Finding a suitable donor for NAND swap (USB stick)?

[sn0wstorm]

Hi All,

I have a Kingston DataTraveler G4 8GB USB stick I need to recover files off. USB device is no longer detected on any hardware or OS, Windows doesnt even show it in disk management (but still makes the connection sound). No luck being detected in Linux either.

I have removed the NAND and read it through Rusolut, no issues with the data but without the controller and layout I can't make heads or tails of it (another problem though). The controller is an SSS6131 which doesnt seem common (all the other Kingston 8GB sticks I have checked have the Phison controller)

I was thinking since NAND is working, easiest solution would be to put the NAND on a suitable donor, but what do i need to look out for in finding a suitable match? Is it just the the model on the PCB needs to match along with the model on the controller (also does the FULL model written on controller need to match, for example if I have:

SSS6131
H2-E6C
NST507-100B
1552

Is it sufficient for just the SSS6131 to match or not?)

Also does the GB size of the donor need to match (i.e. if I have a "donor" 16GB with matching board/controller) can the NAND just be transplanted onto that or does it still need to be an 8GB?

Sorry if these all seem like really silly questions, but I have Googled a lot and not come across anything to definitively answer these, any help is much appreciated, thanks!

[pcimage]

I would say that this is likely to be like fitting wheels to a tomato, possible to do but an unnecessary waste of time.

Given that the USB makes the Windows USB connection sound but no access, I’d say that the controller is working fine but the memory is badly degraded.

So I don’t see how taking the same degraded memory from a device with a working controller and putting it onto another device with a working controller would help.

When you say “no issues with the data” when read with VNR, what do you mean? Have you applied a suitable BCH to show that the memory is actually OK with 100% good ECC?

[fzabkar]

How does USBDeview (or Device Manager) see the bare USB drive (without the NAND)?

https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

[pcimage]

You could also use "chip genius" to try and see what's going on.

That may well confirm the controller type and maybe even the chip ID.

You can get it here.. https://chipgenius.en.lo4d.com/windows

[sn0wstorm]

Thanks everyone for the replies!

When you say “no issues with the data” when read with VNR, what do you mean? Have you applied a suitable BCH to show that the memory is actually OK with 100% good ECC?

No suitable BCH found using VNR (even trying codeword analysis highest was like 20%) so havent been able to check 100% good ECC. Very strange. I saw mentioned some Kingston devices may be HW encrypted (with unique keys), could this be the cause of no suitable BCH?

How does USBDeview (or Device Manager) see the bare USB drive (without the NAND)?

USBDeview shows it as a USB Boot Loader - USB Mass Storage Device (VID: 0c76, PID: 2131) with no NAND on board.

You could also use "chip genius" to try and see what's going on.

I used usbflashinfo and it showed the following:

Volume: D:
Controller: Unknown
Possible Memory Chip(s): Not available
VID: 0C76
PID: 2131
Manufacturer: 3SYSTEM
Product: USB Boot Loader
Query Vendor ID: GENERIC
Query Product ID: USB Mass Storage
Query Product Revision: 1.25
Physical Disk Capacity: 10737418240 Bytes
Windows Disk Capacity: 0 Bytes
Internal Tags: SCAF-AADL
USB Version: 3.00
Declared Power: 296 mA
ContMeas ID: 9DB1-03-00

Done another read on a test device (with NAND also removed) and it also shows controller unknown.

[samstown]

Have you asked Rusolut support ?

[Bolo]

No suitable BCH found using VNR (even trying codeword analysis highest was like 20%) so havent been able to check 100% good ECC. Very strange. I saw mentioned some Kingston devices may be HW encrypted (with unique keys), could this be the cause of no suitable BCH?

ECC here is after XOR - you need to remove XOR and then apply BCH. If page layout for this is 1024/4/190 then BCH parameters will be 17475 for polynom + rotation type 1

[fzabkar]

I used usbflashinfo and it showed the following:

Controller: Unknown

VID: 0C76
PID: 2131
Manufacturer: 3SYSTEM

Since you know that the controller is SSS6131, then this would explain the reported PID, 2131.

Therefore, ISTM that the controller is not brain dead, and is at least communicating with the USB host.

The controller would have an internal 3.3V or 1.8V regulator, and this voltage should appear across the bypass capacitors adjacent to the NAND.

[pcimage]

You have PM