Access to a USB Problem

[rfletcher72]

Hi Guys and Gals,

I am having some hassle with an 8GB memory stick that I purchased a while back. Towards the end of last year, my old Dell began to pack up, so I took a load of important stuff off the HDD, photos of the kids etc., and put them onto USB sticks for safe keeping.

One of them will not let me access what is on it though. I plug it into the PC and it displays two separate partitions, PUBLIC and SECURE. It also shows that there is 7.5GB+ of stuff on there. When I come to access the files on both partitions, it says that they are empty. Now I know that is not correct.

I always treat the USBs with a bit of caution, ejecting them in the proper manner for instance, so I don't think I've compromised it knowingly. I've rung up the local PC shop and the chap says they could probably recover the data onto some other means of storage, for a more than reasonable charge. However, being of a tight disposition, I would rather do it myself FOC if at all possible.

Any ideas or suggestions as to how I may proceed will be most appreciated .

Kindest Regards,

[john13]

This might be worth a look;

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/ ... s_and_more

I have no experience of any of the tools referred to ........

Good luck!

[PeterPeddlesden]

A simple question. When you copied your files to the USB device, did you go to the system tray and use the "Eject Device" before physically removing the USB device from the computer.
That ensure that the files have all been written from the transfer buffer to the device and that the device has been properly dismounted before physical disconnection.

[john13]

Also, if I remember correctly ( as I can't find a stick at present), right click on the notional drive letter and select properties. There may be an option to back-up directly...

[rfletcher72]

A simple question. When you copied your files to the USB device, did you go to the system tray and use the "Eject Device" before physically removing the USB device from the computer.
That ensure that the files have all been written from the transfer buffer to the device and that the device has been properly dismounted before physical disconnection.

Thanks Peter for the reply.

I always follow the proper routine of selecting 'eject device' before removing it from the PC - I know that by not doing so, you leave yourself wide open.

Kindest Regards,

Richard

[PeterPeddlesden]

One other thought is that is the PC capable of reading any USB stick device above 4Gb.
My last desktop (Vista) would not read USB sticks above 4Gb, hence my 16Gb stick could only be used on my laptop.

Do you have another 8Gb stick or larger and is that readable on your PC. ?

[rfletcher72]

Do you have another 8Gb stick or larger and is that readable on your PC. ?

Just tried another 8GB stick and the new PC can read it with no problems.

Thanks again,

Richard

[PeterPeddlesden]

Sounding more and more like an issue with the USB stick. Either the device is faulty and can only read the file table but not the files or that only the file table was written and not the files.
Not good in either scenario.
Do you have a mate with a computer that you could try the USB stick on.
From you previous statements I would expect you to get the same results.
Time then for the tools suggested above to do a DIY recovery or a data recovery service at whatever they charge.