What is TBW-LIM-RCH?
Critical Cell Wear (SSD End of Life) (TBW-LIM-RCH) is a high-severity fault affecting the storage drive (SSD/HDD). The SSD has reached the end of its write life (TBW) and has entered read-only mode. Common triggers are defective cable, power outages and high temperatures in the M.2 slot. Use the steps below to track down and fix the cause.
Common Causes
- End of life (age)
- Defective cable
- Power outages
- High temperatures in the M.2 slot
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Back up all data immediately
Most reports of TBW-LIM-RCH clear up after Back up all data immediately, so it's worth trying before anything more involved.
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2
Try replacing the SATA data cable
For cases that don't clear up right away, the remaining steps target less typical storage instability problems.
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3
Run manufacturer diagnostics
Try "Run manufacturer diagnostics" next if the issue persists — it addresses a secondary cause.
Commands & Diagnostics
chkdsk C: /f /r
wmic diskdrive get status
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of TBW-LIM-RCH is end of life (age), though defective cable, power outages and high temperatures in the M.2 slot also show up in our reports.
Most TBW-LIM-RCH reports resolve after "Back up all data immediately". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
TBW-LIM-RCH is a high-severity error. It won't damage your PC instantly, but repeated occurrences usually point to a deeper problem worth addressing soon.
You shouldn't need to. Work through the guide above first — a reinstall is only worth considering if none of those steps help.
Open CrystalDiskInfo (free tool) to check your drive's S.M.A.R.T. status. Any yellow or red indicators — especially reallocated sectors or pending sectors — confirm the drive is degrading and should be backed up and replaced immediately.
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