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USB pen drive damaged disconnects and connects again and again


Best Answer bilou_gateux , 14 September 2014 - 02:05 PM

 

Hi bilou_gateux
 
Your failure description seems uncommon for this type of older usb stick!.
In my experience these old memory devices usualy work or not, and 'then', sometimes fail.
 
Your description sounds like a slow degredation during each use.
An internal heat issue could cause this, another common failure to these types
of usb sticks is cold or broken solder joints at the usb connector to the usb stick pcb. 
A broken or cold solder joint could give the same exact failure as your describing.
As you use the device, it heats up, expansion, etc, cold solder joints don't play well with that scenario.
 
since it sounds as though it's some rather important info you are trying to save,
I thought I would offer up my $.02 and some expertise.
And hey who knows, you might get lucky.
 
If you have the tech savy and a good pencil point soldering iron, 
you could pry open the usb stick, apply a small amount of heat and
some fresh rosin core solder to each usb to pcb connection. (reflowing the solder)
allow it to cool and reassemble.
Also inspect the usb connector of the pen drive with a magnifier to identify any problems.
So notice I talk of this as though I've done it for a few decades, "Well, I have."
"If you don't think you have the tech savy to accomplish this, don't try it"
"with a small pencil type iron, and quickly resoldering your connections, you should be ok."
"But we all know, 'somebody' will screw it up for all the rest of us."
 
Hints:
use a very small wattage soldering iron
inspect your work with a magnifier after soldering, for bridges, etc.
Some No Brainer's, but here they are:
Make sure the device is not powered while soldering.
in order to provide stability to the usb connector undergoing surgery, 
connect it to an unused usb port. (i.e. plug it in to something)
this helps to dissipate heat, and helps keeps everything in place
in case it does get too hot.
 
Regards
RoyM

 

thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

 

I failed to backup whole disk (single image file or multiple parts)

I have tried FTK Imager Lite and log file reports unable to read source disk with offset and length of unreadable data.

Same with dsfo and chunks.

 

I finally gave up and tried another approach.

 

I used robocopy to save readable data from Transcend Jetflash USB pen drive to a target disk.

With log file of robocopy, i know exactly what is lost:

 

 

        New File             3.3 m    TranscendService(JF).exe
2014/09/13 16:39:26 ERROR 55 (0x00000037) Copying File I:\TranscendService(JF).exe
La ressource ou le p‚riph‚rique r‚seau sp‚cifi‚ n'est plus disponible.

Waiting 2 seconds... Retrying...
        New File             3.3 m    TranscendService(JF).exe
  0%  
 14%  
 29%  
 44%  
 58%  
 73%  
 88%  
100%  
        New File              2565    TranscendService(JF).htm
2014/09/13 16:39:33 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Copying File I:\TranscendService(JF).htm
Le fichier sp‚cifi‚ est introuvable.
 

 

And i saved some valuable data.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Total    Copied   Skipped  Mismatch    FAILED    Extras
     Dirs :       111       110         1         0         0         0
    Files :       212        63         0         0       149         0
    Bytes :   1.308 g  461.70 m         0         0  878.52 m         0
    Times :   0:11:52   0:09:42                       0:02:04   0:00:05

    Speed :              831449 Bytes/sec.
    Speed :              47.575 MegaBytes/min.

    Ended : Sat Sep 13 16:50:42 2014

I may have ever reached the end of life of flash drive

the pen drive is really bricked (flash cells) beyond repair I think

Essentially, the older your flash drive gets, the less reliable it becomes.

 

The Transcend Jetflash 4Gb pen drive was a gift from supplier. Used as storage for no sensitive data.

With log file from robocopy, i have an index of lost files.

 

for important data, i use reliable

Buffalo Technology FireStix USB Stick 4 GB Flash Type S

and weekly external disk backup.

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8 replies to this topic

#1 bilou_gateux

bilou_gateux

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Posted 10 September 2014 - 04:28 PM

suddenly started to disconnects and connects again and again after plugging it to a USB port

 

I have checked pendrive on various hardware and Operating Systems.

 

Transcend USB2 4 Gb pendrive formatted with a single FAT32 partition.

 

Under booted Linux liveCD, i can start to clone partition to image file, but the clone operation fails at 15%

 

What i would like to do:

clone the whole partition by copying small parts (400 Mb chunks) and then reassemble all saved parts in a single image file starting from 1st sectors [0-400 Mb] of the partition and then jumping to next 400 Mb, and next...

 

Hopefully, i would be able to save one chunk by one chunk  part before pendrive disconnects itself.

 

Linux clone tool unmount volume before cloning.

time estimated for cloning is 33 mn.

pendrive disconnects after 5-6 mn. about 500 Mb copied.

 

Do you have any suggestions on how to do it under WinPE

Under winPE, pendrive seems disconnects itself faster. I highly suspect Windows trying to access volume., even with no explorer open to browse file system.

 

for these kind of stuff, one guy is the expert, hehe.

 



#2 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 10 September 2014 - 04:44 PM

Well, that is more or less what datarescuedd (for windows) or ddrescue (for Linux) are supposed to do.

http://www.msfn.org/...disk/?p=1059909

 

For all practical purposes a failing USB stick is not much different from a failing (rotating) hard disk, so you can use the same programs and approaches.

 

Though less friendly (graphically) I would first try the Linux command line and GNU ddrescue.

 

There is also a Windows port (untested):

http://gd.tuwien.ac....lease/ddrescue/

 

A set of suggested parameters is also given in the same thread, here:
http://www.msfn.org/...disk/?p=1060101

 

:duff:

Wonko



#3 bilou_gateux

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Posted 10 September 2014 - 04:50 PM

Attached MBR backup (first 512 bytes of the Transcend USB2 pendrive)

 

I will try dsfo tool using syntax:

dsfo source offset size destination

to backup each chunk.

 

I just need to avoid using drive letter as source but rather access PHYSICALDRIVEx after unmounting volume under winPE



#4 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

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Posted 10 September 2014 - 04:54 PM

Attached MBR backup (first 512 bytes of the Transcend USB2 pendrive)

Usual Klingon or new Ferengi cloaking device? :w00t: : :ph34r:  :dubbio:

 

:duff:

Wonko



#5 bilou_gateux

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Posted 10 September 2014 - 05:14 PM

Error You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file

 

zipped file allowed...

Attached Files



#6 RoyM

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Posted 11 September 2014 - 01:12 AM

Hi bilou_gateux
 
Your failure description seems uncommon for this type of older usb stick!.
In my experience these old memory devices usualy work or not, and 'then', sometimes fail.
 
Your description sounds like a slow degredation during each use.
An internal heat issue could cause this, another common failure to these types
of usb sticks is cold or broken solder joints at the usb connector to the usb stick pcb. 
A broken or cold solder joint could give the same exact failure as your describing.
As you use the device, it heats up, expansion, etc, cold solder joints don't play well with that scenario.
 
since it sounds as though it's some rather important info you are trying to save,
I thought I would offer up my $.02 and some expertise.
And hey who knows, you might get lucky.
 
If you have the tech savy and a good pencil point soldering iron, 
you could pry open the usb stick, apply a small amount of heat and
some fresh rosin core solder to each usb to pcb connection. (reflowing the solder)
allow it to cool and reassemble.
Also inspect the usb connector of the pen drive with a magnifier to identify any problems.
So notice I talk of this as though I've done it for a few decades, "Well, I have."
"If you don't think you have the tech savy to accomplish this, don't try it"
"with a small pencil type iron, and quickly resoldering your connections, you should be ok."
"But we all know, 'somebody' will screw it up for all the rest of us."
 
Hints:
use a very small wattage soldering iron
inspect your work with a magnifier after soldering, for bridges, etc.
Some No Brainer's, but here they are:
Make sure the device is not powered while soldering.
in order to provide stability to the usb connector undergoing surgery, 
connect it to an unused usb port. (i.e. plug it in to something)
this helps to dissipate heat, and helps keeps everything in place
in case it does get too hot.
 
Regards
RoyM


#7 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

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Posted 11 September 2014 - 11:21 AM

@bilou

The bootsector is seemingly fine.

Let us know how it goes.

 

@RoyM

If in a few chunks/attempts the data can be retrieved, it would be much better.

The device in itself has no value in itself, and if the data can be retrieved it is simply not worth the time to attempt repair it.

 

 

:duff:

Wonko



#8 bilou_gateux

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 02:05 PM   Best Answer

 

Hi bilou_gateux
 
Your failure description seems uncommon for this type of older usb stick!.
In my experience these old memory devices usualy work or not, and 'then', sometimes fail.
 
Your description sounds like a slow degredation during each use.
An internal heat issue could cause this, another common failure to these types
of usb sticks is cold or broken solder joints at the usb connector to the usb stick pcb. 
A broken or cold solder joint could give the same exact failure as your describing.
As you use the device, it heats up, expansion, etc, cold solder joints don't play well with that scenario.
 
since it sounds as though it's some rather important info you are trying to save,
I thought I would offer up my $.02 and some expertise.
And hey who knows, you might get lucky.
 
If you have the tech savy and a good pencil point soldering iron, 
you could pry open the usb stick, apply a small amount of heat and
some fresh rosin core solder to each usb to pcb connection. (reflowing the solder)
allow it to cool and reassemble.
Also inspect the usb connector of the pen drive with a magnifier to identify any problems.
So notice I talk of this as though I've done it for a few decades, "Well, I have."
"If you don't think you have the tech savy to accomplish this, don't try it"
"with a small pencil type iron, and quickly resoldering your connections, you should be ok."
"But we all know, 'somebody' will screw it up for all the rest of us."
 
Hints:
use a very small wattage soldering iron
inspect your work with a magnifier after soldering, for bridges, etc.
Some No Brainer's, but here they are:
Make sure the device is not powered while soldering.
in order to provide stability to the usb connector undergoing surgery, 
connect it to an unused usb port. (i.e. plug it in to something)
this helps to dissipate heat, and helps keeps everything in place
in case it does get too hot.
 
Regards
RoyM

 

thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

 

I failed to backup whole disk (single image file or multiple parts)

I have tried FTK Imager Lite and log file reports unable to read source disk with offset and length of unreadable data.

Same with dsfo and chunks.

 

I finally gave up and tried another approach.

 

I used robocopy to save readable data from Transcend Jetflash USB pen drive to a target disk.

With log file of robocopy, i know exactly what is lost:

 

 

        New File             3.3 m    TranscendService(JF).exe
2014/09/13 16:39:26 ERROR 55 (0x00000037) Copying File I:\TranscendService(JF).exe
La ressource ou le p‚riph‚rique r‚seau sp‚cifi‚ n'est plus disponible.

Waiting 2 seconds... Retrying...
        New File             3.3 m    TranscendService(JF).exe
  0%  
 14%  
 29%  
 44%  
 58%  
 73%  
 88%  
100%  
        New File              2565    TranscendService(JF).htm
2014/09/13 16:39:33 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Copying File I:\TranscendService(JF).htm
Le fichier sp‚cifi‚ est introuvable.
 

 

And i saved some valuable data.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Total    Copied   Skipped  Mismatch    FAILED    Extras
     Dirs :       111       110         1         0         0         0
    Files :       212        63         0         0       149         0
    Bytes :   1.308 g  461.70 m         0         0  878.52 m         0
    Times :   0:11:52   0:09:42                       0:02:04   0:00:05

    Speed :              831449 Bytes/sec.
    Speed :              47.575 MegaBytes/min.

    Ended : Sat Sep 13 16:50:42 2014

I may have ever reached the end of life of flash drive

the pen drive is really bricked (flash cells) beyond repair I think

Essentially, the older your flash drive gets, the less reliable it becomes.

 

The Transcend Jetflash 4Gb pen drive was a gift from supplier. Used as storage for no sensitive data.

With log file from robocopy, i have an index of lost files.

 

for important data, i use reliable

Buffalo Technology FireStix USB Stick 4 GB Flash Type S

and weekly external disk backup.



#9 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

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Posted 14 September 2014 - 02:59 PM

I didn't get that you had logical access to the filesystem.

Just in case:

http://www.roadkil.n...hp?ProgramID=29

 

:duff:

Wonko






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