Flashdrive won't open

  • Thread starter Thread starter Beowulfie
  • Start date Start date
B

Beowulfie

I have a SanDisk 1 gig flash drive and while I was trying to delete the
files on it, it began slowing down and finally froze. I couldn't get it to
release so I rebooted.
Now it won't open at all.
What can I do to get it working again?

BsT
 
Yeah, I've been to that page, but didn't have the information off-hand to
register the thing. All I had wanted to do was find out why it was messing
up.
Since then I've reformatted and was able to use it, but the second time it
messed abit again. Half of the files wound up just 000s and that seems to be
what hangs up the file. It tries to automatically play the zero files and
nothing. Had to reformat again.

BsT
 
Beowulfie said:
I have a SanDisk 1 gig flash drive and while I was trying to delete the
files on it, it began slowing down and finally froze. I couldn't get it to
release so I rebooted.
Now it won't open at all.
What can I do to get it working again?
Click to expand...

Contact the maker of your hardware for the fix. This is NOT an XP
problem.
 
No, actually I didn't think it was an XP problem, I run XP and just thought
someone here could give me an answer.
Thanks anyway.

BsT
 
Three ways to resolve this:

1) Remove it from the USB port and reboot. then insert it in the same
USB port and let Windows detect it;

2) As above but this time insert it in another port. Not the same port
as before and again let windows detect it.

3) Try to insert it on another PC to see if it is detected on that PC.

Hope this gives you an idea how to resolve the problem systematically.
Trial & Error is never the best way to solve electronics problems!

hth
 
Thanks for the advice. I've tried it on two different machines and four
ports between them and the same thing.I think that the files were corrupted
during the transfer somehow. When you look at the files it just shows a
bunch of zeros. I think the drive gets hung up trying to open them. I can't
even delete those files, it just keeps saying "attempting delete" and I have
wound up just formatting it.

BsT
 
The safest way to remove the flash drive (or any USB device) is to use
the icon in the sys tray. Right click on it and choose "Safely Remove
Hardware".

You have now lost all files and the get the flash drive back, you will
need to format it again so that corrupt FAT is repaired!

hth
 
Beowulfie said:
Thanks for the advice. I've tried it on two different machines and four
ports between them and the same thing.I think that the files were corrupted
during the transfer somehow. When you look at the files it just shows a
bunch of zeros. I think the drive gets hung up trying to open them. I can't
even delete those files, it just keeps saying "attempting delete" and I have
wound up just formatting it.

BsT
Click to expand...
ANONYMOUS is right. The damage usually occurs if you remove a flash
drive while it is in use,i.e. in the act of reading or writing.

Bill
 
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