Howto repair a broken USB flash drive

This is not the first time, I break a USB Drive. And I already heard some people complaining about the same stuff. But how is this possible ? Even if I use it a lot, memory and micro-controller are robust you know, no special reason for a failure (except of course some anormal write, but this is not the case here)

I decided to open this little key, to look closely. After a quick look, I didn’t find anything. So this little PCB stuff was laying on me desk, and people play with it. After a couple of weeks, I discover the memory chip is simply de-solder. My friend at work play so much with it, the failure is now apparent. Nice no ?

Hum, this little TQFN chip will be hard to solder, that’s right. But this is do-able no ? I tried this with a small soldering iron and here the result:

And yes, the key works fine right now ;) That’s fine no ? I definitively won’t trust this drive enought to store important document, but fine for a couple of mp3, or other..

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admin April 30th, 2008


36 Responses to “Howto repair a broken USB flash drive”

  1. # adminon 30 Apr 2008 at 1:42 am

    Before someone ask, I checked the filesystem with badblock. And even recover the data stored in the usb key

  2. # ahmedbon 31 Jul 2008 at 11:43 pm

    Hi all of you.

    I’ve USB flash disk 128 MB.. but if store data sized only 30 MB it doest work and when i view the capacity its full? Why?

    Thank you.

  3. # adminon 31 Jul 2008 at 11:52 pm

    Are you sure it’s a 128 MB ? (look like a 32MB) ..

    Check the disk partition (yeah, we can partition a usb stick too), and reformat the key.

  4. # Etienne Le Sueuron 18 Aug 2008 at 1:45 pm

    I plan to try this tomorrow on a supposedly dead usb flash drive…

    #mount /dev/sdc /mnt/tmp

    reports “no medium”, which I’m assuming (hoping!) to mean that the controller chip (alcor micro 9385) is dead… I really need to get some data off this chip…

    What was the symptom of the dead drive you recovered like this?

  5. # adminon 18 Aug 2008 at 2:09 pm

    Hum, the symptom was a cycling reset (disconnection …) of the device when I try to mount it. Not a “no medium found” ..

    Hope you will fix that.

  6. # bsraton 22 Aug 2008 at 5:41 pm

    hi thanks i dont know what wrong my USB flse 1 GB sdenliy it dosent work it is not seen in the comp so what can i do

  7. # sarzierainon 07 Oct 2008 at 12:48 pm

    u just de-solder and solder it again?!
    or you removed the chip?

  8. # adminon 07 Oct 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Yeah, that’s it. Just de-solder / and solder it back :)

    Bye

  9. # myaon 23 Oct 2008 at 12:46 am

    My brother snapped my USB drive in two, right down the middle. Is there somewhere I can send it where someone can repair it?
    Thanks

  10. # adminon 23 Oct 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Does he break the memory chip ? If so, just drop it to the trash

    Bye

  11. # Taraon 09 Nov 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Hi,
    I have Transcend USB Flash Drive. When it is installed in PC it shows CD ROM and does not open. Please I need assistance.

    Tara

  12. # jasonlon 13 Nov 2008 at 7:09 pm

    I would afraid that the chip would get too hot. also, can you move the chip to another one?

    thanks

  13. # adminon 13 Nov 2008 at 11:01 pm

    This kind of chips can handle around 300°C for about 2 minutes so..

    I don’t think you can change for another chips (due to timings issues)

    Bye

  14. # khalidon 15 Nov 2008 at 11:30 am

    I ve a serious problem, when my friend plugin wrong my USB flash memory 128 MB it dosent work it is not seen in the comp so what can i do please reply
    Thanks

  15. # blududeon 01 Dec 2008 at 12:14 am

    I dropped my laptop with a flash drive plugged in. The flash drive broke the fall, so the laptop was undamaged. But the flash drive broke. When I opened it up, I saw that some of the connections to the usb plug had torn off. I tried to re-solder them, but it doesn’t work. When I plug it into a computer, the light blinks for a fraction of a second. Windows won’t detect any type of device.

  16. # adminon 01 Dec 2008 at 12:23 am

    Look closely at the controller and the memory pins. If it’s flash a second and then stop, this looks like the controller doesn’t achieve to read the memory chips, so broken traces should be here.

    Bye

  17. # xaivioron 02 Dec 2008 at 8:39 am

    Hey, my PNY 2GB flash memory drive is no longer functional. There appears to be no broken parts… but I do NEED that data on there… it’s all of my work. Do you really think that desoldering and resoldering the “key”, as you call it, will fix my device? Please help…

    Thanks

  18. # adminon 03 Dec 2008 at 11:12 pm

    Look closely at the chip, if nothing wrong .. your data are lost ..

  19. # anuragon 23 Dec 2008 at 10:18 pm

    my usb sticks partitions are deleted by using portable linux and it beomes 3 and when i trying to make up it with windows xp bootable cd it says tht xp didnt support multiple partition so what can i do tell me plzz…….
    its not formatting and the message is come tht unable to format so what should i do????????
    reply soon…..

  20. # Jeremy B.on 27 Jan 2009 at 9:42 am

    Great article, I wrote a similar article describing different types of failures that occur with USB flash drives which may help others having similar problems.

    How Flash Drives Fail

  21. # koolguyon 14 Feb 2009 at 8:59 am

    i think is that good article and helpfull for me.
    http://www.id3.info : repair flash drive

  22. # VJon 19 Feb 2009 at 7:38 am

    Hi there,
    My Kingston 4GB suddenly stopped working. Is there any way to recover the data. As you have replied to Xaivior’s question, you have said that to look closely at the chip and if nothing wrong, data are lost. Please let me know how the chip should look in order to de-solder and re-solder it to work.
    Thanks.

  23. # Jkxon 19 Feb 2009 at 10:46 pm

    VJ, if you don’t know how it should look.. I’m wondering how you can de/re-solder it ..

  24. # Baby-boyon 27 Feb 2009 at 2:09 pm

    Yo Chip headz is boy Baby-Boy My usb is not turning on when I plug it in my pc,and again it generates heat to much it get to hot……will the De/re-solder it work……….

  25. # Katon 27 Mar 2009 at 6:10 am

    I NEED YOUR HELP!!! My friend pulled my USB2.0 8GB flash drive out wrong and now the silver part won’t go all the way down even though the slider goes as far as it can. I have a Verbatim. I will pay you any amount if you can get me the information off that flash drive. Please email me ASAP. See my website, and see why I need that stuff. I will lose hundreds of pics and all my movies. HELP ME!!!

    Kat

  26. # Jenny-Lyndon 31 Mar 2009 at 4:36 pm

    hey my flash drive quit working on me and i kinda need it for my computers class im currently failing because all my work is on it and i cannot retrieve it. the computer reconizes that there is a usb plugged in but it doesnt allow me to open it. also it says that it needs to be formated which i cannot do unless i get all my documents off of it. i was comparing it to another flash drive the exact same brand and storage and the little gold things inside of where it goes inside of the usb port are pushed down. the light doesnt come on when plugged in eather. thanks.

  27. # noelon 03 Apr 2009 at 3:19 pm

    The metal part on my flashdrive broke again this is the second time this has happened but not to the same drive. Is there some way to fix it or some place I can send it to get fixed?

  28. # noelon 03 Apr 2009 at 10:18 pm

    How do I fix a broken Flash drive? The whole metal piece broke off today (you know the piece that goes into the usb port) well it broke off is there a way to fix it or a place to send it off? because this keeps happening and it is getting really aggrevating. and if you can also please give me some advice on how to keep this from happening again.

  29. # adminon 07 Apr 2009 at 2:13 am

    To Noel, open the pen drive and solder an USB wire instead of the default plug .. that’s the only way I think.

  30. # justinon 10 Apr 2009 at 9:29 pm

    my flash drive wont work is their someone that I can send it to to have it fixed I am willing to pay for it to be fixed I need the data off of it

  31. # Jubanon 26 Apr 2009 at 3:55 am

    There’s Ebay guy that fixed my broken drive in less than a day for $45. You can find him if you search for “broken flash drive” on ebay. I just send it to him and download my files when he is done. Now I tell you how great help this is.

    J

  32. # markon 23 May 2009 at 5:44 am

    hi,
    please help me…
    my flash drive is 2GB and when i look the capacity, it reveals 0MB, y?
    and when i tried to format it, it doesn’t work at all….
    please help me…what i am supposed to do …??

  33. # usbon 11 Jun 2009 at 10:39 pm

    Hey, my USB can be detected when it is plugged in, but i can’t open it, it shows please enter a G disk when i try to open it.

    The light for the USB normally flashes when it is connected, but now it is not flashing.

    During these last few days, it’s been a bit weird, sometimes flashing and others times not flashing, but now, it has just sopped flashing.

    Is there anything i can do?????

  34. # Mallaneon 11 Jun 2009 at 10:47 pm

    Hi, i have unfortunatly snapped the metal bit off my USB 4GB FLASH STICK, i am student with work to hand in which is saved on the USB how can i recover the information without having to pay ridiculous amounts of money such as £250 as i have been quoted from several companies? …
    P.S i understand absolutly nothing about USB sticks and this whole solder and desolder makes no sense to me! PLEASE EXPLAIN IN EASY TERMS…

    This is urgent please help. I need your help. Thank again x

    Mal

  35. # adminon 12 Jun 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Mallane, this is technical stuff … so ..

    Please ask to a friend with solder knowledge to fix it, instead of asking here .

  36. # Prasannaon 29 Jun 2009 at 8:39 am

    Hi,

    I have been using A-DATA 16G flash drive since a year. I have lots of data in it and recently its not getting detected in any desktops. Last time when am trying to access it while booting the desktop and the desktop hung up. I removed the flash drive when the desktop is hung up. Does that cause any problem to the flash drive? Now that drive is not getting recognized in any desktop/laptop. Is there a solution to fix this?

    TIA
    Prasanna

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