USB stick not working

[coolVariable]

I have a dell usb stick that stopped working - if I plug it in nothing happens ...
Is there any way to repair it ... ?

Anyone experience this before?

 

[jackschmittusa]

Only tried it in one rig? If 98 or ME, could be a driver issue. There are no moving parts in it, so any repair would involve electronic troubleshooting without a schematic.

 

[coolVariable]

tried it in 6 computers so far ... this thing really seems dead.
Very strange ...

 

[3chordcharlie]

how old is it? flash memory does have a lifespan, though chances are it's just defective.

If you've tried it in six machines and it does nothing, it's pretty safe to declare it dead.

 

[IncredibleHutch]

This really doesn't surprise me in the least. While in Iraq various USB Sticks were used to transfer data or were a few individual's primary means of saving data at all. So many people had this same issue of the sticks crapping out. The reason I'm aware of so many instances is that I worked in the data/networking section and we were the primary trouble shooters for all things related to computers. The sticks are extremey unreliable in a very general sense. I won't name any brand over another as being better or worse because I saw all too many of these things crap on us with very important information on them.

Personally I couldn't recommend them to anyone unless you plan to use them sparingly... as in every once in a while.

 

[lansalot]

My first one died for no good reason. This is why it's useful to encrypt things on it - so when you take it back to the store for a replacement, there's no way they can somehow fire it up and see all your bank details that you kept stored on it etc...

http://keepass.sourceforge.net

 

[Lovehandles]

Originally posted by: IncredibleHutch
This really doesn't surprise me in the least. While in Iraq various USB Sticks were used to transfer data....

In Iraq as a soldier or what? General Contractor? In Iraq, there are sand storms and the winds kick up a lot of dust and sand. What are the chances you'll encounter those harsh conditions here in the states. Think about it.

 

[lansalot]

Quite a high chance if the film "twister" was anything to go by!

 

[Lovehandles]

Originally posted by: lansalot
Quite a high chance if the film "twister" was anything to go by!

What kind of BS is that? You don't normally go looking for your USB stick in a crisis when a tornado is about to crush your house. We are talkin day to day environment here.

 

[IncredibleHutch]

There as a Marine... and our working conditions where our data equipment was located was not that of an open desert. We had brick buildings with glass windows etc etc to place our data equipment and work out of. Also it was something like an oasis area where there were trees... also the large burms (dirt mounds + large concrete barracades standing 20ft high) surrounding the camp blocked nearly all wind in the area.

I assure you... sand storms... or sand period, was not an issue when working with the thumb drives/usb sticks... not in any of the 3 camp sites I was at.