Flash drive not so 'flash'

It went belly-up.

from WinCustomize Forums

Probably teaches me to help someone out with their comp issues.....his USB ports weren't working.....and now neither is my 1gig Flashdrive.

What's the bet something was wired up cleverly and it's now been fried.

Bugger. $120 AUS down the drain.

Next time he can use his own....;p

9,338 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Was it a current issue, maybe the power supply? Must have been something pretty bad to burn your flash drive.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Nah, Ive heard of people assembling there towers and screwing up the wireing on the frontside USB ports..If they switched the positive and the ground it would fry a flash drive..And Jafo 120 for a 1gig flash drive...shame on you..that is waayyy to much to spend...it shouldnt have been more then 60 or 70 bucks......Shop around man...You can get a 1 gig alianware mp3 player for that. with flash drive capabilitys...
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh wait...What is the price diffrence..you said AUS vs American I asume...So maybe you didnt get yanked too much...get it..Yanked...Yank.....okay
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
ack, didn't think about the front ports.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes...it was the front ports....and yes, 120 AUS would be about 80 US....and that was a few months ago now...so the equivalent would be still less today...

Next time I'm transferring data, etc to another's machine I'll use a 20c CD....

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
many bare cases still come with split pin connectors for the front usb ports .. 1 misplaced pin can fry anything plugged in to it ... Tyically if i get a call to Help with front USB issues i first get the case model # and manufacturer, motherboard model and mfgr. then print the coresponding Installation manual Pages off the perspective manufacturers Web sites .. then make sure every thing is copasetic. 9 times out of 10 theres a misplaced pin or they didnt even hook them up at all...

CD is still the best way to go. flash drives are nice but to sucecptable to hardware issues as well as other issues when trouble shooting a PC...
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If it makes you feel any better, I just fried my 1Gig flash drive in my new PC.

Front USB connectors on the new case were a different style than the new MB, so naturally I connected them wrong and.....voila! One dead thumb drive.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Make sure you guys are actually frying these things. They're nothing more then non-volatile memory (the same as the BIOS chip) and sometimes (sometimes being the operative word), it's simply a matter of draining the power out of them via the PSU and booting up to 'reset' it.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
draining the power out of them via the PSU

How?
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm still not sure what fried my 1GB drive, but given what I used it for, it was a front-side USB port. I am making more of a habit of "disconnecting" the replacement rather than just yanking it out. The smaller ones aren't quite coming with a Happy Meal yet, but it's getting close. Keep the larger ones for more important things.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How?


Leave the drive in. Turn off computer, unplug the power, push the Start button to drain any residual juice left....have a beer. Boot-up.

Happy Meal


Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'll give that a try. So far I've tried the drive in 4 different PCs, and it wasn't "seen" bey any of them.

(I plan to pay special attention to the beer part. I'm a stickler for accuracy, you know )
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Had a few skinloads of beer....still no change....though the wife complains of beer gut...

My friendly comp shop happily replaced it, BTW...

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
....the drive, not the physique...
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
....the drive, not the physique...
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Drive still won't light up and is not recognized by the system.

Maybe one beer wasn't enough.
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
Beers and PC, who would have known. Anyone got a cup holder on their PCs (besides the CD tray) and/or a cigarette lighter? I've seen these around and can't possibly imagine who would put these on their PC's, then I read the replies and wondered.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I remember touring the computer room at my dad's work as a kid and seeing the ashtrays built into the consoles. Can't imagine that today.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't throw it away. My flash drive come back to life after a couple of days after bad run in washer and dryer cycle. It died for 2 days then it just got working. It's retired now, however since I got nifty tiny 512 MB drive. It was just 30 bucks too.