Not two seconds ago I could open up my flash drive in Windows explorer. Now I double-click on the drive shortcut and the error comes up "E:\ Access is denied". I tried running a Norton anti-virus scan and it found a W32.SillyDC virus, which I then deleted. I'm running spybot and adaware on the whole system again. Do those programs scan all drives? If that doesn't work how do I fix my flash drive?
Note, I can access all of the files on the flash drive, I just have to be in word or excel and then open them from there.

11/27/2007 12:58:33 AM

bump

11/27/2007 5:31:26 AM

Try booting into safe mode and see if you can access it there. BTW, you should probably be doing all of your scans in safe mode as well.

11/27/2007 7:17:24 AM

Does the same flash drive give the same 'error' when using it with other machines?

Does your computer give the same error with other USB drives?

11/27/2007 7:40:38 AM

flash drives have a very finite lifespan...

both of the 1Gig's that I have had started doing this after 3months or so (kingston and samsung) more and more frequently until they just wouldn't read anymore... reseating it until the light comes on was the way that I got mine to work... but as soon as I did I would make sure I had all the info off of them b/c it probably doesn't have much longer...

then again it could be something simple...

both were smaller keychain type thumbdrives, I've heard the stick kind last longer...

11/27/2007 7:40:46 AM

3 months? Wow. I had one that survived a wash and dry cycle and all mine have lasted for years. Are you using the 'Safely remove hardware' function?

11/27/2007 7:48:29 AM

yeah, really...i've had cheap drives that lasted 2 years before i sold them off, and i've a 1gb lexar that's 3 years old...my 2gb samsung is over a year old

11/27/2007 10:56:04 AM

You don't actually have to use the "Safely remove hardware" function on most any version of XP and Vista (same goes for OSX and *nix). However, you do want to make sure that you haven't written anything to it recently.

The ONLY damage data loss that can happen if you don't is with files that haven't been finished writing to the memory. It will not physically affect the functionality of the flash disk at all. In fact if you find out that the file didn't actually copy correctly, plug it back in, copy it, safely remove it to ensure it copied fully, and carry on with life.

But no, it will not shorten the lifespan to just unplug it.

11/27/2007 11:04:39 AM

i haven't been "safely ejecting" the jump drive everytime i'm done with it. I've just been pulling it out after its done updating itself. I wasn't sure if it would do the same thing with some other machines but I got on campus today and the same thing happened. Its not a cheap drive either. Its aToshiba 2.0 GB drive (retails about $30, got it for $20) that I got in mid to late September of this year, so its only ~3 months old. I probably haven't even filled it up to 10% of total capacity either. WTFIHATETECHNOLOGYWHENITSDOESTHISSHIT

[Edited on November 27, 2007 at 11:13 AM. Reason : asdf]

11/27/2007 11:10:43 AM

so the moral of the story is: buy cheap flash drives.

11/27/2007 11:13:04 AM

Quote :

"both of the 1Gig's that I have had started doing this after 3months "

Kingston's bargain datatraveler line have 5 year warranties.

11/27/2007 11:30:20 AM

Quote :

"The ONLY damage data loss that can happen if you don't is with files that haven't been finished writing to the memory. It will not physically affect the functionality of the flash disk at all. In fact if you find out that the file didn't actually copy correctly, plug it back in, copy it, safely remove it to ensure it copied fully, and carry on with life."

does this apply to memory cards, too? because unless it's just some weird coincidence, i've known a few cards (SD and xD, in particular) to quit working altogether when pulling them out of a card reader without ejecting properly...on multiple machines and multiple card readers of different manufacture, too

11/27/2007 1:02:05 PM

Quote :

"Kingston's bargain datatraveler line have 5 year warranties."

bookstore shit represent!

11/27/2007 2:09:59 PM

I've always though/heard that yanking the flash drive out was safe 99.44% of the time. I just use the safe removal to guard against the off chance that it may damage the files/drive/partition tables/etc.

11/27/2007 2:11:04 PM

reformatting it should fix the problem even though you'll lose all the data on it

11/27/2007 10:50:53 PM

I've had a 512MB Sandisk flash drive since the summer of 2004. It's been through the washing machine twice.
Still going strong...

11/28/2007 1:19:36 AM

I've got a 256MB flash drive that I've had for... well, since a 256MB flash drive was cutting edge. Still works great & it took a shit load of abuse on my key chain for quite some time. Finite flash drive lifespan = nonsense.

11/28/2007 8:37:24 AM

Quote :

"Finite flash drive lifespan = nonsense"

it's not really nonsense...flash memory can only take so many cycles before it craps out...but there can't be THAT many manufacturers of NAND memory, so i would think that anything less than 3 years constitutes a "bad" drive

11/28/2007 8:46:01 AM

Quote :

"Like all flash memory devices, flash drives can sustain only a limited number of write and erase cycles before failure. Mid-range flash drives under normal conditions will support several hundred thousand cycles, although write operations will gradually slow as the device ages."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive#Weaknesses

11/28/2007 9:29:38 AM

I'm aware they do actually have a lifespan, but I'd like to see everyone with a flash drive in their possession that has undergone even a measly 100,000 read/write cycles raise their hand. Thats 91 times a day over three years.

[Edited on November 28, 2007 at 10:02 AM. Reason : *]

11/28/2007 10:01:47 AM

you're saying the same thing, one that craps out in less than 3 was a bad one to begin with he and you are saying.

they should last a good long while (depending on use ofc)

[Edited on November 28, 2007 at 10:13 AM. Reason : use]

11/28/2007 10:12:58 AM

ok someone suggested i try opening the drive in safe mode. i did and it worked fine. something else is going on...i will definitely take the time to safely eject it from now on.

11/28/2007 8:28:38 PM

picked up a 4gb pny for both myself and the gf for $16 (after taxes) yesterday at circuit city

slickdeals FTW

11/29/2007 10:07:11 AM

if it's a pny drive, it's most likely broken.

11/29/2007 12:43:58 PM

Ugh, we had to stop ordering those at the bookstore because we got way too many returned as defective. Since then, if it's flash it better have a 5 or more year warranty on it because we got so sick of sending back defective drives.

11/29/2007 12:48:15 PM