I know why they call them Flash Drives

13Gigatons · Apr 13, 2015

Your files are gone in a flash.

Second time this has happened. The irony is that I was backing it up.

master_shake_ · Apr 13, 2015

you should backup more often.

brianmanahan · Apr 13, 2015

use an undelete program, you may be able to get them back. my friend had the same problem but got them back with photorec (it's free, open source, not spammy):

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

balloonshark · Apr 13, 2015

My first and only SSD died on me a little over 2 weeks ago. It would have been two years old in July.

SSD = Speedy Sudden Death

mvbighead · Apr 13, 2015

Like all things, some are better than others.

I have found that it seems it fairs better when you purchase ones that have developed in technology and are from a reputable brand. I have a super talent 8gb one that is shot. Most of the Kingston and even SanDisk ones I have are still working just fine.

13Gigatons · Apr 13, 2015

master_shake_ said:
you should backup more often.

Once a week. Might have to do it everyday now.

brianmanahan said:
use an undelete program, you may be able to get them back. my friend had the same problem but got them back with photorec (it's free, open source, not spammy):

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/PhotoRec

I tried that but it only found an old file that I had already backed up.

mvbighead said:
Like all things, some are better than others.

I have found that it seems it fairs better when you purchase ones that have developed in technology and are from a reputable brand. I have a super talent 8gb one that is shot. Most of the Kingston and even SanDisk ones I have are still working just fine.

It's a scan disk ultra plus.....it still seems to work. Can't rely on it anymore though. Bought it only 4 months ago.

lxskllr · Apr 13, 2015

mvbighead said:
Like all things, some are better than others.

I have found that it seems it fairs better when you purchase ones that have developed in technology and are from a reputable brand. I have a super talent 8gb one that is shot. Most of the Kingston and even SanDisk ones I have are still working just fine.

Why do you say it like that? You make it sound like Sandisk is a second rate manufacturer. The best drives I've had have been Sandisk, and are usually my first choice.

Rakehellion · Apr 13, 2015

master_shake_ said:
you should backup more often.

^^^

Rakehellion · Apr 13, 2015

13Gigatons said:
Once a week. Might have to do it everyday now.

Get an automatic backup system. I have hourly backups.

rh71 · Apr 13, 2015

I have a Transcend sd card fail during file read (just inserted into a Vista machine and it hourglassed forever). I guess it corrupted all the existing files when I had to remove it.

It is still working normally in a camera and subsequent file transfers though (now on WIN7). I just don't get it - maybe it was just Vista but I don't think so. I have a Kingston card too but it's smaller.

Jeff7 · Apr 13, 2015

I had a Corsair Voyager die on me. Severe corruption of the files, with only a few of them still recoverable. During the recovery attempt, it became undetectable by the computer.

13Gigatons · Apr 13, 2015

Rakehellion said:
Get an automatic backup system. I have hourly backups.

It's hard to backup a flash drive that isn't plugged in.

Anyways I will just try to backup any video's or pics as often as possible.

Red Squirrel · Apr 13, 2015

I was actually thinking about this recently, what happens to a camera flash card when it reaches it's limit or decides to die, does it take your entire trip's worth of pictures with it? That would seriously suck.

Rakehellion · Apr 13, 2015

13Gigatons said:
It's hard to backup a flash drive that isn't plugged in.

How are you putting stuff on the drive if it isn't plugged in? :colbert:

13Gigatons · Apr 14, 2015

Rakehellion said:
How are you putting stuff on the drive if it isn't plugged in?

I take the SD card out and put into some kind of reader and copy the files to the PC.

Ichinisan · Apr 14, 2015

The real reason is because early EPROMs (erasable, programmable, ROM) were erased by peeling the foil sticker from the UV window and exposing it to UV light ("flashing" the chip). After it had been exposed long enough to reset all the bits, it could be programmed again. So the term originally referred to erasing, not programming/writing the chip. Flashing was always necessary before programming/writing could be done, so the terms got conflated with writing and not just erasing. Then EEPROMs (electrically erasable, programmable, ROM) were developed. For some reason, writing/programming was still referred to as "flashing." Now, the term kinda stuck for solid-state writable storage...even though we don't really think of flash drives and SD cards as "ROM" anymore...

kranky · Apr 14, 2015

I remember a recent story about counterfeit low-quality flash drives and memory cards being brought into the country. Wondering if you might have gotten one. Do you remember where you bought it?

DannyBoy · Apr 14, 2015

Every USB flash drive I've had that wasn't SanDisk has failed eventually.

SanDisk > Everything else.

Ichinisan · Apr 14, 2015

DannyBoy said:
Every USB flash drive I've had that wasn't SanDisk has failed eventually.

SanDisk > Everything else.

I had dozens and used them very rarely. Sometimes, the drive has failed on the 3rd or 4th use. I have the worst luck because even Sandisk drives fail for me.

Always purchased from major retailers like Office Depot / Newegg / Amazon. Should not be counterfeit. Still fails.

Blanky · Apr 14, 2015

All memory devices have a finite lifespan. We recently had a PC at work die. It wasn't being backed up, was running some crucial system, and I and another had warned the owners multiple times that it was going to die--not if, but when. It did die. They looked silly for not heeding our warnings and had to scramble to get things going again all because they had this silly sense that if it's working now it will be tomorrow and the next day.

gorcorps · Apr 14, 2015

lxskllr said:
Why do you say it like that? You make it sound like Sandisk is a second rate manufacturer. The best drives I've had have been Sandisk, and are usually my first choice.

disagree

Well at least with SD cards. I've eventually had issues with every sandisk microSD card I've had. The Samsung cards seem to fare better for me.

13Gigatons · Apr 14, 2015

kranky said:
I remember a recent story about counterfeit low-quality flash drives and memory cards being brought into the country. Wondering if you might have gotten one. Do you remember where you bought it?

Best Buy retail store.

kranky · Apr 14, 2015

In that case it seems it is a legit product.

mvbighead · Apr 14, 2015

lxskllr said:
Why do you say it like that? You make it sound like Sandisk is a second rate manufacturer. The best drives I've had have been Sandisk, and are usually my first choice.

Eh, the only reason I say it like that is they don't seem to be in much else other than flash drives. So while they make a good flash drive, I can't think of much else they do.

ComputerWizKid · Apr 15, 2015

I have had two (2) Adata Flash drives die on me (I have RMAed both of them and I am now on my third (3) one) Luckily I only used them for making my Hackintosh and no "real" data was lost as I also had a backup of the source files

I know why they call them Flash Drives

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