Dead usb

[scotchtape]

recently my usb stick stopped working one day i plug it in and it works like it usually does. a few hours later i plug it into another computer and it stops working there was nothing wrong with my usb and there was nothing wrong with the computers i used.
now every time i try to plug it in to a computer nothing happens, it doesn't open up at all, the computer doesn't read my usb!

WHAT DO I DO!!!

 

[aford10]

Try slowly moving the usb drive around. There are 4 connectors soldered onto the chip inside the usb drives. They often break on cheap drives. As you move it around, they can make contact with the chip and the PC should recognize it.

 

[scotchtape]

i tried that and it doesn't work, the little light in the usb blinks once and nothing happens, the computer still doesn't read it. i just want to get into my usb and get the files that are on there and put them on a new usb.
i have tried many different things but they never work cause my usb can't be detected.

anything else i should try?

 

[aford10]

I had a customer with this exact problem. This is what I did.

I used a screw driver to remove the top shell. Then peeled back the protective cover. Then used my finger to hold the little metal prongs down on the chip for a secure connection. I inserted the drive into my front usb panel. When holding down on the prongs, the PC picked up the drive. Then I copied all the data and moved it to another drive.

You can also take it to a shop. They usually charge ~$700 to do the same thing.

 

[scotchtape]

thats sounds like it may be my only option, i was going to do that but i wanted to see if there was another way.

you said that i can take it to a shop, what do you mean by that? do you mean i could take it to a best buy or something like that?

 

[aford10]

I don't believe best buy provides that technical of a service. They work more with their products and software. You would need to find a more specialized shop. The drive can be fixed by soldering those prongs back onto the chip inside. But the drives are so cheap, that it's better to copy the data off and destroy it. Even if it's soldered back down, you can't really trust it. It's not real hard to do on your own. Like I mentioned, it can cost ~$700 to have a shop do it for you. Pretty much any data recovery job can get very costly.

 

[scotchtape]

o ok so do it my self is the best option

i am having a really hard time opening it up! how would i open it up? my usb that i am talking about is a kingston datatraveller 2gb

 

[aford10]

Use a screwdriver or a knife to pry the middle apart. Once you get the tip of the knife or screwdriver in, slide it up and down to pry the whole side open. Try not to stick the blade in too far, as you don't want to damage the chip inside.

 

[Ramlees]

Whatever you decide to do, DO NOT throw out the data stick. I have a Buffalo data stick that decided to call it quits a few years ago. I think what happened is that I left it sitting on my mobile phone one day and at some point the I received an email from a friend. After that the stick refused to boot up. I held on to it vainly hoping that one day I would be able to get the data off it. I tried it on every computer I could without success and then suddenly about a month ago, I plugged it into a computer and IT CAME BACK TO LIFE!!!! I got all my files off it and it's still working. Seems it was in a coma or something. KEEP IT!!

 

[rexon2012]

I just revived my sandisk USB, and this video fix it, hope this helps you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOhUUwC70B0