USB drive issues

[FactionHeir]

Thanks for the replies, I'll try them out.
I still think though that its most likely an issue with the power as it doesn't work on any laptop or desktop I tried plugging it into, and it worked on all those various systems previously.

[caravel]

If it's a power issue then removing any other USB devices from the root hub should do the trick. If that makes no difference then it's probably not a power issue but a duff drive or damage. Sometimes the solder cracks where the connector is wired to the PCB this can cause problems where the drive is only detected if you push it in and hold it a certain way, or doesn't work at all. In some cases you will hear the system beep but nothing else will occur, that is usually where one or more pins is not connecting or if the drive is damaged.

[FactionHeir]

Hmmm won't work with all USB disconnected either, even after deactivating 5 of my 6 USB root hubs on my laptop and having tested it on a few college computers.

Didn't get any beeps. Just the message that a drive was found but that there was an error in installing/detecting it.

[R'as al Ghul]

That sounds like it was deleted/ corrupted by pulling it off before logging it off. That sometimes happens with my cheapo MP3-stick.
Probably it can be resurrected by reformatting, but I guess the data is gone.

[FactionHeir]

How would I reformat without having access to it?

I pretty much always make sure to disable a device before unplugging it though, so I'm not sure that this is what caused it...

To be fair though, I had this drive for over 3 years and its from SanDisk. I hardly ever used it except to backup before formatting or to save documents once in a blue moon.

[R'as al Ghul]

How would I reformat without having access to it?

He, right. But I thought, because of this:

Just the message that a drive was found but that there was an error in installing/detecting it.

that you could at least right-click it and select format.
That's how it works with my MP3-stick.
Sometimes I need to use a special software that came with the stick, though.
If your objective is to make the stick usable again, then I think there could be a way, but you want to save your data first and my advise is of no help there.

Have you tried to mount it with Linux? Do you have access to a machine runing linux?

[Ramses II CP]

If it's detectable, definitely don't take it apart. All your machines are Windows based? You might try accessing it by booting from a Unix Live CD.