Broken Flash Drive

[Kit Walker]

OK, here is one for you teckie guys. I have a lot of pictures and videos I have taken on a flash drive and the FD was damaged when the laptop it was attached to fell over. The USB connector was bent and now the FD will not work. Is there anyay to repair the FD? Due to the sensative nature of the pics/videos on the FD I cannot just let anyone commercial try to repair it. any thoughts?

[Capt. Lincoln F. Stern]

It is possible to gently bend it back so that the contacts work and you can get the data off.. I am in Houston and have done data recovery before. If we are able to get the data off we move it to a cd or DVD... If for some reason it is not repairable or we cannot get the data off the only thing you can do is destroy the drive permanently (use hammer and give it a few bash's)

PM me if you would like me to retrieve data

[guest043013-2]

Call Abby from NCIS?



I always have nightmares of that happening when I use a flashdrive. I am more worried about the damage it does to the laptop, since most anything I have on a flashdrive is already sitting on harddrive somewhere.

Can you post a picture of the flashdrive to see? Guess it is the engineer in me, would like to see how it failed. Did it damage the computer itself? Granted, most laptops have multiple USB ports these days.

[Kit Walker]

the compuer is just fine and reads other FDs. theF D contact bent and I tried to straighten it but whenI did, nothing would read once plugged in. this is the only Fd I had not backed up.

[jframe2]

These have worked for me more than once-

- Get a USB extender cable, plug the Flash drive into the female end and the male end into your computer. And plug it into all available USB ports on your computer;

- get a usb hub and try all the USB ports when it is plugged into the computer.

Depending on how/where bent your Flash Drive is will be directly related to how it will seat when connected to other types of USB ports.

The bad news is a possibility that the connections inside the case are damaged or broken. The last thing to try before using the hammer ( which I enjoy immensely a couple of times per year on various electronic devices) is to open the drive very carefully and see if you can re-establish any broken wiring. Of course, you only get the one shot if you open the drive.

Good luck, I feel your pain.

[instfixer]

Recipe:

Last resort before destroying it

Dremel the outside USB housing off or somehow remove it
Take a grounded soldering iron and solder the USB extension cable leads onto to the existing pins

Works better if a dissecting microscope is available

[Rezo]

instfixer is right. If you didn't damage the actual flash memory module it is salvageable.

If just damage to the usb connector or solder joints to the pcb someone can remove the plastic/metal housing (usually it prys apart easily with a small flat blade or screwdriver) and try some conductive epoxy (try Fry's Electronics, Electronics Part Outlet, or Radio Shack ) on the contact points (no tech skill required to do this). Or get someone with mediocre soldering experience to solder on a short usb cable by trimming off the device end connector, usually a Type B plug. then copy your stuff to a new flash drive and destroy the old damaged one.

A professional or electronics enthusiast that is experienced with smd components can remove the flash memory module and transfer it to a donor unit.

[Guest071313-5]

Get Dropbox and do away with the FD's.

[Capt. Lincoln F. Stern]

Originally Posted by beezdat

Get Dropbox and do away with the FD's.

Dropbox the free version is 2 gigs free.. useful as hell.. and there are some services where you pay a small monthly fee and get more space.

I would be willing to attempt data recovery on the FD if the OP is wiling to sit down with me at some coffee house.. I bring everything needed short of the soldering iron. and if it needs that, I can bring all the tools to their place and work on it there

[Guest071313-5]

A picture of the physical damage would be helpful.