USB drive is not formatted

[Todd Virlee]

My father has a Windows XP home machine that is giving him a "drive is not
formmated" error whenever he tries to access data on his USB pen drive. This
drive was working for 6 months and then just started giving him this message.
Any ideas? Driver? Registry hack?

 

[Mark Adams]

My father has a Windows XP home machine that is giving him a "drive is not
formmated" error whenever he tries to access data on his USB pen drive. This
drive was working for 6 months and then just started giving him this message.
Any ideas? Driver? Registry hack?

Why not just try formatting it? Use Fat 32.

 

[R. McCarty]

Flash memory based devices tend to fail abruptly. It's not like a
traditional
magnetic platter type drive that may give indications it's beginning to
fail. It
is a good idea to try and read the device in another PC. I frequently see
the
message you indicate but the drive itself is still readable in other
computers.
If it doesn't mount in another computer then it's likely failed on him.

 

[Todd Virlee]

I do not want to lose the data. Any other ideas that solve the cause of the
problem?

 

[Todd Virlee]

If it does work in another computer, then what does that mean with his machine?

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

If it does work in another computer, then what does that mean with his
machine?

It means this:
1. Save the data on that other machine.
2. Format the flash drive.
3. See if it works reliably. If it doesn't, throw it away.

 

[Mark Adams]

If it does work in another computer, then what does that mean with his machine?

Copy the data off onto the other computer, remove the drive from that
computer and then check the data that you copied. If the data is good, try
formatting it on the computer where it doesn't work. If the data is corrupted
or unusable, the drive is probably toast.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Todd,
I concur with what "R. McCarty" wrote in his reply to your post.
However, I would also like to add, for future reference, that WinImage.exe
(free) can record the entire contents of a 'pen drive' and store it on your
computer as an 'image file', similar to an cd-rom image .ISO file. This can
be used to back-up and restore your data on a USB 'memory stick' or restore
the data to a new 'memory stick' should the 'pen drive' fail altogether.
This is useful if you like to take around your favourite software with
you on a 'pen drive' for instance, diagnostic software for the purposes of
checking clients PC's for errors or viruses.
It takes time to gather a collection together and using this method, you
don't need to be without it for very long, even if you needed to buy an
entirely new drive.


==



Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Todd Virlee]

I have seen other people report that numerous USB drives fail on their
computer. How are we to know that his machine is any different? What do I
do if I get him another drive and it fails too?

 

[Tim Meddick]

Todd,
you are "pre-empting", just apply some of the suggestions first and
then take on one problem at a time as and IF they arise.

==



Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Mark Adams]

I have seen other people report that numerous USB drives fail on their
computer. How are we to know that his machine is any different? What do I
do if I get him another drive and it fails too?

Get one of those mini USB powered hard drives, the data is stored on a
platter and not on semiconductor.

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

We don't know if it is the USB drive or the USB port that's marginal. I have
a USB mouse that works perfectly well on one USB port of my laptop and on
all other machines . On the other USB port it fails to be recognised. Yet
this port works fine with all other USB devices.

In other words, it may be a question of tolerance. Your father's flash disk
may have drifted a little too far to one side and his USB port may be a
little too far on the other side of the specifications. You can observe the
same phenomenon in some marriages where it is referred to as "mutual
incompatibility" . . .

 

[smlunatick]

I have seen other people report that numerous USB drives fail on their
computer.  How are we to know that his machine is any different?  What do I
do if I get him another drive and it fails too?

You must test this "flash" drive on a different PC before stating the
drive has "failed!" USB ports are extremely "finicky" and you must
first see if the drive works elsewhere.

 

[Todd Virlee]

It is a problem with the drive. It fails on another machine. We'll try the
reformat and then purchase a new drive.

 

[Leythos]

You need to format and re-install windows.

 

[Leythos]

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From: "Leythos" <[email protected]>
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The headers from the Usenet posts prove that the message was not posted
by myself, Leythos. The Usenet troll/unethical hack, PCBUTTS is posting
impersonating myself, proving all the bad things that this group has
posted about him and proving just how unethical he is.

You should avoid following any advice from impersonation based posts.

Complaint filed with (e-mail address removed)

 

[Barry Schwarz]

You need to format and re-install windows.

For the archives, this is a forged post and the advice is bogus.

 

[Leythos]

No it was real and you are an idiot.

 

[Leythos]

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Abuse complaint filed with (e-mail address removed), headers included.