Any way to fix a flash stick?

@/2ct!< · Mar 29, 2007, 07:47 AM

My thumbdrive is no longer reading in any computers, though the light still turns on. Anything I can do to try and fix it?

Tipstaff · Mar 29, 2007, 09:40 AM

Couple things to try:

1) If you have access to a Windows 98 machine try it on there. You will need the USB pen drivers though, so install them first, then try the pen drive.

2) Go into Disk Management (Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Computer Management | Disk Management), and see if the pen drive is listed there. It's quite possible that the parition that was setup got corrupted, or deleted, and it could be as simple as creating a new parition. I've seen this type of problem crop up a number of times whenever someone has formated the pen drive using FAT32, especially when done on XP. Going back to Win98, for some reason formating a pen drive using FAT32 on a Win98 seems to work better.

Other than that I can't think of any other way to recover it. Usually once a drive get's to the point you are at, most times, it's toast.

H3X4D3C1M4L · Apr 8, 2007, 07:20 PM

Looks like it has finally exceeded its reccomended read/write cycles. If the drive was used alot then I'd expect it after a point, especially with lower end drives.

Look on the bright side though, new flash drives are at all time low prices

Mar 29, 2007, 07:47 AM	#1
@/2ct!< HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Not Vegas, anymore :( Posts: 1,391 Rep Power: 0	Any way to fix a flash stick? My thumbdrive is no longer reading in any computers, though the light still turns on. Anything I can do to try and fix it? __________________

Mar 29, 2007, 09:40 AM	#2
Tipstaff HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Real capital of Canada: Torauna Posts: 6,773 Rep Power: 190 System Specs	Couple things to try: 1) If you have access to a Windows 98 machine try it on there. You will need the USB pen drivers though, so install them first, then try the pen drive. 2) Go into Disk Management (Control Panel \| Administrative Tools \| Computer Management \| Disk Management), and see if the pen drive is listed there. It's quite possible that the parition that was setup got corrupted, or deleted, and it could be as simple as creating a new parition. I've seen this type of problem crop up a number of times whenever someone has formated the pen drive using FAT32, especially when done on XP. Going back to Win98, for some reason formating a pen drive using FAT32 on a Win98 seems to work better. Other than that I can't think of any other way to recover it. Usually once a drive get's to the point you are at, most times, it's toast. __________________ Portal: The Flash Version _________________________________ Brain: So, you sacked the cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker? Mr. Sackett: The second cocky khaki Kicky Sack sock plucker I've sacked since the sixth sitting sheet slitter got sick.

Apr 8, 2007, 07:20 PM	#3
H3X4D3C1M4L DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 6,794 Rep Power: 0	Looks like it has finally exceeded its reccomended read/write cycles. If the drive was used alot then I'd expect it after a point, especially with lower end drives. Look on the bright side though, new flash drives are at all time low prices