Computer Hope
Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows Vista and 7 => Topic started by: brookiebrooke on December 01, 2007, 05:56:10 PM
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Both work and home computers are running Windows XP SP2.
At work this week I plugged my Sandisk Cruzer Micro into every USB port and the computer never "saw" it. The green light on the end of the cruzer flashed once briefly then went off whenever I plugged into a port. Usually it lights up and stays lit up until I eject it.
I got home and experienced the same thing. I've tried every USB port on my home computer as well as the external USB hub with no luck. Same thing -- the light comes on briefly then nothing. But I can move around other USB devices into those same ports and the other devices (like a Palm Pilot syncing cable) work fine.
I've read all the posts on this forum and others and tried anything listed, but no luck. Could the flash drive itself have gotten fried somehow?
I've restarted both computers but that didn't help either. There have been no software changes on both computers and no hardware changes either. I'm not a computer idiot, but this one has me stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Brooke
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You might have a bummer Flash Drive.
I presume you use Windows IE. Does the computer assign an ID Drive No.
If it assigns, lets say, Drive G, try formatting the Flash Drive, Windows Explorer > right click on Drive > select format, also make of Flash Drive.
Rememberyou can wreck a Flash Drive by pulling it out, must be ejected properly.
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I'm actually pretty good about remembering to eject it properly, but I guess maybe it just got fried some other way.
Always before, the flash drive would show up mapped to drive J. Now, "My Computer" is not finding a drive J at all (on either the work or home computer), so there's nothing to click on to "format".
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Only other suggestion I have, go to the SanDisk website, and check out the FAQ's. I have never exprienced not seeing the Drive assigned letter
in The Computer.
Also take back the Flash Drive where you bought it, have them put the Drive into their machine and see what happens. Guess what, they might replace the drive.
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How about Start>Control Panel>Adm. Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management?
Is it listed there?
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Nope, it's not showing up in Disk Management.
Also, this is potentially completely unrelated, but while in there, I clicked on Removable storage, and got an error:
The service can not be started, either because it is disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it.
This snapin's display may be inconsistent with the Removable Storage Service. If the problem persists please restart the snapin.
WTH?
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Oh, and I tried Sandisk's website but no luck. I emailed their support but it's Sat. so I doubt I'll get a response until Monday (not this coming Monday, of course... just some Monday, some week, probably in 2009 or so). ;)
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How big is that drive? How was that drive formatted? NTFS by chance? Sometimes they just die, so like hard drives, that is not the place for the only copy of important data. ;)
Not shutting it down properly can certainly ruin a flash drive.
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It's 1GB. Don't know what NTFS means, sorry. Fortunately, it was not the only place for important data. It was just backing up important data.
I guess it just died. I'll hold a funeral for it then try to get my money back (or a replacement), assuming I can find the receipt, which is very unlikely. Argh.
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Did you actually run "services.msc" to see, if Removable Storage Service is listed there, and what's its status.
I don't have it on Vista, soo I can't check.
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It's listed there, but it says it is disabled. There's nothing listed under "Status" or "description".
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It's 1GB. Don't know what NTFS means, sorry. Fortunately, it was not the only place for important data. It was just backing up important data.
Good thing your data is safe. Those drives usually come preformatted with the FAT32 file system, so non-Win2000/XP/Vista machines can read them, but if the drive had ever been reformatted and the choice for the file system had been changed to NTFS (the newer version) that can cause problems as well. If that was not the case, just keep this in mind if you ever need to format one of these drives in the future. ;)
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It's listed there, but it says it is disabled
Right click on it. It should give you the option to Start, and change Status.
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Start is grayed out. As are stop, pause, resume, and restart.
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They are, because you have to change Status, first. You may go with Manual.
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I give up. Thanks for all the suggestions, though, everyone. Luckily, I found my receipt and the warranty info. I'm one month shy of the end of the warranty period, so hopefully I can just get a new one. Peace.
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Sure thing in that case.