Busted USB Memory Stick

Phonesis · 29 Oct 2016 at 00:20

My trusty 32gb memory stick suddenly stopped responding tonight. It's got fair bit of data on it. Luckily mostly backed up but few bits I'd like to have.

Not sure what happened. Had it plugged into my MacBook and left it overnight with the MacBook in sleep mode. I unplugged it today and put it in my PC and it just comes up as a drive letter but windows can't access it. Have tried different USB ports but just doesn't seem to pick it up.

Any software I can try that might do the trick?

ExRayTed · 29 Oct 2016 at 01:03

I've used CamPic Restore before with good results. Can't find a direct link but if you look here, the second post down has a direct link to the download.

Phonesis · 29 Oct 2016 at 10:55

ExRayTed said:
I've used CamPic Restore before with good results. Can't find a direct link but if you look here, the second post down has a direct link to the download.

Thanks gave it a go. Sadly, the stick drive letter is detected but it says "not ready" when I try to run it. Don't think it can be read/accessed.

Feels like a hardware fault now. Really odd.

darael · 29 Oct 2016 at 11:34

You could try DMDE

Phonesis · 29 Oct 2016 at 12:16

darael said:
You could try DMDE

Thanks gave it a go. Get the same "device not ready" message. Windows seems to detect it when I connect it but it just shows it as a drive letter. When I double click it it comes up with a message saying "please insert a disc into [drive letter]".

Think it's dead!

CaptainShiznit · 29 Oct 2016 at 21:13

ExRayTed said:
I've used CamPic Restore before with good results. Can't find a direct link but if you look here, the second post down has a direct link to the download.

Can second this. This program surprised me.

harvey.l12 · 2 Nov 2016 at 11:23

DMDE has worked for me before

Biz.Kid09 · 2 Nov 2016 at 12:12

Recuva, worth a shot but it looks it might be dead!

Can you take it apart? might be worth checking that nothings come loose etc inside.

tom_e · 2 Nov 2016 at 12:17

Plug it back into your Mac and see what it says.

Phonesis · 3 Nov 2016 at 10:50

Thanks all.

It seems like a hardware fault really. Tried putting it back in Mac and no luck either.

I am going to attempt taking it apart soon and following these steps:

http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-USB-Flash-Drive

It might just totally kill it in the end but I don't mind giving it a shot. Nothing I am too bothered about losing luckily. More just the challenge of it now!