Computer Hope

Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: timrob on February 28, 2008, 12:07:11 PM

Title: Flash drive lost data?
Post by: timrob on February 28, 2008, 12:07:11 PM

My 2GB Memorex flash drive all of a sudden stopped working.  I can't view the files.  I've tried 2 different computers.  There's no lock on the drive.  From Windows Explorer, if I select the drive, it says "Please insert a disk into drive F."  Properties shows file system as Raw and 0 bytes used and 0 bytes available.  Running chkdsk from Windows Explorer doesn't work.  Running chkdsk from a command prompt says "access denied."  Windows recognizes the drive as a USB mass storage device, but I can't see the files.

Did I loose everything on my flash drive?  Is there a program that can recover the files?  Can I send it to somebody to recover the files?  I guess I should have backed up the files once a week or something like that.  The drive is only about 1.25 years old.  I use it on average several times a day.

Title: Re: Flash drive lost data?
Post by: Mfoxx5528 on February 28, 2008, 03:43:00 PM

Unfortunatly, it sounds like you have lost the files.  I had this issue a few times with thumb drives or USB sticks myself.  I noticed if I removed them without letting Windows turn them off I was corrupting all the files on them.  Once I started telling Windows to turn the device off before I removed it, now I have had the same one for over 2 years.........good luck

Title: Re: Flash drive lost data?
Post by: timrob on February 28, 2008, 04:04:19 PM

I've been careful to turn off the device.  I didn't do that once a while ago and I learned my lesson.

I did some more searching and found many flash drive recovery programs on download.com and majorgeeks.com.  I also got the number of a local data recovery store.  They charge $350 to save the files.  It's free to just analyze it.

I'm going to look for a sync program.  I use my flash drive to store all kinds of stuff.  I'm screwed if I can't recover the data.

Title: Re: Flash drive lost data?
Post by: patio on February 28, 2008, 04:06:18 PM

Try Recuva... (http://www.recuva.com/)

Title: Re: Flash drive lost data?
Post by: timrob on March 14, 2008, 02:59:48 PM

I was able to recover all the files.  A guy a work has some kind of device/hardware along with some software that recovered everything.  He wouldn't tell me the name of it.  I don't know why he's being all secretive. 

Recently, he was also able to recover several dying laptop harddrives for our computer group with the same device.  Even when the computer group said the harddrives were shot.  He said he use to have a government job, and was able to bring this hardware with him.  Anybody know what this is?  I imagine it's not cheap.