USB Flash Drive Died

[RJM]

Hi guys, I have a problem with a SanDisk mini cruzer 1GB windows recognizes the

drive as drive E, which is correct but in the device manager it is reported as

Disk type – removable

Status – no media

Partition style- not applicable

Capacity – 0

Unallocated space – 0

Reserved space – 0

There are no X or! Next to it and it is reported as working properly.

If I try to format it in windows XP the error is:

There is no disk in drive E

Insert a disk and then try again.

When I use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool V2.0.6 the description is

Generic USB Flash Drive 1.04 (0 MB) (E:\)

And when I try to format with HP the error is:

There is no media in the specified device.

I have also tried this on my Win98 machine with the same results.

Does anyone have any ideas, or is it time to get a new flash drive?

Thanks in advance

[gamehead200]

I'd suggest getting a new flash drive. This exact same thing happened with my iPod shuffle a while back... Turns out my hub fried the thing! The same thing might have happened to you.

It really isn't worth getting it fixed. New ones are so cheap these days.

[ripken204]

you can get a gig at newegg for 20$

[RJM]

I know, but if I order now I won't get it untill Tuesday. I was just wondering if there was somthing

that I had missed or if the drive was bad.

Edited August 18, 2006 by RJM

[ripken204]

well like gamehead said its prolly fried. thats what i hate about flash drives, theres not much you can do to it if they display as 0.

[wizardofwindows]

i had one fry aswell stuck it into a pc i was working on i guess the guys kids jammed usb keyboard plug in backwards and when i pluged in it shorted my stick out cost me 60 dollars .it sucked.

[puntoMX]

Just a tip for all:

Touche your system housing (metal part) before inserting the USB-stick. Since I’m doing that I dint fry any of them.

[LLXX]

Try the "Portfree Production Program" v3.27 low-level USB formatter.

There are fake Sandisk Cruzer Micro USB drives out there BTW. Your "1Gb" drive might actually be a fake 256Mb or 128Mb one.

Edited August 19, 2006 by LLXX

[jaclaz]

From what you say, most probably there is a problem with the chip controller.

As LLXX suggested you should try "reviving" it, but as far as I know the "Portfree Production Tool" is specific for i-create controllers, which are not used by Sandisk.

Try using the Sandisk utility:

http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/DesignSupportTools/

http://www.sandisk.com/Assets/File/OEM/Des...b-test-tool.exe

jaclaz

[ripken204]

Just a tip for all:

Touche your system housing (metal part) before inserting the USB-stick. Since I’m doing that I dint fry any of them.

good tip, thx

[RJM]

Well thanks for the programs unfortunately neither did any good.

The Sandisk utility – USB drive test returned the error

“Unable to locate USB drive”

The PortFree production program recognized that there was a drive there and returned

this error when trying to do a low level format.

ERR: 10001

Control ID A8062,103

Unknown Flash

Anyway, my new flash drive will be here tomorrow, Thanks for the help!

[mark]

Couple of years ago, my thumbdrive went bad. Data appeared corrupted and it looked like it had a file system that was messed up. The stick was new and I was quite disappointed. I looked all over for something that would repaire the problem. No luck. Then one day, here at MSFN and I forget who, someone mentioned that thumbdrives need sufficient power. Hmm, tried a different usb slot. Bingo. Fixed.

DL

[bonestonne]

that reminds me of my front USB port. i'd never opened my computer for much before i fixed that port, but the front USB 1.1 port on my computer didn't recognize a thing. after a while it got to me, i popped open the tower, and i found the USB cable wasn't even put onto the motherboard correctly, it was kind of dangling off one pin, instead of put on all 5. which did plenty to kill my logic. but, once it was put into place it hasn't failed me.

always double check cable seatings on new computers!