Problematic Flash Drive

  • Thread starter Juiposa
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Juiposa

Juiposa

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I have this 4 gig flash drive I found in my dad's office, he let me have it, so decided to use it. Try to format it, it deletes all of the file on the thing, but the format isn't completed.

I try to format it again, but the formatter gets stuck at around 2-3% completion. I cancel the format, but Windows tells me I can't stop the format, saying it can retry to stop safely or stop immediately. I tell it to try again, but alas, no luck, cannot leave the format, so I am forced to tell it to stop immediately.

Next I try to use the Cmd Prompt. I test on another flash drive to make sure the port just isnt broken, but the Cmd Prompt formats it fine. So I try this problematic one, and HA! the command prompt comeback with an ioctl error! I try again and get and error reading exactly this:

" C:\User\Jeff>format /FS:FAT32 J: (flash drive is drive J)
Insert new disk for drive J:
and press ENTER when ready... (I press enter)
Access Denied as you do not have sufficient privileges.
You have to invoke this utility running in elevated mode. "

I am the admin of the computer!

SO, since my dad works for the government, there is two options. A) the thing is trashed B) It was encrypted, and when all the files off of it were deleted, so did any software controlling the encryption, but the file system is still structured as it is encrypted.

As additional info, when I look into the properties, it states 0 bytes used and 0 bytes available. It also states it is already in FAT32 format (ability to be read and written to without restriction.)


Any thoughts?
 
The drive is probably just junk. But if you want to try the command prompt format, try opening command prompt with the "run as administrator" option.

A 4gig drive is only $5 brand new, not worth spending much time on.
 
Update:
When I try to add files to it, Windows says it can't find the files in the directory I'm trying to add to it. Try with the other flash drive with the EXACT same files, no problemo.
 
boshuter
The drive is probably just junk. But if you want to try the command prompt format, try opening command prompt with the "run as administrator" option.

A 4gig drive is only $5 brand new, not worth spending much time on.
Click to expand...

Yes it is worth it, it's five bucks!
 
You are just better off buying a new flash drive. 32GB is very cheap these days, like this drive, compared to 3 years ago I bought my 16GB flash drive(A nice one that is like the one I linked to is water resistant, small, and easy to store in the wallet) at $40. I've had a really good experience with this drive and has dealt with being packed into my wallet for 2 of the 3 years. I've dropped it into snow and it has gone though a full run through the washer and dryer when I forgot it in my jeans. Though if you'd rather, you can get them for cheaper but what it really comes down to it is what you like.
 
Flash drives memory modules have a limited life so I would say get a new one from a good name brand like team or corsair.
 
I'm willing (because of my devious part James Bond nature) to bet the data was highly encrypted, and it was some sort of blueprints for an experimental program and/or device that's more powerful than anything ever will be. :dopey:

No but seriously, the data may have a 9 stage 4 part encryption (which would be pretty hard to crack), or it's just had it. Still a shame, any free drive is a good drive!
 
Try booting off a linux live CD and using mkdosfs.

I'd agree with most everyone else, though, for five dollars I wouldn't spend a huge amount of time on it.
 
It seems to me like this is a hardware failure, that's the usual explanation for drives not doing what they're supposed to. If you've ever experienced a hard drive failure you'll know that the best you can hope for is to get it working just long enough to copy files over by sticking it in the freezer for a while, no such fix exists for flash drives, and even if they did... It's $5. You're not even losing any data, either. No amount of software can fix a hardware problem and flash drives are very temporary devices anyway, they just don't live very long.
 

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