, thus having your data go with it.
Where can I get my data recovered?
Data recovery centers are scattered all over the world and the U.S. and most companies will have you mail-in your board or drive to attempt a recovery. They even charge for them to even just look at it and will often times have you provide your own mailing label. At New York Computer Help, we service all types of drives and storage devices and the diagnosis is always free! With 3 locations conveniently located throughout Manhattan, turnaround times are quick are you can trust to know that your data is in a location that you can actually travel to. If the data is unrecoverable there is no charge so you will not have to worry about paying for a service that wasn’t handled properly. We also specialize in motherboard and logic board repair so you can be rest assured that the M1 chip doesn’t get in our way. I can personally say that we’ve recovered drives at a high percentage and I feel that the M1 chip will be a thing of the past. I always like to tell everyone that they should be backing up their data in 3 different places but I’m sure nothing goes as smoothly all the time. These days, it seems like recovering data is getting easier but not everyone really knows that yet. Especially if your drive starts making weird “clicking” noises.