Memory Stick showing as wrong size

teulk · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:17

My wife bought a new 4gb stick today, transfered some pictures onto it and then removed it. When she put it back in a few mins later a message appeared saying it had to be formatted before it could be used. She formatted it as requested and now it only shows as being 0.97mb in size now.
whats happened ?

Surveyor · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:21

It sounds like it's knackered.

Jordan97 · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:41

When you format any removable device, it is possible to format it to a different capacity and make all other space unusable. Format it again, and in the window that pops up look for the capacity drop-down menu.

teulk · 30 Jul 2011 at 22:57

Jordan97 said:
When you format any removable device, it is possible to format it to a different capacity and make all other space unusable. Format it again, and in the window that pops up look for the capacity drop-down menu.

I will have another look, if i remember correctly tho there was nothing that showed 4gb, the top drop down only showed 1GB

PapaLazaru · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:02

teulk said:
My wife bought a new 4gb stick today

teulk said:
She formatted it

tut tut

Jordan97 · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:04

PapaLazaru said:
tut tut

:')

Buchanan0204 · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:15

Look at it in disk management under windows. It will tell you it's total capacity. If it is indeed only showing 1GB then it sounds like there's been a mixup in the manufacturing or it's just been sold as a 4GB when it's not.

Subliminal Aura · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:17

.... the evidence is quite clear

' My wife bought a new 4gb stick today ..... '

Its gotta be ECC

JAPears · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:18

teulk said:
My wife bought a new 4gb stick today, transfered some pictures onto it and then removed it. When she put it back in a few mins later a message appeared saying it had to be formatted before it could be used. She formatted it as requested and now it only shows as being 0.97mb in size now.
whats happened ?

I get similar problems using memory sticks on the mac platform, sticks have to be formatted after deleting files from them, otherwise the space that you should have gotten back from deleting, doesnt show.

Am i right in saying that you're transfering files across platform?
I believe it needs to be formatted to FAT32?

Subliminal Aura · 30 Jul 2011 at 23:21

OHHhhhh USB stick !!!

Thought her buying system memory was too good to be true !

pat_c · 31 Jul 2011 at 20:14

Did you buy it from ebay?
If so, google Fake USB Stick.
Follow any one of the guides to see if it was a genuine 4gb stick.

teulk · 1 Aug 2011 at 14:27

pat_c said:
Did you buy it from eb
If so, google Fake USB Stick.
Follow any one of the guide.s to see if it was a genuine 4gb stick.

No, i got it from a supermarket. I took it back and exchanged it.