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Question

Brand new 16GB USB Flash Drive unusable after formatting

Jul 1, 2011 10:28PM PDT

Hello

I'm really hoping someone can help me with this.

I've just got a brand new 16GB USB Flash Drive from Play.com. Its their own brand, and I've been using the 4GB version for years without any trouble.

I bought the 16GB version to transfer files larger than 4GB, so I proceeded to format the drive from FAT32 to NTFS through My Computer on a laptop running Vista. The format went through fine, giving a "Format Successful" message upon completion, so I used the Safely Remove Hardware icon to remove the drive and did so when a message popped up saying it was safe.

I then inserted the 16GB in a computer running XP SP3, and this is where more than two hours (so far) of annoyance started.

The 16GB drive now displays 0 Bytes used and 0 Bytes free. Double clicking it in My Computer gives a message saying there is no disk inserted.

I can't format it again.

I've uninstalled the drivers and reinstalled, but to no avail.

I've read about creating a partition on it, but can't seem to do so.

I've booted in Safe Mode to try reformatting but got the same error messages.

I've used an HP Formatting Utility, but still get messages saying there is no disk in the drive.

I've tried the stick in multiple USB ports on two computers and the laptop, but no change.

My other USB sticks still work, so its the new 16GB drive that is the problem. From all the Googling I've done, I think its been formatted to RAW, meaning the operating systems can't read it.

I have no idea what to do now. Does anyone have any more suggestions? Any help would be very much appreciated.

Just to clarify, I'm not trying recover files from it. It hasn't had any files on it. I'm trying to make it usable.

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
(NT) Contacted the mfg tech support ?
Jul 2, 2011 6:00AM PDT
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Answer
Google this and hope.
Jul 2, 2011 7:52AM PDT

HP USB MEMORY STICK FORMATTER

It should find it and good luck!

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Thanks
Jul 2, 2011 7:59AM PDT

Thanks for the replies.

I've tried the HP tool, but it said there was no drive inserted, and I don't know what mfg tech support is.

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OK, the other problem
Jul 2, 2011 8:03AM PDT

I wonder if other USB drives work or if this drive works on a Windows 7 machine.

Do tell.

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No luck
Jul 2, 2011 7:54PM PDT

The 16GB drive doesn't work on machines running XP SP3, Vista 32-Bit or Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit. My other USB flash drives do still work on them all.

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mfg tech support....it's the technical support for the
Jul 2, 2011 8:34AM PDT

product (USB drive) manufacturer.

VAPCMD

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Erm...
Jul 2, 2011 8:00PM PDT

So contact Play.com? Sorry. I've never heard of MFG support, and Google isn't making it any clearer.

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Perhaps the retailer you bought the USB flash
Jul 2, 2011 10:59PM PDT

drive from can get you a contact for the mfg. Or you could return the flash drive to the retailer as defective or get another brand ?

VAPCMD

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I'll return it if I can't fix it myself.
Jul 3, 2011 6:31PM PDT

As soon as I started having trouble with it, I thought about returning it. I've been using the brand for about 8 years now, and this is the only time I've had trouble with it. I was hoping there'd be a method I could use that would fix it for me, but everything I've tried has failed.

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It appears you've covered the possibilities..looks
Jul 3, 2011 11:45PM PDT

like time to return the defective device.

Let us know how it turns out.

VAPCMD

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Answer
Three questions.
Jul 2, 2011 11:13PM PDT

1. Does it still work in the Vista laptop?
2. What does Disk Management think about the drive in Vista?
3. What does Disk Management think about the drive in XP?

Disk Management, by the way, is the tool to (re)partition the drive if it's RAW

Kees

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No luck anywhere
Jul 3, 2011 6:54PM PDT

1. The drive doesn't work on the laptop. It gives the same messages as with the computers running XP and W7.

2. Disk Management doesn't detect the drive in Vista, but a new option called "USB Disk 2.0 USB Device", which is empty, appears in the library subsection of the Storage section in Computer Management. My computer and the Safe Removal facility do detect the drive. It can be safely removed, but double-clicking it in My Computer gives a message saying there is no disk inserted and I should try again.

3. Disk Management, My Computer and Safe Removal behave exactly the same way in XP.

The drive was formatted on Vista, but installed itself automatically in XP and W7 when it was first inserted. That led me to believe it was locked or encrypted by mistake.

I used a third-party partition-management program to investigate the USB drive, and it showed the file format of the drive as FAT12, though I was unable to do anything with it. Research on the internet has suggested the drive has been formatted into a RAW format, but I don't know what that means.

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Thanks again.
Jul 13, 2011 6:50PM PDT

I decided to send it back, and I've just had the confirmation of a full refund from Play.com.

I'd just like to thank everyone again for trying to help me resolve this.

Take care. Happy

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(NT) Good to hear the mfg is supporting the product
Jul 22, 2011 9:24AM PDT
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Answer
Ubuntu Live CD
Jul 21, 2011 5:07AM PDT

I have had luck with a bad flash drive using an Ubuntu Live CD. If you use Disk Utility, Ubvuntu should be able to read and format the drive. You can download the Ubuntu Live CD image and burn it to a CD and boot that off any of the three computers you have.
Good luck!