I have a small usb thumb drive with many files on it. After 2 yrs of use its now displaying an error message ''The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer.'' button options are Initialise, Ignore and eject. If I hit the initialise button will that erase all data?

 

thanks

Don't initialize it. You'll lose everything. Maybe, problems on your device, have you tried using it in another computer?

they do stop working just like that at times. not the best medium to use as your only back up. try a few other computers, different operating systems, if nothing helps, put it in the fridge for an hour or place it on your cars dashboard for a while. just dry different, non - destructive things. good luck.

8 minutes ago, manfredtillmann said:

they do stop working just like that at times. not the best medium to use as your only back up. try a few other computers, different operating systems, if nothing helps, put it in the fridge for an hour or place it on your cars dashboard for a while. just dry different, non - destructive things. good luck.

 

The fridge?

Car dashboard?

Manfred do you have a book of old computing wives' tales?

 

But yes, try it in another PC, try it on a different OS, but don't Initialise, it will wipe it.

There are some utilities that you can google that may be able to recover files from it, but normally going unreadable probably means it's simply worn out or gone on the fritz.

 

1 hour ago, Chicog said:

 

The fridge?

Car dashboard?

Manfred do you have a book of old computing wives' tales?

 

But yes, try it in another PC, try it on a different OS, but don't Initialise, it will wipe it.

There are some utilities that you can google that may be able to recover files from it, but normally going unreadable probably means it's simply worn out or gone on the fritz.

 

hello there, Chicog, i thought you don't talk to trailer trash...? missed you.

 

no, i don't just have the book, i wrote it.

would you have found 'praying' or 'swinging a dead cat around your head at full moon' more acceptable?

the fridge thing revived an old 'winchester drive' in my old 386 and the dashboard would have saved at least 3 of my own mobile phones after loosing them in mud, concrete or having them drenched in rain in my shirt pocket.

in the end, it is something to try and a lot better than just giving up and chucking in in the bin. if only to give one the feeling of having tried everything and not given up.

and if it does the trick i expect all of you doubters to dance around the fire at midnight hailing my name.

cheers

mft

deleted

1 hour ago, manfredtillmann said:

hello there, Chicog, i thought you don't talk to trailer trash...? missed you.

 

no, i don't just have the book, i wrote it.

would you have found 'praying' or 'swinging a dead cat around your head at full moon' more acceptable?

the fridge thing revived an old 'winchester drive' in my old 386 and the dashboard would have saved at least 3 of my own mobile phones after loosing them in mud, concrete or having them drenched in rain in my shirt pocket.

in the end, it is something to try and a lot better than just giving up and chucking in in the bin. if only to give one the feeling of having tried everything and not given up.

and if it does the trick i expect all of you doubters to dance around the fire at midnight hailing my name.

cheers

mft

 

If the dashboard thing is about drying them out, a sealed container with rice or silica gel in it does a much better job absorbing moisture.

 

 

it's all about what's available. and what works. i can get the heat into my device there and than but not the rice or the silica. have you ever watched an episode of 'bush mechanics'?

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/stories/s359476.htm

many ways to rome...

 

3 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

it's all about what's available.

 

 

A hair dryer maybe

Just shove it in the microwave, or perhaps the toaster oven.

 

 

13 minutes ago, Chicog said:

Just shove it in the microwave, or perhaps the toaster oven.

 

 

is this a helpful suggestion or just some lame - arsed attempt to discredit someone elses's?

so far only two posters have offered constructive advise - and you are not one of them.

Frying pan could work.

Download a free Linux Ubuntu and try opening it in that. 

12 hours ago, Rob13 said:

Frying pan could work.

 

Depends on how hard you hit it.........................

17 hours ago, manfredtillmann said:

is this a helpful suggestion or just some lame - arsed attempt to discredit someone elses's?

so far only two posters have offered constructive advise - and you are not one of them.

 

Obviously

 

- You didn't read Post #7

- You have no sense of humour

 

 

i did read #7 - and i replied to it.

and as for the sense of humor - you know where i was born.

 

as to a completely un - related matter, 'ghworker2010', how are you doing? getting somewhere?