Memory USB stick: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR2

[nine9s]

I have the following error in my Event Viewer:

The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR2.

It had 4 of these errors from yesterday, all with about the same time-stamp.

At first I thought it was one of my hard drives, but neither matches that number (they are 0 and 1 in the disk management service.) I then remembered that I copied some files to a USB flash memory stick around the time of the error. To test if teh error was from that stick, I put the same memory stick onto my computer and checked event viewer and sure enough, same error again with current time stamp.

But what is weird is that it showed a series of errors again, but only the first two read: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR2. It then had two more with The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR3. Followed by two more with The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk2\DR4.

I checked the Disk Manager service with the USB flash memory stick on the computer and sure enough it is labeled Disk 2. But it only shows two partitions - the main one with all the capacity and a small one of unallocated space. So I am confused about all the DR3 and DR4. Aren't those partitions?

Also, I was wondering if a USB port/manager problem but I do not think that is the case because: I tried the stick in different USB ports and it did the same thing (Event Viewer erros.) Then I hooked up my MP3 player and checked Event Viewer and there were no errors from it. And I have my mouse and a game controller on some other USB ports and no errors from them.

Anyway, does this mean a defective memory stick(it seems to work fine other than this error)? USB problem?

 

[nine9s]

Added note: I put the same USB stick on a Vista machine and its Event VIewer showed no such error. Searching for issue, it seems some suspect it is a false-error the the Windows 7 Event Veiwer is showing.

Anyone know or is it safe to ignore these errors?

 

[Cerb]

If you have another computer, does it cause an any errors there? Run a chkdsk and see what happens. Does chkdsk find errors it can fix?

If the drive is a few years old, and has been used fairly regularly, it's probably going bad. I've worn out a couple. It could also have gotten some ESD damage, or mechanical damage.

Also: dear God, why do the mods/admins allow users to set fonts?!

 

[nine9s]

No error on Vista machine. The USB stick is two months old and works fine. Sandisk brand.

Some searches indicate USB sticks have done this in Windows 7 but same stick did not do it in Vista/XP so maybe it is some false positive error that Windows 7 creates.

Sorry about font. I wrote the original message in Word first, then pasted here.

 

[nenforcer]

Try not just reformatting the drive but try bit copying a bootable .IMG file like Ubuntu using USB Image Writer or HP USB Disk Formatter.

Then, after that is complete, format the drive using NTFS or ExFAT and see if it still errors out.

If that doesn't fix it - it could just be that that particular USB controller doesn't like your particular USB drive, which is odd considering it's a SanDisk.