Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

portable storage device

Sep 1, 2010 1:52PM PDT

From the time I started working with computers. I keep ruining diskettes (sm floppy) new or old, on various computers. Home or work, desktop or laptop, new or old computer. Now the same thing is happening with my flash/thumb drives- new or old, home or work computer, desktop or laptop. I have always been extremely careful while storing and transporting my disks/flash and make sure I safety stop before removing from the computer. I know people who do not take care of their devices and nothing ever happens to their files. I don't understand why I always have corrupt files. I keep thinking I am doing "something" wrong. Today someone posed this question to me: could I physically be putting off an electrical or magnetic discharge to be losing my files. Is this possible? I'm the only one that seems to have this problem and I treat things with care. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
There are many many reasons.
Sep 1, 2010 10:04PM PDT

The most common is that old FAT file system. For a test format one of your sticks to NTFS and if that's compatible you might see some improvement or the issue vanish.

But given all the malware out there, and other issues I see with folk that have different word processors that claim their files are ruined from machine to machine I think this issue will dog folk even if the files are fine.
Bob

- Collapse -
There are many many reasons.
Sep 2, 2010 10:19AM PDT

Thanks, I'll try it. But, I don't really carry my storage device to various computers... This has always happened at home when I only had access to one computer, it didn't matter if it was a floppy or a thumb drive. I have my own thumb drive at work, from the time I started working I either had problems with floppies or thumb drives there to. No one else has this happen consistantly. I do use programs to clean my home computer and laptop. At first, I though I had a computer bug or bad program. But, it can't be with every computer I touch. Just recently I tried my personal storages device elsewhere. I was just trying to make the point that it happens with various computers, floppies, flash drives- Not that I'm a computer hopper picking up and spreading virus. Also, I know people who are not careful and do as you insinuated without ever an issue.

- Collapse -
Let's try again.
Sep 2, 2010 10:30AM PDT

Floppies are almost always formatted FAT. And flash drives so far are same upon arrival.

If I have any suggestion at all it is to try NTFS next.
Bob