Help my thumb drive is not reconized

[Scott M]

I was working on a project yesterday morning. I finished saved my work to my thumb drive. shut down my laptop. I left my thumb drive in the usb port. I came back to work some more opened Excell went to open the file but could not find the removable disk f that is where it was earler. So I pulled it out and put it back in a message pops up USB Device Not Reconized. So I put it in my wifes lap top and get the same message. Can someone please help or have I lost all files on this removable storage.

 

[delaneyjm]

Did you restart the computer?

 

[Scott M]

Did you restart the computer?

I did not restart the computer but i did put into another computer and got the same result

 

[xenou]

Microsoft's support article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/871233

Try first -- sounds crazy but it *is* worth a try being so simple:
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/usb-device-not-recognized/
(i.e., shut off the PC *and* unplug it)

Also - inspect the thumb drive port and look for any obvious signs of damage or dust/debris.

 

[Scott M]

Thanks for your help
I put the removable storage device (thumb drive )in another lap top and got the same result.I did shut down this computer but did not remove the battery.Still got the same result.I took it to the geek squad they told me that the device was bad and they could send it off and get the files retrieved but that would be in the $$hundreds$$.I dont thik that the ports are the problem because it dose not work in any port on any computer.I thought about cleaning the contact with some alcahol to see if that workes. I will try restarting this computer in safe mode as mentioned in the link you provided.Thanks again. Any more advice will be mutch help.

 

[Scott M]

Ok now that I have lost all of my files is there any way to get them back I can open excell and vew all of my receant files but it wont open them because they are in for example G:\ filename exctra is there a way to change the extension? I guess I am grasping for straws but I have alot of work to do if I can not get at least some files back.
Just a shot in the dark probably.
What a great way to start a new year

 

[Macropod]

Hi Scott,

Like all media, thumb drives fail from time to time. So, for any important files, backups should be kept. If you don't have formal backups, check for copies on other media and/or emails. I you have none, your OS is unlikely to be able to help you. Tring to change the particulars in the 'recent files' list would be pointless - they're just pointers to where the file should be. If you were to put a completely different file with the same name on another thumbrive and attach that thundrive to your PC, neither Excel nor the OS would be any the wiser.

 

[diddi]

hi scott, there are a number of things which can ruin a USB drive, but as a general rule i have found them pretty indestructable. i have even left them in the washing and washed them full cycle and not even lost the data. one thing you should NEVER do, however is leave them in your puta when your not actually working with it. the reason is that they are prone to breaking at the circuit board when they are knocked (even slightly).

if you break the cover off by splitting it along the side join (they are clipped together) you will find a small circuit board with basically 1 memory chip and a couple of ancilliary components all attached to the metal USB connector. their are 4 soldered connections from the the circuit board to the usb plug (and on some devices, the outer shell is also soldered to a pad) you have a very good chance of reviving the drive by resoldering all 4 connections using an suitable electronics soldering iron (not high temp as you will compromise the integrity of the memory chip.)

i have revived many usb 'thumb' devices including drives, TVs and wireless. the long flat design of USB plugs is flawed and should never have been made such a silly shape in the first place.

good luck

 

[Macropod]

as a general rule i have found them pretty indestructable.

I've had a number of them die for no apparent reason (they'd never even been in the wash!).

 

[xenou]

RE diddi's advice , I guess it may be worth trying to do the repair job - I'm glad someone knows a little about it (I'm not sure my first attempt at soldering would result in a fix or a disaster though, if I were in these shoes). I read some similar description for fixing usb's online but since I've never done anything close I had no idea if it was in the realm of possibility or not.

I've never had a USB fail me - only recently I discarded some 4-5 year old devices as getting too old to be sure about. There's a life expectancy based on number of read/writes but how do you measure that in real life (?). Edit: oops -- I take this back. I did have one that literally fell apart on me, but had no important data on it.

The rule about files is that a file that isn't backed up doesn't exist. For any important work you do you need to decide what's the worst case you are willing to live with (losing a days work, a weeks work, an afternoon's work), and backup accordingly. At work you'll have IT support for this, but at home you have to do your own backups - a thumb drive is as a rule unsafe since they can be lost, so I'd consider such devices as requiring backups after every work session (i.e., to the laptops' drive before you log off). Live and learn.