HDD GURU FORUMS

Hello !

First, I need to tell you that I'm french so my english might be strange....

I got a problem with my usb stick since weeks and I can't find good tips/answers on internet, so I'm asking you because this forum seems so be made up for professionals, so your help might be worth !

I have a usb stick (8Go) wich works very well since last year.
But, after a few power cut, due to electrical problems at home, my usb stick doesn't want to work anymore. The only thing I know is that one on those power cut happenned during the boot of my computer.

My USB Stick (informations found after opening the usb stick) :
- The memory = 29f32g08famb2 073815
- The USB controllor = chipsbank cbm2091 887036-22 (A black component way smaller than the memory, I got no idea about the good name)
- Brand = CnMemory Core
- Size = 8Go
- USB 2.0
- File system = FAT (I think)

My computer
I've been using Windows XP since years, and I recently decided to go to Linux (Ubuntu 9.10), but I don't think there's a real link with my problem. I don't think that's because Linux doesn't use exactly the same system of file (something about boot that I found on internet, but I'm not sure). My computer is older tha usb 2.0 (so usb 1.1?).

What's wrong :
My computer doesn't recognize my usb stick. I can't see it anywhere on the computer (even in advanced tools). The light on it doesn't turn on when pluged-in. The thing I previously called usb controllor got warm when pluged-in.
I tried it on several computers, and severals OS.

What I did :
I tried some tools as GetDataBack for FAT and NTFS, and some free too. None worked.
I tried HDHacker (I don't know what that's supposed to do but I read something about it on internet).
I found on internet that the memory and the USB controllor are both from China.

As I would like to try to repair it by my own, I would like some tips/help to fix it. I haven't got any pro tools (only a stupid computer and my brain). It would be so nice I anyone can help me.

Thank you for reading, and maybe helping

Keon !

There's not an awful lot you can do without the proper tools I'm afraid.

The only things I can suggest is to try flexing the device slightly while it's plugged in to see if it comes to life, and if you have access to a hot-air solder station reflow the solder joints.

The next step would be to check the oscillator, but this requires a certain level of knowledge.

If these actions fail, then you have no option to send to a pro with the appropriate equipment to remove the flash chip, read it out to file then decode the data within.

I can help if you're willing to send to UK or dobrevjetser can help in Belgium.

Thank you very much for your answer

The only things I can suggest is to try flexing the device slightly while it's plugged in to see if it comes to life

I can't figure out how to do this, and what is really meant...
Moreover the usb stick is quite hard...
Can you give me more details, please? (I don't want to break my USB stick)

and if you have access to a hot-air solder station reflow the solder joints.

I only have on old-fashioned (which works not very well) solder station, but I haven't got any hot-air solder station. A "normal" solder station might be too hot for an usb stick. Do you think it's a good idea to try to reflow the solder joints with this kind of solder station?

On http://www.flashboot.ru/index.php?name=iflash&op=printpage, I found a list of USB sticks, with their components. Do you think it's a good idea to try to replace the component that heats by a new one, at home, by hand ? Is it safe ?

The next step would be to check the oscillator

I'm not sure of what the oscillator is...
I fond http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive#Essential_components but I haven't got any component that looks like an oscillator ...
An attachment is supposed to be with this message. It's a picture of my usb stick. I you can try to find the oscillator And which kind of checking can I do on my usb stick?

If these actions fail, then you have no option to send to a pro with the appropriate equipment to remove the flash chip, read it out to file then decode the data within.

I can help if you're willing to send to UK or dobrevjetser can help in Belgium.

Why not? But it depends of the average price (data on my usb stick aren't very worth).
But in case of... can you give me the name of those cities please ?

Thank you for reading, and maybe helping

Keon !

The oscillator crystal is the small cylinder on the second picture.
You can use an oscilloscope to verify if its still working (but if the controller is dead there's a big chance it will not work, even if its still good).

Dobre

The oscillator crystal is the small cylinder on the second picture.
You can use an oscilloscope to verify if its still working (but if the controller is dead there's a big chance it will not work, even if its still good).

Thank you
I think I can get an oscilloscope (not at home) to verify if the oscillator is still working. But how would you do this? When the stick is plugged in?

On http://www.flashboot.ru/index.php?name=iflash&op=printpage, I found a list of USB sticks, with their components. Do you think it's a good idea to try to replace the component that heats by a new one, at home, by hand ? Is it safe ?

What do you think about it?

I can help if you're willing to send to UK or dobrevjetser can help in Belgium.

Why not? But it depends of the average price (data on my usb stick aren't very worth).
But in case of... can you give me the name of those cities please ?

I found your webiste in your profile
So PCImage, your shop is quite far away, dobrevjetser's is closer
Can you give me an average fee for an 8Go USB Stick, to get everything back (if possible)?

Thank you for reading, and helping

Keon !

Like you say, dobrevjetser is closer to you so might be easier for you and he's pretty reasonable on pricing as far as I know.

Hi, I can help in Hungary, just in case...

pepe

Thank you again for all yours answers

Maybe I forgot to speak about a few things...
As I told in the first message, I'd like to repair my usb stick by my own (I'm very curious and I'm interested in computering things). Then, there's only personal things on the stick (mostly e-mails).
That's why I'm trying to fix it by hand, and if I can't do it, I might abandon, to be honnest
So I think than 200€ to get it back is quite expensive. Even if I do understand the fact that data recovery is part of your job

So first at all, some experts tips might be welcome to try fix my stick by my own (only to get data back), and when I would have tried everything resonnable to try to fix my usb stick, maybe I'll think about asking some professionnal work. To be honnest, regarding the data on my usb stick, I think I'm not ready to pay for it (sorry ).

Till now your advice are very usefull, but I'd like more details that I asked a little bit higger in the topic
I think that replacing the controller may be a good idea, but I don't know if that's a good idea... Do you have an idea?

It's about the fact to replace the controller by the exact same one from another usb stick.
I found on internet a list of usb stick with their components (I already mentionned that fact). My idea is the buy one of thos usb sticks (the cheapest one), to remove the controller from it and from my old stick, and then to put the new one instead of the old one, without any soldering, only by holding it where it as to be (solderings are way too small to be done by hand) and then to try to get my data back as fast as possible.

Your data-recovering skills are required

Thank you for reading and helping !
Keon !

This way u will have to sacrifice far more time than a recovery might cost (time=money U know).
Furthermore I see no chance that u can hold that controller 'where it has to be' and in such way that all its pins make correct contact.
The diagnosis step cannot be left out of the process. Right now U are not able to diagnose properly, and I think nobody will hold your had all the way through this. U got good tips, there is nothing more that can be shared about the matter without falling into the step-by-step guidance category, which is not the purpose of this forum (we are limited on time).
So if u stick to recover it yourself there are some things to learn of Digital and analog electronics, soldering technology, buy some equipment that falls into the several hundred eurs range. Is that really worth?
At this stage the recovery would cost 100-200eurs depending on the problem itself. So I suggest to make your decision at this point.

regards,
pepe

Well... I'm still working on it...

I used an ohmmeter to check electrical connections. It seems that there is no problem between the plug and the flash ship (electricity can go through). No probem with the oscillator (with ohmmeter - no electricity goes through).
I haven't checked with an oscilloscope. I only found on internet that it's supposed to be a sinusoidal.
I searched on internet for a while, but impossible to find how to check the USB mass storage controller... And I think the problem comes from it...

That way you know what's going on !
If you have any suggestion...

Thank you for reading
Keon !

pepe give you good suggestion. Without specialist equipment nothing more can be done. Sorry.

The oscillator cannot be checked with a multimeter; for that you definitely need an oscilloscope with a x10 probe.

Dobre