Fix for USB memory stick

[altinkumhomes]

I have two USB memory sticks which both have corrupted data on them such that I cannot use them. I don't need the data that's on them, I just want to clear them but none of the standard fixes (formatting etc) work. I can view the files with recovery software but cannot delete them. Any ideas please?

 

[Nibiru2012]

Just reformat them using the FAT32 file protocol, which all USB flash drives use. That should clear them up for you to use again.

 

[TrainableMan]

Are these old Flash drives that have gone bad or did you just buy them?

There is a huge counterfeit flash drive market and they scam people on eBay, NYC street corners, etc because they look and are packaged like the real thing but in actuality are small sticks (like 256K, 512K, or 1GB) that have their locations mapped so that data constantly overlays the other. It makes it seem to all write fine but if you read the data back it is all gibberish.

See the article HERE on how to test your flash drive. Unfortunately they often use cheap or defective chips in the first place and secondly, the write process has overwritten the same sectors thousands of times bringing the chip so much closer to it's RW fault limits that even if you reflash the memory to the correct specs it is a poor flash drive that won't last long; but you can see ideas how to try HERE.

 

[Nibiru2012]

This is a handy piece of software to check out too:

USB Flash Tools is a Free USB toolkit containing some great tools for use with flash drives or flash memory cards. Features include the ability to create a backup image of a flash drive or restore a backup image. Securely erase a drive by overwriting it's content, making data irretrievable. In addition, USB Flash Tools can test for and detect fake flash drives that report false incorrect capacity.

Go to: http://www.pendriveapps.com/usb-flash-tools-format-backup-restore/#more-3636

 

[altinkumhomes]

Just reformat them using the FAT32 file protocol, which all USB flash drives use. That should clear them up for you to use again.

Thank you, but as I explained in my posting, reformatting isn't working.

 

[altinkumhomes]

Are these old Flash drives that have gone bad or did you just buy them?

There is a huge counterfeit flash drive market and they scam people on eBay, NYC street corners, etc because they look and are packaged like the real thing but in actuality are small sticks (like 256K, 512K, or 1GB) that have their locations mapped so that data constantly overlays the other. It makes it seem to all write fine but if you read the data back it is all gibberish.

See the article HERE on how to test your flash drive. Unfortunately they often use cheap or defective chips in the first place and secondly, the write process has overwritten the same sectors thousands of times bringing the chip so much closer to it's RW fault limits that even if you reflash the memory to the correct specs it is a poor flash drive that won't last long; but you can see ideas how to try HERE.

Thanks very much, I really hadn't considered that they may have been crap in the first place, and you may well be right! I bought them new online 4 years ago in the UK, I was coming to live in Turkey and wasn't sure what I would be able to get here. I have only used each of them a couple of times, to store photos. After they became corrupted I tried various fixes but nothing worked, they have been in a drawer ever since and I just get them out every now and then and try again
I will have a look at what you suggest, thanks.

 

[altinkumhomes]

This is a handy piece of software to check out too:

USB Flash Tools is a Free USB toolkit containing some great tools for use with flash drives or flash memory cards. Features include the ability to create a backup image of a flash drive or restore a backup image. Securely erase a drive by overwriting it's content, making data irretrievable. In addition, USB Flash Tools can test for and detect fake flash drives that report false incorrect capacity.

Go to: http://www.pendriveapps.com/usb-flash-tools-format-backup-restore/#more-3636

Thank you, I will give this a try.