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Thumb Drive Problem

AtaxrxesAtaxrxes HellnationCursed EarthRegistered User regular
edited April 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
I have a thumb drive here that is suddenly asking if I want to reformat it every time it is inserted into the computer. The files cannot be accessed after this message comes up. The files on it are from a Windows PC but I tried sticking it in a Mac just to see if I could get at the files to back them up but no dice. Any ideas or is it just going to have to be reformatted?

Ataxrxes on

Posts

  • amateurhouramateurhour One day I'll be professionalhour The woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered User regular
    edited April 2008
    Ataxrxes wrote: »
    I have a thumb drive here that is suddenly asking if I want to reformat it every time it is inserted into the computer. The files cannot be accessed after this message comes up. The files on it are from a Windows PC but I tried sticking it in a Mac just to see if I could get at the files to back them up but no dice. Any ideas or is it just going to have to be reformatted?

    Did you unplug it without ejecting it first? If you do this to much it can screw it up. If it's anything like mine, when you format it, it will give you an error and it will still be screwed up. Past that I haven't found a fix yet. I've tried formatting in command prompt and using dban to wipe the flash drive and nothing has fixed the problem.

    amateurhour on
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  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    edited April 2008
    I've had some minor luck with TestDisk (http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk) in the past at recovering seemingly corrupted USB drives.

    Also, this (http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/8366/print) was somewhat helpful as well.

    Daenris on
  • AtaxrxesAtaxrxes Hellnation Cursed EarthRegistered User regular
    edited April 2008
    Ataxrxes wrote: »
    I have a thumb drive here that is suddenly asking if I want to reformat it every time it is inserted into the computer. The files cannot be accessed after this message comes up. The files on it are from a Windows PC but I tried sticking it in a Mac just to see if I could get at the files to back them up but no dice. Any ideas or is it just going to have to be reformatted?

    Did you unplug it without ejecting it first? If you do this to much it can screw it up. If it's anything like mine, when you format it, it will give you an error and it will still be screwed up. Past that I haven't found a fix yet. I've tried formatting in command prompt and using dban to wipe the flash drive and nothing has fixed the problem.

    I have been assured that the proper eject procedures have been followed, but I was also informed that even doing that sometimes results in the improper eject message, so it sounds like it's just dead probably.

    Ataxrxes on
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