Have You Had A Flash Drive or Memory Card That Got Corrupted?

Discussion in Computers, Electronics & Gadgets started by sidney • Dec 3, 2014.

  1. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    Well, the data that was corrupted or data that went missing that was caused by a virus isn't applicable, since I'm asking about those storage devices that you have that just conked out without any external reason. Because the oldest memory cards and flash drives that I have date back to 2007 and 2009, and they still work perfectly fine until now. They seem to last a lifetime, lol. How about you? Do you have or have had a faulty storage device? If yes, which brand is it?
     
  2. Squigly

    SquiglyActive Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2014
    Threads:
    31
    Messages:
    604
    Likes Received:
    25
    I've not had any faulty devices to my knowledge, it's usually not permanent since you can just reformat the disk in the event of corrupted data. I think completely unusable disks may be more of a user-end problem than any real product defects.
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    Yup, I was just referring to devices wherein the data became unreadable in the process without a virus causing it. I read a couple of those problems in the other forum that I go to, so that inspired me to create the topic. I also think the product itself is the problem if it malfunctions way before the warranty date is up.
     
  4. Ki11ian

    Ki11ianNew Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2014
    Threads:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Corrupted or just plain garbage..

    I bought a Sandisk Ultra 64gb from amazon and maybe 3 months into use it slowed wayy down when transfering from phone storage to sd, then finally stopped working all together, lost a ton of info and data. I suspect it may be counterfit as the red and white paint chipped away on the raised area (for grip to remove) and I had bought a 32gb ultra maybe a week later from a different seller on amazon and I have tried to get the paint to chip without success.

    I have also had two 8gb samsungs go bad, but after several years of usage. When I say go bad, I mean they will not even format, one of the samsungs is unreadable the other reads the filesystem, but fails when trying to view or copy data.

    I also bought a Adata from newegg, a 64gb that stopped working while in my SGS4, AFTER ONLY 4 DAYS, which newegg refused to refund because I had tossed packaging because you expect a reputable company to uphold quality of their merchendise, but i wont get started on my intense HATERED for newegg and their DOA items.

    I lost the sandisk 64gb, threw the adata out my window, but have the samsungs if anyone has suggestions on data extraction. Thanks!
     
  5. Nickchick

    NickchickWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2013
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    1,076
    Likes Received:
    34
    My Seagate external drive suddenly stopped working a few years ago. I don't know if it's just because we moved but it looked fine on the outside. I am wondering if it was because it was just too old because I got it in 2006.
     
  6. deathbyprayer

    deathbyprayerActive Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2014
    Threads:
    58
    Messages:
    869
    Likes Received:
    18
    Yes! I have a Transcend Jetflash V4 flash drive and it sucks so hard that it ought to replace my vacuum cleaner. The flash drive isn't corrupted perse' and it works but it's more broken than anything I've ever spent money on. Every time I try to copy a file on it the damn thing corrupts the file no matter how big or small it is. Also I can't format it to NTFS format so that's another nail on the coffin. In conclusion, do not buy anything Transcend spews out when it comes to flash drives.
     
  7. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2014
    Threads:
    308
    Messages:
    2,880
    Likes Received:
    727
    Some cheaper external hard drives are not reliable, even with brand names as they are generally manufactured for them. The best ones are Seagate and WD (Western Digital) which usually cause the least amount of problems. I usually use flash drives for information I need to keep handy and label them separately. It's worth investing in a good hard drive with a lower memory as you can always erase what you no longer need.
     
  8. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2014
    Threads:
    139
    Messages:
    1,366
    Likes Received:
    115
    Even the slightest fault from the manufacturing process or an accidental drop can cause a flash drive to become corrupted. Most of the data won't be lost unless the problem is a major one, but most people don't know how to fix these issues. Flash drives won't corrupt too often unless they're abused or come with an inherent defect, which is why they last so long and few people ever have to deal with corrupted data. Then again, improper removal of a flash drive from a computer can cause memory loss, but even that's pretty rare.
     
  9. steph84

    steph84Active Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2012
    Threads:
    65
    Messages:
    986
    Likes Received:
    116
    There is some software that can dig and find old files on the drive. I can't remember the names off the top of my head, but I did use some freeware to restore files on my aunt's old PC and found more than I had bargained for!
     
  10. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2013
    Threads:
    991
    Messages:
    4,335
    Likes Received:
    790
    An SD card I used for less than three months got corrupted for no reason. It had come free with a device I'd bought so if they deliberately handed out a defective SD card then that would explain why it didn't last that long.

    Use this software to recover your data:

    EaseUS Data recovery software.

    Log In

     
  11. maryannballeras

    maryannballerasMember

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2014
    Threads:
    14
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    2
    Yes, I have experienced having a corrupted memory card before. And that was terrible. I had thousands of songs stored there, hundred photos, and in just a few seconds, they're gone. I was not able to retrieve them, ever. Since then, I have learned not to trust any other PCs other than my own laptop. Yes, I know that it sounds weird, but I'm just paranoid like that.
     
  12. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    @ Ki11ian, I think it would be better to just buy storage devices from physical stores, at least the likelihood of getting a fake one would be less as compared to online sellers.

    @ maryann, public pc's are generally unsafe, I also had lost data on my memory card after using inserting it on a net cafe pc. Good thing I was able to recover the files.
     
  13. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2014
    Threads:
    8
    Messages:
    1,793
    Likes Received:
    191
    My first two flash drives, a Kingston 512mb and a PQ1 2GB, which I bought in 20018 both got corrupted after frequent visits to the Internet cafe. Maybe the cafe didn't do the necessary scanning procedures. Several viruses infected those USBs including a Trojan horse that deleted some files and an Autorun that hid the rest of my files. Now I'm having a hard time deciding whether I ought to reformat just in case I might be able to recover the hidden files.
     
  14. akiii123

    akiii123Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2014
    Threads:
    37
    Messages:
    666
    Likes Received:
    19
    I have never had any issues with data being corrupted from data that is used. I think it is quite rare that data can be corrupted in SD card. I hope there is also a way to remove the corrupted data or the required virus. If there is please let me know, if I had some problems then I could use particular software to remove the virus.
     
  15. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    @ xTinx, I used a file recovery software to recover the files, and then I reformatted my flash drive and memory card. I used Easeus file recovery software, the link can be found above.

    @ akiii123, it would be best to recover all your files and then format your flash drive to "start fresh" again.
     
  16. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    3,091
    Likes Received:
    552
    I really wish they they would make all of this new technology to be much more stable than it is. I have had two hard drives - external ones. I back up a lot of stuff from my laptop, so that I can delete it from my laptop to free up space. Then my hard drives became corrupted, and I was absolutely livid lol. Everything that I had transferred on there was completely gone, with no way to retrieve it. It doesn't seem to matter how expensive they are either. They all seem like they are prone to corruption. My mother's boyfriend is a DJ. He put all of his music on his flash hard drive, and then it got corrupted and wouldn't do anything but prompt him to reformat the entire drive. Lost everything. Needless to say, he was NOT pleased.
     
  17. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2012
    Threads:
    740
    Messages:
    4,313
    Likes Received:
    315
    I've had a few of my thumb drives give out on me but they are already very old so it was already expected. I tend not to keep important files just on my flash drive anyway so I didn't mind losing the files in them. Now that they are old I have to reformat them once in a while and I never know when they are going to give me an error again so they aren't very dependable anymore but for small tasks they do their job alright and like I said they are already old anyway so I've gotten a lot of use out of them already.
     
  18. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2012
    Threads:
    110
    Messages:
    5,621
    Likes Received:
    378
    I intend to buy an external hard drive too to store my game installers, movies, and tv shows. Which brands did you buy that are defective? So that I would avoid buying that particular brand. I see that Sandisk offers a 5-year warranty. Did your external hard drives conk out before it's stated warranty?
     
  19. Mockingbird

    MockingbirdActive Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2014
    Threads:
    24
    Messages:
    149
    Likes Received:
    19
    I had two external hard drives, one was a Toshiba Canvio terabyte drive, the cord was not that great, seemed very very touchy, then I noticed that there seem to be sector failures, finally the whole drive toasted. So I got a Seagate It seemed sturdy enough, but I learned that these external hard drives really could not take a lot of travel back and forth with my laptop. It isn't that I slam them down or drop them, I think it is the temperature changes that sort of send them on the fritz. I ended up reformatting and reloading the Seagate which was awful because I kept my music synth programs on them and I had to request new keys . Now I just leave the external drive at home. I cloud stuff instead.
     
  20. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2014
    Threads:
    16
    Messages:
    3,091
    Likes Received:
    552
    My external flash drives were the Iomega brand. It was a gift to me for Christmas two years ago, and it was quite pricey. My sister purchased it for me for £60, and it has 259GB on it. I thought I was safe. I never would have guessed that they were so temperamental. One minute they are fine and the next minute, when you connect it to your computer, it is telling you that in order to use it you are going to need to format it, essentially wiping every from it and starting anew. My mother's boyfriend's external hard drive, I can't quite remember the brand, but I do know that it was purchased for over £100, and he still experienced corruption with that.

    With my external hard drives, they have only corrupted once, each time. My mother's boyfriend took his to the store to see if he could retrieve him songs, because he is a DJ, and they were talking about charging him £80 in order to send it off and have the date retrieved. A complete and utter rip-off. Of course he didn't do it.