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Windows 7 Killing USB flash drives?

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  • 27-11-2009 1:26am
    #1
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭


    Sorry for putting this here, but:
    a) I couldn't find anywhere else to put it
    b) You are all a bunch of nerds so I trust you lot more ;)

    Over the Past month I have had 3 USB sticks die on two different W7 machines.

    What happens is everything is fine and dandy, then for some reason, with no warning, they crap out. When I plug it in, it is recognizing it as a "Removable Drive" but when I try to access it it asks me to put a disk in it

    At first I thought "Hmm, ok W7 is borked", but a fresh install proved fruitless, and the USB stick is not working in Ubuntu 9.1 either, nor is the bios detecting it as bootable option (where previously it did and I did have much fun installing t3h Ubuntus from it, which I just want to add after close to a YEAR trying to get my ****ty Broadcom Wireless Card to work I finally did and now enjoying the sweet caress of Ubuntu :pac:).

    I have tried everything from Uninstalling the USB Hub Drivers to reinstalling W7 to installing XP and still no luck. There must be a way to "fix" it as I very much doubt three USB sticks would all fail the EXACT same way while using W7. I blame W7 as opposed to Linux but one of the USB sticks was my mothers, who uses only Windows 7. These were not old USB sticks either, they are no more than 2 months bought

    So, anyway, anyone got ideas as to how to fix it?


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    They're not Transcend JetFlash V10s by any chance are they? They're notorious for failing with this exact issue but not specifically under Windows 7. I have a utility in work for getting them usable again; if they're not Transcends then I probably can't help I'm afraid.


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    #3
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Karsini wrote: »
    They're not Transcend JetFlash V10s by any chance are they? They're notorious for failing with this exact issue but not specifically under Windows 7. I have a utility in work for getting them usable again; if they're not Transcends then I probably can't help I'm afraid.

    Nope :( They are PNY Micro something or other.
    Mind shooting me that utility anyway? Might work (especially since its the exact same issue and what's the worst that can happen, I brick an already Bricked stick? :pac: )


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    #4
    Smau5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Smau5


    Get this: http://www.driverchecker.com/


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    #5
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Heh, no Driver problems reported


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    #6
    Smau5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Smau5


    Leman_Russ wrote: »
    Heh, no Driver problems reported

    Good, it's likely it's the actual USB FD.
    Exact brand please?


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    #7
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Smau5 wrote: »
    Good, it's likely it's the actual USB FD.
    Exact brand please?

    Ah, sorry, I suppose I should have added that :pac:
    http://www3.pny.com/category_buymulti.aspx?Category_ID=400 (The Blue one, not the pink one ;), but 8GB, not the 4GB, cant find the 8GB for some reason on the site).
    No idea as to the actual manufacturer as I have not taken the USB apart (not sure if I even can, no visible way)


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    #8
    Smau5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Smau5


    Leman_Russ wrote: »
    Ah, sorry, I suppose I should have added that :pac:
    http://www3.pny.com/category_buymulti.aspx?Category_ID=400 (The Blue one, not the pink one ;), but 8GB, not the 4GB, cant find the 8GB for some reason on the site).
    No idea as to the actual manufacturer as I have not taken the USB apart (not sure if I even can, no visible way)

    Personally I have not even heard of the brand,
    I researched and I did not find any complaints or history of failure with this FD.

    __

    1. Download and install the HP Drive Key Boot Utility
    2. Open the desktop icon and select the correct flash drive under device
    3. Select the file system you want to format to (FAT probably)
    4. Tick Quick Format, (Un-tick it if it fails & try again)
    5. Click start


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    #9
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    No luck. It picks up the USB Drive, but says it is 0mb and has no media in it.

    Is it possible that windows is mis-reading the drive and using utterly wrong drivers?


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    #10
    Blazer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,436 ✭✭✭✭Blazer


    Have you tried them on another pc?
    Could be power issues with your usb controllers on your pc.
    I used to see this with my brother's pc...also seen it with external hard drives.


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    #11
    Smau5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Smau5


    Leman_Russ wrote: »
    No luck. It picks up the USB Drive, but says it is 0mb and has no media in it.

    Is it possible that windows is mis-reading the drive and using utterly wrong drivers?

    A drive that is reading as 0mb is a physical hardware problem,
    I fear it's basically croaked,
    if it has a warranty you are eligible for a replacement.

    Good luck!


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    #12
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Smau5 wrote: »
    A drive that is reading as 0mb is a physical hardware problem,
    I fear it's basically croaked,
    if it has a warranty you are eligible for a replacement.

    Good luck!

    Urgh, thought so. Why would 3 USB drives go exactly the same way? :(


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    #13
    Smau5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭Smau5


    Leman_Russ wrote: »
    Urgh, thought so. Why would 3 USB drives go exactly the same way? :(

    Could be anything, even bad luck.
    Your drivers aren't out of date.

    Try using a different port or SD cards, the standard is up to 4gb.


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    #14
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    Hahaha, all yore memories are belong to us !

    is that usb key using anything from LOTES btw :pac:


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    #15
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Anti wrote: »
    Hahaha, all yore memories are belong to us !

    is that usb key using anything from LOTES btw :pac:

    Oh yeah, it's um, got LOTES solder and Um, LOTES Gold things! :pac:


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    #16
    Komplett: Marc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 546 ✭✭✭Komplett: Marc


    Smau5 wrote: »
    Could be anything, even bad luck.
    Your drivers aren't out of date.

    Try using a different port or SD cards, the standard is up to 4gb.

    You might want to be careful on that one, Windows 7 currently has an issue where it's corrupting any NTFS based SD cards pretty much at random.

    Just thought I should mention it. There's a fix available for those who want it but I don't have a link handy. I'll drop one in here when I'm back from lunch.


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    #17
    Venom
    Registered Users Posts: 6,984 ✭✭✭Venom


    Leman_Russ wrote: »
    Oh yeah, it's um, got LOTES solder and Um, LOTES Gold things! :pac:

    Could be worse, might use Foxconn gold things!


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    #18
    Spacedog
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Spacedog


    try it using an ubuntu boot CD, try repartitioning it and reformatting it to fat 32, good luck.

    www.ubuntu.com


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    #19
    Leman_Russ
    Closed Accounts Posts: 680 ✭✭✭Leman_Russ


    Spacedog wrote: »
    try it using an ubuntu boot CD, try repartitioning it and reformatting it to fat 32, good luck.

    www.ubuntu.com

    I run Ubuntu, don't worry. Same deal in Ubuntu too :(


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    #20
    BeciMester
    Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭BeciMester


    Any update on this matter lads? I don't have this issue as of yet, but would like to know how to fix it if it ever crops up.


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    #21
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    Just google windows 7 usb fix.


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    #22
    darealtulip
    Registered Users Posts: 1,346 ✭✭✭darealtulip


    a bit of different problem but in the same corner. I download NZB's through Alt Binz but the one rig in the house I did a clean install on (the rest is upgraded) wont rember any settings I put in or the NZB I put in!

    Any one knows any solutions for that?


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