XPost: comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.sys.mac.advocacy   
   From: nobody@haph.org   
      
   Alan  news:10kh1ls$2tajo$5@dont-email.me Sat, 17 Jan 2026   
   22:15:24 GMT in comp.os.linux.advocacy, wrote:   
      
   > On 2026-01-17 00:31, Gremlin wrote:   
      
   > But on a factual basis, the laptop is not turned into a "paperweight" if   
   > the internal SSD dies:   
      
   If one or more of those NAND chips which make up the internal SSD shorts   
   to ground, your mac becomes a paperweight. It's no longer able to make use   
   of external media in that case. To repair it requires NAND replacement as   
   well as power management components.   
      
   > 'How to use an external storage device as a Mac startup disk'   
   >   
   >    
   >   
   > If you're going to make a claim, should you maybe at least do a little   
   > research?   
      
   I queried google with this:   
   if the nand chips shorts to ground on a mac is it a paperweight   
      
   Yes, if a NAND flash chip shorts to ground on a modern Mac (2018 or later),   
   the machine effectively becomes a "paperweight" regarding its ability to   
   boot and function, and it is usually considered   
   unrecoverable for data. Because the NAND chips are soldered to the logic   
   board and encrypted by the T2 security chip or Apple Silicon (M1/M2), a   
   shorted NAND usually means both the machine and the data on it are gone   
      
   Here is a detailed breakdown of the situation:   
   Why it Becomes a Paperweight   
      
       Soldered Storage: Since 2018, Apple has soldered the SSD NAND chips   
   directly onto the logic board. You cannot remove them and put them into   
   another computer.   
       Encryption Binding: The data is encrypted by the T2 chip or Apple   
   Silicon (M1/M2). This means the NAND chips are cryptographically tied to   
   that specific board.   
       Internal Short: A shorted NAND chip means the silicon inside the NAND   
   package itself has failed, usually due to a power rail failure (e.g., 2.5V   
   line shorting to ground).   
       Repair Limitations: While some specialized shops can replace a NAND   
   chip (if they can find a donor board), it is not a standard repair, it is   
   very costly, and it does not recover the data.   
      
   More details you need? Certainly!   
   Is it Ever Salvageable?   
      
       Specialized Component Repair: A highly skilled micro-soldering   
   technician can sometimes replace the NAND and the associated power   
   management ICs to make the machine work again, but this is a complex   
   repair.   
       Logic Board Replacement: Apple will typically only offer to replace   
   the entire logic board, which will be functional but will wipe all data   
      
      
   > I typed, "can you boot an apple silcon mac from an external drive?" into   
   > DuckDuckGo and the very first external link was that one.   
      
   I wasn't disputing that, Alan. That option isn't available to you though   
   if one or more of those NANDs has shorted to ground. What was that you   
   were saying about research?   
      
   --   
   Liar, lawyer; mirror show me, what's the difference?   
   Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent   
   Liar, lawyer; mirror for ya', what's the difference?   
   Kangaroo be stoned. He's guilty as the government   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)