SanDisk USB Flash drive has disconnected pins

[moleman50]

Last night my USB flash drive stopped working. I originally started putting important files on it as a backup, but eventually used it as the primary storage for these files. I don't care about the 1MB SanDisk drive, I just want to recover the files.

My friend thought he might have bumped it. When I examined it I found that the metal tip was bent to the side (when the thumbdrive is lying flat). It's one of those retractable ones, and I could tell it was damaged because it was difficult to retract/protrude now. I carefully popped off the casing to reveal the actual chip inside. What I found was that the tip appeared to have been pulled off to some extent, and as a result - two of the connections have been removed entirely from the chip.

I've done some research and it appears that soldering the connections back to the pins can solve this. However, it seems like my thumbstick was constructed in a poor fashion. The "pins" appear to be a small metal square that were glued to the chip somehow. When the connections were ripped from the chip, it actually pulled these pins right off the chip. So now it seems like the pin is just dangling on the end of the connecting wires, and there's a dark spot on the chip where the pins used to be. I'm not that familiar with circuitry or anything so I don't know if its' possible to solder the pin back onto the chip.

 

[Lavarin]

I would suggest that—based on your unfamiliarity with the electronics—you look for a professional to reconstruct the assembly. If the files are that important, you should really rely on someone who knows what they're doing. Good luck!

 

[TheDraac]

If I was you.... I would do as Lavarin suggests..... If the files are REALLY important to you, have someone with the necessary soldering skills try to repair it for you. Given the size of the connections, it does take some skill with a soldering iron that a newbie doesn't have, to properly and safely make the connections.

 

[knotknut]

Id plug the usb portion in to the PC and hold the pins with my finger, wood or plactic stick, to the chip and have someone else operate the PC and try to open the drive and copy the files.

EDIT: Solder sounds like a bad idea, IMO.