My flash drive bit the dust :(

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820180724
I have the 256MB version of that Apacer HandySteno drive (the 256 is no longer sold on Newegg AFAIK)

It's been working fine for over six months and today I put it the USB port of a PC in my school's lab, and it comes up with one of those tan colored bubbles in the bottom right and says: "USB Device Not Recognized
One of the USB devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it. For assistance, click this message."

When I click the message, it comes up with a thing listing all eight USB ports and it shows all of them as being not used. In other words... It doesn't recognize it. I tried several PCs in the computer lab (all the same exact model with same OS) and they all give me the same message. I came up to the dorm and tried it in my PC, and it says the same thing!! I've tried front and back ports on different computers for the same effect.

I have Windows XP Home SP2 with all Windows updates. Obviously XP does not need a driver, but the Apacer drive came with a flash disk utility on a CD-ROM. I tried that to format the drive, but it said it couldn't find the drive. I don't really want to format it as I need what's on it, but that'd be better than nothing. I'd rather have a blank, working drive than a non-working one.

The drive isn't recognized under My Computer or by the PC at all from what I can tell. Anyone got any suggestions?

Cody

 

Have you ONLY tried it at school? Did it work there before?

 

Yeap, you're right....silly me.

 

I've had the EXACT same thing happen to me with a previous usb flash drive that I owned....and it would be safe to say...if you've tried it on multiple pc's (ones other than the your school lab)...your flash drive has shot craps and you are out of luck as far as retrieving any info on it!!!!

Unfortunately, it happens, and your were the unlucky one to have it happen to!!!! Sorry for the bad news!!!!

Roger

 

/boggle



How do you reformat a drive, not recognized as a drive?

 

May be Worth Trying

This maybe a possiblity??!!

First!
1. Check for if "USB Mass Storage Tool Box" is installed = Go to = Control Box = Add or Remove Programs = If not there you will have to invesigate how to reinstall same??
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Second!
2. Check that the Flash Drive is showing up in My Computer.
3. If not found try this, download and install and run XPTWEAKUI =
a) in XPTWEAKUI = My Computer = Drives = and enter a tick in your Drive for the Flash Disk.

You can download XPTWEAKUI from within the URL of =

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/default.mspx

After installing TweakUI you will find TweakUI under Power Tools for Windows XP in the computer’s programs Menu
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Third!
Insert your = USB Flash disk = USB 2 port =.
If the Flash Drive is showing = in = My Computer = right click on the USB drive = Tools folder = Error Checking = Automatic Fix File System Errors = button - Start =
Next = in My Computer = Hardware folder = Device Manager = select Flash Disk drive = Properties = Volumes folder = Populate = OK button = should show you a list? =
Next go to = My Computer = open up the Flash Disk= view for the folder’s contents = Yes. You may see some old files present. If it is vacant try to drag a file into the opened Flash Disk folder page = To confirm all is OK?

Now last all do not forget to go to = System Tray = icon - Safely Remove Hardware = Stop = to disable the hardware???

 

So you guys don't think that I can salvage it and reformat it in any way? I don't understand how it just randomly quit working. I had the drive in the USB port, opened a document, and the next time I went to open a document, it just wasn't under My Computer, so I re-inserted it and that's when it went to hell.

The little light on the drive still flashes when I put it in the USB port. Any thing I can do?

 

It comes up under USB Controller - "Unknown Device"

 

I'll try that... But I emailed Apacer Tech support and they told me that they'd fix it but 1) they require a lot of paperwork and are annoying because "English don't they speak well" etc.... and 2) They want to charge me $8 to ship it to them, $8 back... I only paid $25 for the drive.

I'm going to try cleaning it. It was a nice little drive before it died.

 

Alright, I'll try that tonight and let you know what happens.

 

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