Need help - USB Flashdrive cant be formatted anymore

Guys,

I have s 256 MB Sharkoon flash USB stick ... it used to work well until
one time I unplugged it from 98SE while it was still writing ... ever
since it cant be accessed and also cant be formatted anymore... Tried
with XP as well .. no luck...

Is there anything that can be done to revive the thing? Or is that the
end ?

Matt

wrote:

Guys,

I have s 256 MB Sharkoon flash USB stick ... it used to work well until
one time I unplugged it from 98SE while it was still writing ... ever
since it cant be accessed and also cant be formatted anymore... Tried
with XP as well .. no luck...

Is there anything that can be done to revive the thing? Or is that the
end ?

Matt


Hello, Matt:

Your "Sharkoon" is toast, sorry to say. In the future, never unplug any
device, while it's busy.

Good luck!


Cordially,
John Turco

agh

but how can it be totally destroyed ?

Matt

wrote:

agh

but how can it be totally destroyed ?

Matt


Hello, Matt:

It's been rendered useless, because it's a sensitive, "solid state"
device -- and hence, rather susceptible to electrical damage. Such
dangers aren't limited to this type of hardware (i.e., solid state),
either.

Here's a simple rule of thumb: When in doubt, don't. Don't risk
ruining any component, that is, by plugging/unplugging it, unless
you're absolutely sure that it's safe to do so.

Lesson learned, my friend? :-P


Cordially,
John Turco

Bull****, USB devices simply do NOT self-destruct when hot-plugged.

First, wipe the disk with mbrwiz - mbr.bigr.net, then format again.

"John Turco" wrote in message ...
wrote:

but how can it be totally destroyed ?

It's been rendered useless, because it's a sensitive, "solid state"
device -- and hence, rather susceptible to electrical damage. Such
dangers aren't limited to this type of hardware (i.e., solid state),
either.

Here's a simple rule of thumb: When in doubt, don't. Don't risk
ruining any component, that is, by plugging/unplugging it, unless
you're absolutely sure that it's safe to do so.

Eric Gisin wrote:

Bull****, USB devices simply do NOT self-destruct when hot-plugged.

If it's a Maxtor in a OneTouch case - I beg to differ.


Odie
--
Retrodata
www.retrodata.co.uk
Globally Local Data Recovery Experts

this one was writing while something locked up and after 2h I had it
and unplugged it ..

If the device failed while accessing it, you will see an error in event viewer.
If so, I expect it did die, but unplugging it was not the cause.

wrote in message ups.com...
this one was writing while something locked up and after 2h I had it
and unplugged it ..

Previously John Turco wrote:
wrote:

Guys,

I have s 256 MB Sharkoon flash USB stick ... it used to work well until
one time I unplugged it from 98SE while it was still writing ... ever
since it cant be accessed and also cant be formatted anymore... Tried
with XP as well .. no luck...

Is there anything that can be done to revive the thing? Or is that the
end ?

Matt


Hello, Matt:

Your "Sharkoon" is toast, sorry to say. In the future, never unplug any
device, while it's busy.

Actually USB is designed for hot plug/unplug. Both electonically
and mechanically (the ground contacts make contact earlier on plugging
and stay connected longer on unplugging). Any electrical damage
resulting from hot (un-)plugging means the device is out of spec.

I guess this device is badly designed and you are right, however
stupid that is for an USB device.

Arno

Previously Odie Ferrous wrote:
Eric Gisin wrote:

Bull****, USB devices simply do NOT self-destruct when hot-plugged.

If it's a Maxtor in a OneTouch case - I beg to differ.

I would add that a cleanly designed USB-spec compatible USB device
does not suffer permanent damage on hot plugging/unplugging at any
time and in any operational state. Data may be destroyed to some
degree, as obviously a write back from a buffer or the like cannot
finish without power, but that shoul be it.

However with the amount of bad engineering out there today I
am not surprised that some devices can be damaged or destroyed
in this manner.

Arno