Recovering data from flash drives, memory sticks and memory cards: In general, solid state storage devices such as memory cards or USB flash drives offer greater reliability than their conventional hard disk counterparts as they contain no moving parts. Faults are nearly always related to either an onboard component malfunction or poor assembly. Frequently in order to recover the data, it's necessary to fault find by tracing the electronic signals in the devices themselves and replacing / repairing the faulty component, or modifying boards / components to create a workaround on the device.
It's important to remember that if the data contained on the faulty device is of value, it is necessary to have it recovered by experienced technicians. Data on solid state devices can often be rendered unrecoverable due to incorrect recovery procedures not being noted.
Typical USB flash drive failure & data loss symptoms:
- The device will no longer be recognised by the computer when inserted
- The device will be recognised but appear empty
- The device will be recognised incorrectly &/or show the wrong storage capacity