[REQUEST] Flash drive recovery possible at all with software

[ell]

Hi, I'm pretty sure I'll have to send this off to my recovery partner but I thoguht I'd ask anyways. Its a 2TB flash that is only detected in device manager as NAND usb2disk usb device with no data. I tried ubuntu to make a image but no go, no media. Bad chip?

 

[britechguy]

I've never known of any software recovery for this situation, and I doubt that there is one. It will be interesting to hear if something is out there, though. In this business, little stays static for very long.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Software recovery is only possible ON ANY DEVICE if the issue is software related. Corrupted files. If you have a hardware issue be it a spinning disk or a chip you aren't going to be able to access the data.

 

[phaZed]

It's a gonner without the likes of 300DDR and/or some RapidSpar/firmware/chip direct reader

 

[sapphirescales]

Software recovery is only possible ON ANY DEVICE if the issue is software related.

Well, with the exception of bad sectors, of course. It's very possible to recover data from a drive with bad sectors using data recovery software. If you combine it with a RapidSpar your chances of a successful recovery are even better. I haven't had the same luck when it comes to SSDs with worn out cells. Usually all you get is a bunch of read errors. Though admittedly I don't own a RapidSpar so I have no idea if the chances of recovery would be better with that.

@ell Just send it to $300 Data Recovery. If the client isn't willing to pay $500+ for recovery then it's not worth your time.

 

[Markverhyden]

I've recovered data many times on USB sticks, sd cards, etc. But only with no hardware problems. The problem with most solid state stuff is when it fails usually it's catastrophic. Something like Ubuntu is not what you need to use. You need proper data recovery software that scans the drive looking for certain data patterns. Like PhotRec, R-Studio, etc.

 

[ell]

I've recovered data many times on USB sticks, sd cards, etc. But only with no hardware problems. The problem with most solid state stuff is when it fails usually it's catastrophic. Something like Ubuntu is not what you need to use. You need proper data recovery software that scans the drive looking for certain data patterns. Like PhotRec, R-Studio, etc.

Its not recognised at all in windows, except in device manager thats why I tried ubuntu. Easeus recovery doesn't see it either. Guess I could try photorec and r-studio, but I always like to try and make an image with ddrescue first, when I couldn't accomplish that I presumed hardware damage. Maybe I'll give them a shot anyways thanks.

 

[Markverhyden]

Its not recognised at all in windows, except in device manager thats why I tried ubuntu. Easeus recovery doesn't see it either. Guess I could try photorec and r-studio, but I always like to try and make an image with ddrescue first, when I couldn't accomplish that I presumed hardware damage. Maybe I'll give them a shot anyways thanks.

If it shows up in device manager then any *nix should see it for imaging purposes. You probably just need to know what it is in /dev to decide how to proceed. At any rate I'd first get a confirmation from the customer they don't want spend a few hundred to recover the data. If they don't then there's nothing wrong with going on a fishing expedition. It's your time and if your successful you might get a some money out of them as well as some good will. What exactly is this? A regular thumb drive? A USB2SSD bridge?

 

[ell]

If it shows up in device manager then any *nix should see it for imaging purposes. You probably just need to know what it is in /dev to decide how to proceed. At any rate I'd first get a confirmation from the customer they don't want spend a few hundred to recover the data. If they don't then there's nothing wrong with going on a fishing expedition. It's your time and if your successful you might get a some money out of them as well as some good will. What exactly is this? A regular thumb drive? A USB2SSD

 

[ell]

It looks "exactly" like this flash drive I cannot make an image because It throws up an error that the drive is not detected but it does show in R-studio, Getdataback, and others but they give errors too, shows as NAND usb2disk usb device same as in device manager. I've never had trouble making and image with ubuntu when its detected in device manager, but I haven't done many flash drive recoveries.

 

[labtech]

It is a fake flash drive. Does it make sense for any 2TB flash device be $50? Impossible, right?
Also, since there is no brand labeled on it, further confirms it is a fake.

Inside of the USB enclosure, there is some sort of flash device, maybe an SD Card with a USB board of some kind, etc, with a much lower capacity, say 32GB. The firmware on the device is tricked to show 2TB.

As the user begins storing files, once the actual data reaches the 32GB threshold, the device "goes bad", like not mounting, showing generic names, show weird capacity, etc.

Not much you could do, sorry. A data recovery specialist may be able to do something.

By the way, in the United States, the absolute best USB flash recovery is www.recovermyflashdrive.com in Connecticut. I am saying that as a data recovery specialist myself.

 

[ell]

It is a fake flash drive. Does it make sense for any 2TB flash device be $50? Impossible, right?
Also, since there is no brand labeled on it, further confirms it is a fake.

Inside of the USB enclosure, there is some sort of flash device, maybe an SD Card with a USB board of some kind, etc, with a much lower capacity, say 32GB. The firmware on the device is tricked to show 2TB.

As the user begins storing files, once the actual data reaches the 32GB threshold, the device "goes bad", like not mounting, showing generic names, show weird capacity, etc.

Not much you could do, sorry. A data recovery specialist may be able to do something.

By the way, in the United States, the absolute best USB flash recovery is www.recovermyflashdrive.com in Connecticut. I am saying that as a data recovery specialist myself.

Yeah when I looked at the description on that page I felt the same thing, poor kid learned a tough lesson, you get what you pay for especially from China

 

[Markverhyden]

And there's no shortage of those on Amazon.

 

[ITtechguy]

Yeah, I bought one of these "2TB" drives from a Chinese site a couple of years ago - knowing it was a scam but curious. When it arrived, it claimed to be 2TB but then I tried to fill it up with files and got (surprise) only about 32GB in when it started giving copy errors.
(I claimed the device never arrived and got my money back)

 

[ell]

Yeah, I bought one of these "2TB" drives from a Chinese site a couple of years ago - knowing it was a scam but curious. When it arrived, it claimed to be 2TB but then I tried to fill it up with files and got (surprise) only about 32GB in when it started giving copy errors.
(I claimed the device never arrived and got my money back)

I'm sure this is exacty what happened to this one

 

[GTP]

Clients buy them from eBay and learn the hard way.

The "SanDisk Cruzer" listed in @Markverhyden post above is a legitimate drive though. I personally own 2 of them and they haven't given trouble yet.
I use one as a "Timeshift" backup drive and the other for general storage.
They are listed here (retail) for $85~$95 and (wholesale) for around $65.

I think SanDisk's quality has improved since the takeover by WD.

 

[ell]

Clients buy them from eBay and learn the hard way.

The "SanDisk Cruzer" listed in @Markverhyden post above is a legitimate drive though. I personally own 2 of them and they haven't given trouble yet.
I use one as a "Timeshift" backup drive and the other for general storage.
They are listed here (retail) for $85~$95 and (wholesale) for around $65.

I think SanDisk's quality has improved since the takeover by WD.

yeah she brought along a new 3 pack of sandisk flash drives to copy the data to, but she didn't think I'd have any luck, maybe she already knew the mistake she made.