Never using a USB key again, EVER

[GV2NIX]

I have a Cruzer Titanium 2GB, and wouldn't you know it, the thing fails on me on the way home to transfer all of the sensitive and important data to my desktop. The SanDisk people offered no useful advice, so I think I'm going to have to figure this on out on my own. I'm convinced that it's an interface problem. i.e. either the plug or the plug interfact circuitry is damaged. Has anyone ever opened up a USB key and extracted the data by some other means from the Flash RAM chip? I'd really like some help and advice, I'm sweating bullets over here!

Thanks in advance guys! I swear, I'm never using flash memory again. It's either hard drives, e-mail, and burnable media from now on!

[Capper]

Wow, I've never heard of anyone surgically repairing their USB key.
I personally stick with Corsair or Kingston when it comes to those, their tech support is awesome

[gvblake22]

I've also never heard of anyone actually recovering data from a broken flash drive, but that's not to say it can't be done somehow... I just have no idea where you would have to start to try and do something like that. :?

As far as your opinion on flash drives, I just have to tell you that nothing is perfect. Flash drives can fail just as easily as a HDD can. And (as we all know) floppy drives are even worse! e-mail is more reliable but you are limited by file size and transfer speed.
The Cruzer Titanium is supposed to be one of the tougher, more durable flash drives out there so it suprises me that it just took a poop on the way home. Have you tried it in other computers? And am I assuming correctly that you have mission-critical files on that flash drive and those are the only copies of the files? Probably a mistake right there, but I can't blame you, I do it all the time too :oops:
With data and files that are super important I always make it a habit to make as many backup copies as possible. One on each of my hard drives, another on my flash drive (Kingston DataTravelerII, which is very nice BTW), and/or burn to optical media. Your first mistake was trusting something to a flash drive that are very simple electronic devices that (just like everything) can fail. But I don't really need to say anything else about that since your problem still isn't solved...

I would try it in another computer and also try it back in the source comptuer or work computer or whatever it was that you first got the data from and see if it works there. Are you crossing operating systems with it? I know it shouldn't matter, but sometimes if you format a drive in windows, Mac's won't read them (yes, personal experience tells me that).

Also try it in some different USB ports and see if that somehow makes a difference.

[Capper]

I'd personally recommend getting a GMail account, which we can help you with.
I use my gmail to store all of my important stuff, plenty of room and very secure

viksoe.dk - GMail Drive shell extension
http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm

[Tyreal]

The Gmail Drive shell extension is a fantastic little plugin. It's helped me transfer files so many times.

One thing that gmail had to implement though is that you cannot store *so many* files in one day because they've had problems with people storing pirated files in accounts. But it shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck with your problem. I know how it feels to lose precious data.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by Capper

I'd personally recommend getting a GMail account, which we can help you with.
I use my gmail to store all of my important stuff, plenty of room and very secure

viksoe.dk - GMail Drive shell extension
http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm

I totally forgot about that! It looks pretty cool/useful. I'm gonna have to give that a try. Thanks! :)

[GV2NIX]

Hey, thanks for the advice guys!

Yeah, I know I was asking for it, but this was literally stuff I was working on at school, had to jet all of a sudden and went straight home to get it on my desktop before I did anything else. I figured, "Ok, it'll last till I get home." but it didn't...

I know that any storage media can fail, but the reason why I don't think I'm going to use USB keys anymore is that I think they are often subjected to inadvertant abuse. It's often hard to pull them out perfectly correctly, and most of the time, I'm pretty sure we're applying some sort of lateral forces (as opposed to purely longitudinal). My theory is that over time, the interface plug was being torqued back and forth. Because I handled it gingerly, it didn't break right away, but I bet the very slight bending and heat from extended transfers (it gets really hot when it's got the pedal to the metal) probably caused something in the interface to fail eventually, and that last withdrawal when I left school was the straw that broke the camel's back. Kinda get what I mean?

The Cruzer was marketed to be super tough, but I figured that was just the casing. The innards are probably the same as any other 2GB flash drive, you know? But, the average consumer thinks "TITANIUM! It'll never break!" Yeah, the casing will never break, but the insides are probably just as fallable as any other USB key's innards.

But, back to my dilemma. I'll be the first to admit that while I love taking things apart and fiddling around with them, I'm not what you would call an electronics expert. Although I was handy enough with a soldering iron to make a transistor radio out of a wooden box, a geranium diode, IC, and a ton of wire, I don't think I'm qualified to hotwire something like this. If no one knows of a way that I can do this myself, is anyone up to taking on an educational and potentially lucritive experiment? :)

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by GV2NIX

But, back to my dilemma. I'll be the first to admit that while I love taking things apart and fiddling around with them, I'm not what you would call an electronics expert. Although I was handy enough with a soldering iron to make a transistor radio out of a wooden box, a geranium diode, IC, and a ton of wire, I don't think I'm qualified to hotwire something like this. If no one knows of a way that I can do this myself, is anyone up to taking on an educational and potentially lucritive experiment? :)

Ya know, it might still be possible. If it is infact just the USB plug that is messed but the memory chip is still operable, you could try and to a mod like what JCLW did HERE...
Maybe, just maybe you can solder into the four contacts, run wire leads up, put some pins and connectors on, then connect it to an internal USB header on your motherboard. Crazy, but it might just work if you are willing to totally destroy your flash drive to try! :o

[GV2NIX]

Hmmm, interesting. Maybe I should get in touch with him and see what he thinks. Thanks!

I honestly don't even know how to pop this thing open. No screws, clips, nothing. I can see the seam, but I'm not really sure what the retension mechanism is. Man, I feel like I'm trying to disarm a bomb!

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by GV2NIX

I honestly don't even know how to pop this thing open. No screws, clips, nothing. I can see the seam, but I'm not really sure what the retension mechanism is. Man, I feel like I'm trying to disarm a bomb!

HAHAHA, good luck with that man. I'd say try getting a small flat-head screwdriver and pry it into that crack and see if you can pop it open. If that doesn't work, maybe you'll just have to bust out the dremel! :shock: :lol: