Memory stick bent... any advice?

[neilm]

The USB memory stick was bent in the port, the light comes on when inserted but the computer cannot recognise it... any advise if the information on it can be saved?

 

[Elixer]

What kind is it, and got any pics on the damage ?

 

[neilm]

Just school work (not mine, helping a friend in need). Not sure what you mean about 'what kind'?

 

[Coup27]

The make and model and pictures would be useful.

 

[neilm]

Sorry, I remember this place for asking "pics?" on anything. Just assumed it was another joke. My mistake.

However, no photos of the damage, it is only a slight bend as it is still even to be inserted into the port. The make is Busby lite 8gb, and model buslpd0080r.

 

[tweakboy]

Maybe the USB hole on your mobo got messed up ,, I doubt the USB stick gott messed up. I think you jacked up the USB port. with that bending you messed it up el. gl

 

[corkyg]

Bending a flash device is not uncommon. I've done it twice. Odds are, it is beyond repair, especially if the bend broke any internal connections. An 8GB thumb drive is basically expendable. Translation . . . replace it. Anything on it is likely unrecoverable.

I assume the "bend" is where the metal connector meets the plastic housing?

 

[neilm]

Bending a flash device is not uncommon. I've done it twice. Odds are, it is beyond repair, especially if the bend broke any internal connections. An 8GB thumb drive is basically expendable. Translation . . . replace it. Anything on it is likely unrecoverable.

I assume the "bend" is where the metal connector meets the plastic housing?

If the connections are broke, surely they can be resoldered? Not by me personally, but possibly a repair shop... just thinking out loud.

 

[Soundmanred]

I fixed a PC a long time ago when the dongle for wireless mice and keyboards was an inch and a half long, and over time it was hit so many times that the plastic housing became seperated from the metal connector and internals and stopped working once it was bent enough to break a solder joint. I soldered it back together on the spot, and put it on the BACK of the PC instead of the front.
Pure genius.
I'm just glad they didn't mess up their front "USB hole".

 

[corkyg]

If the connections are broke, surely they can be resoldered? Not by me personally, but possibly a repair shop... just thinking out loud.

Very tricky - probably costs much more than the device is worth. These are wave soldered by a mschine, and manual soldering that close to NAND chips could kill them with heat. Like I said, 8GB thumb drives really are expendable.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Today, BestBuy has 16GB flash drives for $5.99. Might want to check that out.

 

[neilm]

Today, BestBuy has 16GB flash drives for $5.99. Might want to check that out.

Not sure how that will extract the files needed from the bent USB stick?

 

[Selenium_Glow]

Hard luck if you had important data in there my friend.

Now, I had a similar problem with a 128 MB (yes, it was MB, you've heard that right) flash drive long time ago. The port bent. I broke open the plastic cover, and saw that two of the 4 USB pins had broken off due to too much rough stress (or maybe carelessness... I was teenager back then...)

I borrowed my Elder brother's solder rod (the pin point one) and slightly soldered them somehow. It permanently bent my flash drive in a weird angle, but it worked. However that drive lasted another 2 days. As corkyg said, the heat must have killed the memory modules or some controller.

 

[yefi]

Sorry, I remember this place for asking "pics?" on anything. Just assumed it was another joke. My mistake.

However, no photos of the damage, it is only a slight bend as it is still even to be inserted into the port. The make is Busby lite 8gb, and model buslpd0080r.

You mean a bit like this?

If it's just the connector that's askew, I don't see why it couldn't be resoldered with a bit of care. Heck, I bet you could even replace it with a usb cable if all you wanted was to get the data off it.

 

[corkyg]

Go for it - there's nothing to lose. BTW, lesson learned - never use a thumb drive as the sole repository for valuable data. It should be for temporary use only.

 

[Schmide]

You could probably tape it flexing against the bend, get the data off it, then get a new drive.

 

[neilm]

I have got hold of the said device. Can't visibly see any broken or snapped connectors on the circuit board, however this is definitely not my forte so might be looking at it incorrectly.

The symptom:the memory stick immediately flashes when it is plugged in, Windows pop up appears at the system tray indicating the device is not recognised, navigating to the "disk management" it does not show the removable drive.

If it's just the connector that's askew, I don't see why it couldn't be resoldered with a bit of care. Heck, I bet you could even replace it with a usb cable if all you wanted was to get the data off it.

Memory stick is nearly the same, circuit board looks a little different, but then this one is an 8GB version.

What do you mean about the USB cable though?

 

[dma0991]

I remembered I had a naked 4GB thumbdrive once. Got bent when my leg accidentally knocked it while it was connected to the front. The copper traces lifted off from the PCB. Got a soldering iron, bridged whichever gaps with tin solder and it worked fine afterwards with zero issues. Then I misplaced it somewhere a few months afterwards. :\

 

[neilm]

I remembered I had a naked 4GB thumbdrive once. Got bent when my leg accidentally knocked it while it was connected to the front. The copper traces lifted off from the PCB. Got a soldering iron, bridged whichever gaps with tin solder and it worked fine afterwards with zero issues. Then I misplaced it somewhere a few months afterwards. :\

Unfortunately I have never used a soldering iron since high school, don't own one in the house, nor would I know where to solder. Going to err on the side of caution and stay away from it myself

However if it can be done that way, then possibly a computer repair shop should be able to sort it out using the method you describe.

 

[mrpiggy]

The USB dongles are so cheap they are only surface mount soldered to the circuit pads which tear off very easily under any stress. It is fixable if you have the know-how and tools, but almost not worth the effort being they are so cheap anymore.

One thing I recommend to make them a LOT tougher is to drip in superglue all around the edge right where the metal and plastic meet (not inside the USB port) and let it dry. Super glue is thin enough to fill into the thin gaps between the plastic shell and metal part. This bonds the surrounding plastic case with the metal part to help keep it from easily bending and breaking the connections. This is much stronger than depending on tiny solder joints and pads alone to keep the end from bending. They can still bend/break, but not as easily.

Can't do the superglue trick on the ones with the sliding mechanisms like the Sandisk Cruzers. At least, you can't if you expect the sliding mechanism to keep sliding.

 

[yefi]

What do you mean about the USB cable though?

That would be if the male USB connector itself was damaged and you didn't have a replacement. You could desolder it, then split a USB cable and solder the ends on to the relevant pads. Seeing as you don't have a soldering iron, however...

Btw, there are two surface mount fuses on the underside of the pcb. These are marked with an 'o'. You should check that these haven't blown by placing the probes of a multimeter across the two silver ends. There should be continuity. You have power to the device, so they are probably intact.

 

[rsutoratosu]

I had to send one in for repair, cost like 495 to transfer the chip from one to another. I'm just these guys just bought another same stick and transfer the memory chip over. This was for work so they'll pay any amount to get that data back. I thought 495 was kinda cheap compared to hdd recovery.

 

[Tecna]

Can you fix mine I just want to recover the files

 

[Tecna]

495 dollars? where did you send it do they all do it at that price?

 

[Tecna]

can you fix mine I just want to recover the files