Fried USB drive

Grimspoon

Grimspoon

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I just got back from seeing a client and my colleagues flash drive was fried by our clients pc. All her data up in smoke just like that.

This has happened to another one of our colleagues before on the same PC, but anyway.

What causes the front USB port to fry a drive? If I remember correctly it is if you swap the wiring around for the front USB ports?

And I am pretty sure the answer is no, but can you recover the data in anyway?
 
Grimspoon said:
And I am pretty sure the answer is no, but can you recover the data in anyway?
Click to expand...

with great difficulty as the probability the data is fine is high. however you dealing with an integrated circuit and any part of that circuit board could be fried from a tiny capacitor to a tiny resistor.

essentially you could de solder the memory chip and solder it onto another circuit board of exactly the same brand - however good luck with that as often these boards are machine made and very difficult to work with by hand - although i am more than certain there is a nerd on here willing to help you for a fee.
 
Yes, incorrect wiring is the most likely cause, sometimes the connectors are misaligned whilst plugging into the motherboard which can lead to this. I have also seen different wiring into the connector which gets plugged into the motherboard. Same result.

If the drive is fried forget about data recovery, unfortunately. Once the smoke excapes there is little you can do.
 
Thanks Sub, I think it is fair enough to say it is dead and walk away.

Still intrested how this happens though.
 
subculture said:
with great difficulty as the probability the data is fine is high. however you dealing with an integrated circuit and any part of that circuit board could be fried from a tiny capacitor to a tiny resistor.

essentially you could de solder the memory chip and solder it onto another circuit board of exactly the same brand - however good luck with that as often these boards are machine made and very difficult to work with by hand - although i am more than certain there is a nerd on here willing to help you for a fee.
Click to expand...

Realistically, that's impractical.
 
kayvee said:
Yes, incorrect wiring is the most likely cause, sometimes the connectors are misaligned whilst plugging into the motherboard which can lead to this. I have also seen different wiring into the connector which gets plugged into the motherboard. Same result.

If the drive is fried forget about data recovery, unfortunately. Once the smoke excapes there is little you can do.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kayvee - thought as much, o well. I did tell my client to warm their IT guys ears if it was him that put the machine together :rolleyes:
 
If the supply voltages were reversed due to incorrect wiring chances are that the memory device would be fried too, so kinda pointless.
 
kayvee said:
If the supply voltages were reversed due to incorrect wiring chances are that the memory device would be fried too, so kinda pointless.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree, It is pretty pointless. Going to bin it ;)
 
That's why I always plug in a keyboard/mouse into front USB ports to test it first

if it fries, then it's not a big deal.

(when particularly evil, use somebody else's USB stick) :D

Otherwise, I use the rear USB ports on PC's of unknown pedigree... best to be safe than sorry.

Oh... and if somebody want to borrow my memory stick, I "forgot" it at home. Otherwise they'll be using mine to test suspect ports... :erm:
 
The_Librarian said:
That's why I always plug in a keyboard/mouse into front USB ports to test it first

if it fries, then it's not a big deal.

(when particularly evil, use somebody else's USB stick) :D

Otherwise, I use the rear USB ports on PC's of unknown pedigree... best to be safe than sorry.
Click to expand...

I think I would rather fry my USB drive than my G5 or G15 lol :D

What I was wondering, what the heck if someone plugged there spanking new phone into those ports? Would it toast the phone? :confused:
 
Grimspoon said:
Thanks Kayvee - thought as much, o well. I did tell my client to warm their IT guys ears if it was him that put the machine together :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

No problem. Annoying when these things happen. Just remember to isolate it and get it sorted before it can do any more damage.
 
Grimspoon said:
I think I would rather fry my USB drive than my G5 or G15 lol :D

What I was wondering, what the heck if someone plugged there spanking new phone into those ports? Would it toast the phone? :confused:
Click to expand...

Most likely will, but really depends on the internals on the USB bus in the device/phone. Thrown enough protection components in there in the design and it should protect it. But protection costs cost money, so on the low end stuff they don't bother.

I seem to recall a thread on here recently about someone's phone that got fried like this too.
 
What I was wondering, what the heck if someone plugged there spanking new phone into those ports? Would it toast the phone?
Click to expand...

Well, what happened to me with a Nokia 6680 USB data cable nearly did :) The cable was hanging on the floor most of the time and the PC chair didn't have wheels but sharp edges at the bottom of the feet (rubbers fell out). Some time someone must've sat on the cable and it cut it or something. Plugged in cable into front USB and phone and blew (with smoke and all) the USB front port but the trusty old 6680 kept going! And is still going strong, more than 2 years later.

Best phone ever!
 
ruan567 said:
Well, what happened to me with a Nokia 6680 USB data cable nearly did :) The cable was hanging on the floor most of the time and the PC chair didn't have wheels but sharp edges at the bottom of the feet (rubbers fell out). Some time someone must've sat on the cable and it cut it or something. Plugged in cable into front USB and phone and blew (with smoke and all) the USB front port but the trusty old 6680 kept going! And is still going strong, more than 2 years later.

Best phone ever!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you got pretty lucky there! I wonder if your scenario is the same as if the USB is plugged in wrong. Either way tis not good.
 
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