Applied Users Forums

Hardware & Infrastructure => Hardware => Topic started by: Jim Jensen on February 25, 2013, 10:24:23 AM

Title: USB key dead?
Post by: Jim Jensen on February 25, 2013, 10:24:23 AM
It appears that my USB key died without leaving a suicide note. I'd really like to get some data back from it. Any tricks anyone's learned to get them to work just 1 more time? It's not formatting problem fit for a recovery program - windows doesn't see the drive. Tried an eraser on the contacts in case they were too smudgy, but no help from that.

Will use DropBox more often for work/home transfer, but these things are still quite useful for putting in someone else's computer.
Title: Re: USB key dead?
Post by: Mark on February 25, 2013, 10:27:16 AM
Have you tried it on more than one computer already?
Title: Re: USB key dead?
Post by: Jim Jensen on February 25, 2013, 10:29:04 AM
Quote from: Mark on February 25, 2013, 10:27:16 AM
Have you tried it on more than one computer already?

Yep. First received a USB device not recognized on the laptop, thought I was having problems with my USB ports - should've copied everything then. 2 Desktops don't even blink at it.
Title: Re: USB key dead?
Post by: Jeff Zylstra on February 27, 2013, 12:41:42 PM
I've had issues where it has had to download and install drivers for certain USB keys.  Not sure that is it or not, but this is especially true of the drives that have encryption on them.
Title: Re: USB key dead?
Post by: Jim Jensen on February 27, 2013, 02:02:12 PM
This seems to have corrupted itself or experience a problem in the connections of the tiny circuits. It's dead, dead dead. I was able to get lucky and get it to revive itself one last time and I transferred everything to a new one. I then reviewed what didn't need to be on it any more, then anything that I needed to verify that i put into TAM (photos, cost estimators and such) went to Dropbox for verification or attachment, then deletion. Anything still being worked on also went to DropBox. I shall try to remember to the USB mostly for things I want handy to use on a computer where I can't access DropBox.
Title: Re: USB key dead?
Post by: Jeff Zylstra on February 27, 2013, 04:16:06 PM
The only thing I know about USB drives is that Windows is SUPPOSED to plug and play with most drives, but I've seen that not too, even when there was no encryption on the drive.  The other thing that I've seen is the old drive letter conflict thing where Windows tries to use a drive letter that is already being used.  Doesn't sound like either one is the case. 

Glad you were able to remove the data from the deceased before the funeral.  Plug and pray apparently DOES work after all!  ;)