My USB flash drive won't work

[MikeMangum]

Try this...
Start>run and type compmgmt.msc, go to storage>disk management, does it show up at all?

if not, open run>type cmd, type diskpart and hit enter, type list disk, does it show up there?
if it does, type list volume, type select volume "x"("x" being the target volume number) and then type assign letter "x"("x" being an unused drive letter).
If you can now access the drive, copy all the files, you shouldn't trust this drive anymore.(Cpt. Obvious reporting)

If it doesn't show up in devman, VDS isn't going to see it. Period.

ALT+F4, I'd look into the loose connector, but first I would double check very carefully just to make sure that nothing shows up in device manager. Set devman to view devices by connection and expand out all of your USB controllers to see every USB device on the system. If you have some funky unrecognized device, that's likely it. If you see nothing...look into the loose connector.

If this was a normal hard drive I'd recommend the freezer trick.

 

[Alt+F4]

Thank you everyone for your advice, I tried it all to no avail. With nothing left to lose I cracked off the plastic casing, blew the whole thing out with compressed air, then bent it a bit.

It worked! I was able to get my data on to the C:drive in a file I now call "miracle". Never again will I leave important data on a flash drive and my belated 2010 resolution is to back-up early and everywhere.

 

[scissorhands]

Thank you everyone for your advice, I tried it all to no avail. With nothing left to lose I cracked off the plastic casing, blew the whole thing out with compressed air, then bent it a bit.

Thats exactly what I was about to tell you to do.
Glad you figured it out for yourself though.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

If any of you smart computer savvy people could help me out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

My USB flash drive isn't being recognized. I know it's the flash drive and not my computer because I have tried it on several different computers and another flash drive I have works on those computers.

I don't care about the flash drive itself, I just need the Word and Excel documents on it. Is there any way to access these documents or is my flash drive just toast.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Get a Mac

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Did you plug it into the same port you took it out of? I've found some that won't be recognized unless I use the same port all the time.

We're talking about computers here, right?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Never again will I leave important data on a flash drive and my belated 2010 resolution is to back-up early and everywhere.

I can highly recommend SugarSync.

 

[pgwenthold]

Speaking of USB flash drives, has anyone seen mine? I lost it last week.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Blue Sandisk 1 GB?

I saw it on the road about a mile from here.

 

[BenBurch]

Good! Glad you got your data!

 

[Alt+F4]

Good! Glad you got your data!

Thanks....it was just dumb luck, but I did learn my lesson.

 

[richardm]

Sure about that? I never, ever eject usb drives before taking them out and I've never had a problem. Also, I've never seen the light indicating that it's in use unless I am using it.

Me neither - in fact I understand that Windows is very careful about caching data for removable media, and you shouldn't normally have a problem.

I would have suggested checking the contacts too, but it seems Alt-F4 has succeeded. Phew! It's a nasty feeling when something you need suddenly becomes unreachable.