Posted on 04/03/2006 9:33:52 AM PDT by TitanicMan2003
Okay, I went to plug my USB flash drive into the computer (just like I always do), only the computer didn't recognize it. I've tried it on several different computers, same result - either the drive does nothing, or the light comes on and fades off again. The first computer once said something about a "power surge to the USB port" (or something like that), and then nothing.
It's only about a month or two old, so I'm hoping it didn't die already, but does anyone have any ideas on what I can do with it, either to get it working or to retrieve some data from it?
I had a similar problem. Tried to have my Windows machine reformat the drive as a last resort and it said it could not be reformatted....so I put it in my Mac and reformatted it on it and then it worked fine with my Windows machine.
Check connector for foreign matter. Pocket lint is nefarious for this. May need magnifying glass to see inside with a flashlifgt..........
pcmechanic is a good site for problems.
http://forum.pcmech.com/
I just tried it with a Mac, and still nada. The tech guy I was talking with tried everything he could think of, and the darn thing still won't read. I'm afraid the thing is probably just dead. Hopefully I can get it replaced. Thanks for the help, anyway.
Oh, and if anyone has any good ideas, I'm still open. I'd like to get this thing working again, but I'm not holding my breath.
MGY
It's DEAD.
Were you using a USB hub at the time or was it plugged directly into the machine?
Directly to the machine. I didn't notice anything until I went to save something to it, and he drive wasn't showing up at all (the green light on the stick wasn't even on). After that, I got the alert and now no computer I've tried even recognizes it. Well, I'll call SanDisk when I get home and see about getting a new one.
MGY
I've only had the power surge issue with one cheap USB hub. It happened with several devices, however only one was ever plugged in at a time. Sortly after that the flash drive went south... I also ditched the hub, just in case it was the culprit.
My 1 gig Lexar drive went south at age 1 month. Just long enough for me to lose the receipt. And it was the extra tough(?) Sport Model. One of the contacts came loose, I was able to solder it back, but it still only works about every third try.
I am going to guess that you are, understandably, not a Lexar fan.
Have had the chewed up drive for 3 years and the other for two years and not a bit of a problem. Will make sure to keep the receipt with any new purchases.
If you don't you should buy a new one. You can easily get a 1GB flashdrive for under $50.
I had one of those Lexar flashdrives too. The one with the black rubber grips on the sides. Totally sucked horse's butt.
Yeah it's a USB 2.0. 1 GB as well. 2 months old at most. I hope I can still find the receipt, because I really can't afford to replace the darn thing right now. I really don't like having to rely on the old Zip disks.
MGY
Is the computer you are trying to use set up for USB 2.0? That is determined by the chipset on the motherboard. If it is 1.1 it will not read your Flash drive, however, you can install a 2 port USB 2.0 PCI card and load the software for it if you are using Windows XP. It should work with that card. If not, you need a new drive.
Yeah, sounds like the same one. Yours missing?
Well, all the computers that I tried it on had been reading it just fine for the past month. I called SanDisk yesterday, and they said they'd replace it for me. Hopefully this one will last longer then a month.
MGY
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