I have a 1TB SN850, purchased new in November 2022. It has never given a hint of a problem. It is installed in an ASUS ProArt Creator X670E WiFi motherboard, although it has also been used in others. I use it with Linux and I do not have Windows.
Last week I left on a trip and I turned my PC off. It had been running continuously for months, again without a hint of a problem. I returned after being gone for 5 days, turned on the PC, and it either can’t POST, or it does POST straight to the BIOS, showing no storage devices.
With the PC powered on, the SN850 LED throbs blue.
Things I have tried that did not resolve the issue:
- Replaced the SN850 with a Samsung SSD. PC works perfectly. So that rules out the platform, mostly.
- Updated motherboard to latest BIOS. No improvement.
- Removed CMOS battery, shorted pins to clear CMOS. No change.
- Moved the SN850 to other slots. No change.
- Waited a long time, in case the SSD is doing some kind of housekeeping. Futile, so far.
I can’t resolve this with WD Dashboard because the machine can’t POST. What does the flashing LED signify, and what are some possible causes of these symptoms? Why would it emerge after a short time powered off?