IN modern world People are used to using flash drives to transfer information. A few years ago there were disks, and before that there were floppy disks. Compared to these already outdated devices, a flash drive is much more productive and smaller in volume. Of course, with such popularity, they began to develop quickly, and now you can already find external drives from 1 GB to 516 GB.

Unfortunately, like any other equipment, they can break. This happens for various reasons: they took out the flash drive while recording, or it broke due to heavy loads, etc. Users began to look for options on how to repair the flash drive. If the problem is related to the hardware, then you can simply throw it away. Another case is software glitches. In this case, you can try restoring the external drive. Don't immediately take your USB drive to service center, since it is not difficult to bring a flash drive back to life, the main thing is to follow the rules. Let's look at how to repair a flash drive yourself.

Flash drive won't open

You may have connected a flash drive, the computer sees it, but errors occur when you try to open the contents. If your computer says “No access,” then most likely you need to clean your external drive of viruses.

What is the problem? After the flash drive was penetrated malicious files, they created the autorun.inf file. This is the reason why the external drive does not start.

How to repair a flash drive? In this case, you need to check the external drive with an antivirus. Once you remove the malicious files, we need to manually remove the autorun.inf file. Go to “My Computer” and right-click on the flash drive. Then select “Open”. The flash drive will open in a new window, all we have to do is delete the malicious file.

USB drive is not formatted

The reason why the flash drive does not open may be a memory failure. How to repair a flash drive? In this case, it is enough to format the external drive. Unfortunately, all content will be erased.

Go to “My Computer” and right-click on the external drive. Next you need to select “Format”. Unfortunately, this method does not always help. If you were unable to restore your external drive, then you need to try the second method.

So, we need to go to the Disk Manager directory. To do this, press the key combination Win + R. In the new window you need to enter the command diskmgmt.msc and click “Ok”. The “Disk Manager” will open, where we need to select the flash drive and click “Format”.

on the computer

To make sure that the problem is with external storage, you need to take it out and try to insert it into other USB connectors that are located on motherboard. If the problem persists, then you need to check the USB drive on another computer.

How to repair a micro-SD flash drive? First you need to check it in other USB connectors. If the problem persists, then the problem may lie in the card reader. Try changing it.

If the external drive is detected on another computer, then you need to try removing the drivers. How to do it? Go to the “Control Panel”, where we select the “Device Manager” directory. In the new window, look for the line “Memorable USB device"and remove the drivers.

After these steps, disconnect the flash drive and restart the computer. After this, connect the USB drive and install new drivers.

If the reinstallation does not bring results, then you need to clear the registry branches. They contain all the information about your device. First we need to collect this information, or rather, find out several parameters (PID and VID). To find out this data, you need to return to the “Device Manager” directory and right-click on the flash drive. Go to the “Information” item, where the device code will be displayed.

After that, press the Win + R key combination and enter the regedit command in a new window. So we will open the registry editor, where we need to find two parameters, the first ends with the word USB, and the second USBSTOR. We open these directories and look for identifiers, after which we delete them. Reboot the computer and check the functionality of the external drive.

External drive is detected, but dimensions are not displayed

If you find yourself with such a problem, then there are memory failures. How to repair a flash drive? In this case, you need to download the ChipGenius program. This way we can find out the VID and PID of your external drive. After you have found the model of the flash drive chip, you need to go to the website flashboot.ru, where you need to enter the received data. Let's start the search. So what did we find? These are the appropriate drivers and utilities for your removable drive. After installation, your flash drive should work.

How to repair a USB flash drive if all else fails

Of course, with an external drive there may be different problems, which do not allow you to restore a flash drive due to the problems already described. There is another way to bring a removable disk back to life. However, this method is suitable specifically for a flash drive; memory cards cannot be restored this way. If you are wondering how to repair a Transcend flash drive, then try this method.

Where should I start? Take your USB drive and remove the plastic cover. We need to transfer our device to test mode. Turn the flash drive over as shown in the picture. There is a small button in the corner that will need to be closed. As a rule, you need to close contacts 29 and 30. How to do this? Take a needle and press in the right place.

We insert the removable disk so that the computer detects the flash drive and it becomes accessible. Only after this do we open the contacts. However, you should not disconnect it from your computer, as it will not work yet. Next, you need to install drivers and utilities; we have already covered how to do this.

Conclusion

After these steps, your USB device should work. If this does not happen, then there may be problems with the hardware. In this case, it is easier to throw it away than to restore it. As you have already noticed, it is not difficult to repair a flash drive if the problem lies in the software part. However, in order to quickly and efficiently restore your device, you need to immediately identify the problem.

Today it is impossible to imagine a more convenient tool for quickly storing information than a flash drive. For many reasons, the main one of which is still the technical imperfection of Flash drives, a storage device in the form of a key fob, which is convenient in all respects, can still fail. Restoring a Transcend flash drive will be the topic of our story. However, the electronic “reincarnation” algorithm given below is also effective for miniature “storages” of other brands.

Introduction: interesting theory

Before restoring a Transcend flash drive, we need to understand what we will have to deal with. Knowledge of the technical part of the device will incredibly facilitate the overall process of troubleshooting. However, we will not delve into the technical details and fill our heads with various technological terms. We just need to understand the main thing - what the miniature drive consists of.

How a flash drive works: a look from the inside

• As a rule, the NAND FLASH chip takes up the most space on the board. Depending on the manufacturability of the finished product and its storage capacity (nominal amount of stored data), a specific Flash Drive may have one or more such elements. If you restore a Transcend 16 gb flash drive, know that most likely there are two such NAND chips. It is worth noting that there are three main types of negotiated memory: SLC, MLC and TLC.
• The second most important part is the controller. U different manufacturers such a component may differ from its peers both in standard and software characteristics. This microcircuit performs several functions: converts supply voltage, controls LED indicator(if any) and carries out the process of exchanging information with the computer host. The controller also contains a special memory area in which the firmware is located - this is the microprogram through which general interaction with all internal components of the Flash media occurs.
• The board also contains SMD elements and a quartz resonator.

After a while, you will understand how much easier the above information will make restoring a Transcend flash drive.

Determining the cause of the malfunction

As practice shows, the main source causing the inoperability of a Flash-Drive device is a banal software failure, the main “symptoms” of which are:

• The storage device is not visible to the computer at all when inserted into a USB connector, but responds to insertion with a sound signal.
• The operating system determines only part of the disk space of removable media.
• The flash drive is recognized by the computer OS, but does not “want” to work with it.

Even if you did not violate the operating rules, and some of us (users) unknowingly abuse the method of “quickly” removing a flash drive from a PC, there are still frequent cases when a miniature memory device partially or completely fails due to reasons beyond our control. reasons for us. And yet, it would be somewhat reckless on our part to discount the possibility of mechanical damage, but more on that later...

Step One: Comprehensive Action Analysis

Don’t rush to look for utilities for restoring Transcend flash drives. Perhaps your computer is faulty, or the reason for the removable media’s inoperability lies in one of the “whims” of the PC:

• Check if the “problematic” drive works on another computer.
• Disconnect all peripheral devices from your PC.
• Connect the Flash Drive to one of the main system USB connectors (the back of the unit).
• Go to the system event log and make sure that there are no driver conflicts. Lately did not have. Otherwise, the “dead” software should be reinstalled.
• Clear the system of traces of previously connected Flash devices (the USBOblivion utility will help you).

If the above did not help, and the carrier still “does not want” to work fully, proceed to the next part of the article.

Step two: check the physical integrity of the Flash-Drive device

Hardware recovery of a Transcend flash drive is not always a complicated process (in terms of its implementation):

• Inspect the “non-working” flash drive from all sides.
• Chips and deep scratches should alert you.
• Look inside the USB connector - perhaps one of the contacts has become bent or is completely loose, shorting the connector located next to it.

In the event that you hear that something has fallen off inside the case, or a visual inspection requires a more in-depth analysis, carefully remove the Flash drive casing. Inspect the integrity of internal soldering, especially where the metal part of the USB connector touches the main electronic board.

Step three: diagnostics of the memory device and collection of data about the removable drive

Correct recovery of a Transcend 8gb flash drive (including other capacity denominations) is only possible when the user knows the exact information about his model.

Namely:

• What type of memory is installed on the Flash Drive device (its unique ID).
• What kind of controller is it equipped with? removable media(its manufacturer, model ID and firmware version).

You can find out all this data by running the ChipGenius utility on your PC, which you can easily find on the Internet, after which all you have to do is download the recovery tool you need and return the flash drive to “digital life.”

Step four: the immediate process of restoring the Flash Drive device

In most cases, the JetFlash Online Recovery utility helps. Download it latest version and run it on your computer. By the way, in the process of using this software you need a constant Internet connection.

So, as soon as the Transcend flash drive recovery utility is launched and your faulty removable drive is inserted into the USB port, click the rightmost “Yes” button and wait until the program performs all the “resuscitation” actions.

At the end of the repair process, remove the drive from the connector and reconnect the flash drive.

With a high degree of probability, your Flash-Drive will become operational again.

Finally

As you can see, nothing is impossible! Everything is not as difficult as you may have thought before. The only thing you should beware of is haste and rash actions. Do not doubt your own abilities, be confident - and you will succeed!

The flash media is attached to a clamp, which, in turn, snaps onto the case. Insert a sharp object between the latch and the body of your flash drive, pressing slightly on the screwdriver, slowly turn it in one direction, then in the other. Remember that the rotation angle must be minimal, otherwise the flash drive may be completely damaged. Repeat this operation at different joints between the housing and the retainer. After several approaches, the flash drive will be disassembled.

Flash drives with a collapsible casing. To disassemble such a flash drive you will need the same tools as described above. There is an inconspicuous seam along the body of the flash drive. The principle of opening a flash drive remains the same. You should carefully pry the case with a thin object. It is worth noting that in this case you free the case from the action of the latches; there is no point in opening it by force. If you break the latches, the case will not close automatically. In this case, only adhesive tape or tape can be a panacea.

According to statistics, most often memory cards fail due to logical faults. The card may also have mechanical failure, electrical and thermal damage, and controller failure may occur. Memory wear is the least likely to occur.

Instructions

First, let's look at logical faults. Flash - in this case, the system will recognize it as empty or unformatted. Files written to it will not be visible. This malfunction occurs as a result of premature removal of the card from the slot. The reason may also be a sudden power supply to the operating system. As a result, all documents will be in place, but the service file system will be damaged. Thus, you will not be able to see the data stored on the media.

To solve the problem, there are special recovery programs. It is best to use EasyRecovery. However, the program cannot always help solve problems. Sometimes, in order to keep important files on a flash drive, it is necessary to perform painstaking “jewelry” work.

To avoid such problems with the flash drive, you need to use the “ safe removal device”, finishing working with the media. There is also no need to remove the media from the computer until the system reads the data from it.

Particular attention should be paid to mechanical breakdowns. With such damage, the media can work for some time practically without failure. Breakdowns of this kind occur due to careless handling of the device. First of all, the flash drive casing is damaged, then the contact separators are displaced, and the write prohibition and permission gate falls out. If the memory chip is cracked, the data will be lost in any case. In other cases, it is necessary to restore contacts, replace damaged parts, strengthen the USB connector, repair or replace the case.

To avoid this problem, you must initially purchase high quality USB Flash, which have a durable and not too thin body. It is best to buy media in a monolithic case. Flash drives with rubberized casings are very popular.

Memory devices in the form of flash cards or disk drives based on logic chips are gaining increasing popularity these days. Flash drives have become a universal means for storing information and transferring it from one medium to another. Even with the most careful handling electronic device sometimes it breaks down. In some cases, troubleshooting is entirely within the user's ability.

You will need

• - R-Studio programs, EasyRecovery, PhotoRescue;
• - serviceable design parts (case, USB connector);
• - soldering iron.

Instructions

Determine the type of technical malfunction of the flash card. It could be mechanical damage, logic circuit faults, controller failure, thermal or electrical damage, flash memory wear. In some cases, you have to deal with several types of breakdowns at once.

To fix the damaged logical structure cards, use R-Studio or EasyRecovery programs. If the flash card is recognized by the device as unformatted or empty, there is most likely corruption in the card's file system. In this case, the data actually remains in its place and can be restored using such heuristic programs. Before using the software package, insert the card into USB port computer and start debugging.

To restore digital photos to a flash card, use the PhotoRescue program. Such a program automatically recognizes files of the same type, for example, JPG, MOV or TIFF, by their characteristic headings. In most cases, to resolve an image storage problem, it is enough to scan the disk drive.

If the flash card is damaged due to harmful mechanical impact, replace the failed parts (case, USB connector). Clean the card contacts and solder them if necessary. Repairing the card will not be justified if the memory chip is damaged during a breakdown. In this case, the data cannot be restored. For preventive purposes, use a hard case to store the flash card.

Dry a flash card that has been exposed to water for a long time. Do not turn on the device until traces of moisture are completely removed, as this may lead to irreparable damage to the flash card and complete destruction of data. If the card has been in water, do not try to dry it yourself, contact a specialist.

If the controller malfunctions, or if you detect thermal or electrical damage to the flash card, do not attempt to repair it yourself unless you have the appropriate qualifications. In such cases, contact a specialized workshop to restore data or ensure its safety.

Flash drives, including Kingston, are treated and restored using special utilities. Conventional formatting using operating system tools does not help in this case. Depending on the recovery tasks, different software tools will be required.

You will need

• computer with USB connector, Internet connection

Instructions

To recover files from USB flash drives use the Flash Recovery Free program, which is distributed completely. Allows you to restore deleted files, digital images, video, audio and other documents. Install the program on your computer, insert the flash drive into the appropriate slot. Run the utility and select the flash drive from which you want to recover files from the list that opens. IN automatic mode the program will analyze all possibilities for recovering lost information. Wait for the full scan to complete. Then select the files to recover and specify the path to save them. Once the recovery process is complete, check the files.

The Kingston flash drive is equipped with an SK6211 microcontroller. With him incorrect operation The USB drive will experience various types of failures. Damage to the microcontroller driver may be the result of a virus attack. For software repair of a drive that gives an error during the recording process or does not allow information to be written to it at all, has changed the amount of available memory, has ceased to be detected operating system, use another free utility Repair_v2.9.1.1. Find with search engine link and download the program. Remove all working flash drives from the slots and insert the damaged one. Launch the program. Wait for the formatting process to complete.

In cases where the USB flash works, but what is stored on it important file, for example, *.doc or *.xls, is damaged, hardware data recovery will be required. In this case, the flash drive is disassembled, the memory chips are unsoldered, its data is read into dumps using a hardware and software complex, and errors are corrected using ECC correction. Then they decrypt the resulting dumps, create a correct image file, extract the container from it and mount it in special program TrueCrypt. Therefore, if the damaged data is important to the user, it is not recommended to restore it yourself software.

note

Self-recovery of a flash drive using software can reduce the chances of a successful hardware recovery.

Helpful advice

To recover accidentally deleted data (photos and videos) using the software method, use the following utilities: F-Recovery for CompactFlash, F-Recovery for MemoryStick, F-Recovery for miniSD, F-Recovery for SD, F-Recovery for SmartMedia, F-Recovery for MultiMediaCard.

To test and fix errors in flash firmware You can use Flashnul.

Formatting a faulty drive can be done using D-Soft Flash Doctor 1.0.3 Rus, etFlash Recovery Tool, EzRecover.

Sources:

• Utilities for recovering and formatting flash drives
• restoration kingston

It happens that instead of the declared memory capacity, say, 8 GB, a flash drive can hold no more than 4 MB of information. Don't rush to throw away your flash drive. You can try to regain your lost memory.

Instructions

Open the Start menu on your computer. Select "Control Panel". Find the "Administration" item. You can do this by typing the word “administration” in the upper right corner of the window in the “Search in Control Panel” line.

Select "Computer Management" from the menu list.

From the left list select "Disk Management".

Good day!

If your flash drive begins to constantly fail: it cannot be formatted, when connected to a computer it often freezes, when copying files to it errors occur, but it has not been subjected to mechanical stress - there is a CHANCE for restoring its functionality!

It would be nice if, when connecting a flash drive, it was at least somehow detected, for example: a connection sound is made, the flash drive is displayed in "my computer", the LED on it blinks, etc. If the computer does not see the flash drive at all, then first I recommend reading this article:

In general, give universal instructions, how and with what program what to do to restore a flash drive - impossible! But in this short article I will try to give an algorithm that will help even novice users to understand the problem and solve it.

Restoring a flash drive // ​​step by step

Controller Model Definition

By the will of fate, it turned out that I had one flash drive, which Windows refused to format - an error occurred "Windows can't complete formatting". The flash drive, according to the owner, did not fall, no water got on it, and in general, it was handled quite carefully...

All that was clear after examining it was that it was 16 GB, and its brand was SmartBuy. When connected to a PC, the LED lit up, the flash drive was detected and visible in the explorer, but it did not work properly.

SmartBuy 16 GB - "experimental" non-working flash drive

To restore normal operation of the flash drive, you need to reflash the controller chip. This is done with special utilities, and for each type of controller there is its own utility! If the utility is chosen incorrectly, then with a high degree of probability you will completely ruin the flash drive... I’ll say even more, for one model range flash drives - there may be different controllers!

Each device have their own unique identification numbers - VID and PID , and the flash drive is no exception. To select the correct flashing utility, you need to determine these identification numbers (and the controller model based on them).

One of the most simple ways find out the VID, PID, and model of the flash drive controller - use this special utilities. One of the best of its kind is .

Flash Drive Information Extractor

Small free utility, to get maximum information about the flash drive. No need to install it!

The program will determine the model of the USB flash drive, the model and type of memory (all modern flash drives are supported, according to at least, from normal manufacturers)...

The program will work even in cases where it is not defined file system flash drives when the computer freezes when connecting the media.

Information received:

• controller model;
• possible options for memory chips installed in the flash drive;
• type of installed memory;
• maximum current consumption declared by the manufacturer;
• USB version;
• the full physical volume of the disk;
• disk space reported by the operating system;
• VID and PID;
• Query Vendor ID;
• Query Product ID;
• Query Product Revision;
• Controller Revision;
• Flash ID (not for all configurations);
• Chip F/W (for some controllers), etc.

Important! The program only works with USB flash drives. MP3 players, phones and other devices - it does not recognize. It is advisable, before starting the program, to leave only one flash drive connected to the USB ports, from which you want to get maximum information.

Working with Flash Drive Information Extractor

1. We disconnect everything that is connected from the USB ports (at least all drives: players, external hard disks etc.).
2. Insert the flash drive to be repaired into the USB port;
3. We launch the program;
4. Press the button "Get information about the flash drive" ;
5. After some time, we get maximum information about the drive (see screenshot below).
6. If the program freezes- don’t do anything and don’t close it. Remove the flash drive from the USB port after a couple of minutes, the program should “hang” and you will see all the information that it managed to pull out from the flash drive...

Now we know the information about the flash drive and we can start searching for the utility.

Information about the flash drive:

• VID: 13FE; PID: 4200;
• Controller model: Phison 2251-68 (second line in the screenshot above);
• SmartBuy 16 GB.

Addition

You can reliably determine the controller model if you disassemble the flash drive. True, not every flash drive case is collapsible, and not every one can be put back together later.

Usually, to open the casing of a flash drive, you need a knife and a screwdriver. When opening the case, be careful not to damage the inside of the flash drive. An example of a controller is shown in the screenshot below.

Disassembled flash drive. Controller model: VLI VL751-Q8

Addendum 2

You can find out the VID and PID of a flash drive using the device manager (in this case, you don’t need to install anything). True, in this case we will not recognize the controller model, and there is some risk that VID and PID it will not be possible to accurately identify the controller. And yet, suddenly the above utility freezes and does not provide any information at all...

How to find a utility for flashing a flash drive

Important! After flashing the flash drive, all information on it will be deleted!

1) Knowing the controller model, you can simply use search engines (Google, Yandex for example) and find what you need.

The operating algorithm is as follows:

1. We go to the site:
2. Enter yours VID and PID into the search bar and look for it;
3. You'll likely find dozens of lines in the results list. Among them you need to find a line that matches: controller model, your manufacturer, VID and PID, flash drive size .
4. Further in the last column you will see the recommended utility. By the way, please note that the version of the utility also matters! All that remains is to download the necessary utility and apply it.

After you find and download the required utility, run it and format the media - in my case, you only had to press one button - Restore .

Formatter SiliconPower v3.13.0.0 // Format and Restore. An end-user utility designed for both low-level and high-level (FAT32) formatting of flash drives on Phison controllers of the PS2251-XX line.

After a couple of minutes of blinking the LED on the flash drive, it began to work normally, messages from Windows about the impossibility of formatting no longer appeared. Result: the flash drive was restored (became 100% working) and given to the owner.

That's all, actually. I would be grateful for any additions on the topic. Good Luck!