Sandisk cruzer facet 16gb recovery. Proven methods for restoring SanDisk flash drives. When to use the flash drive controller firmware technique

Good day!

If your flash drive begins to constantly fail: it cannot be formatted, when connected to a computer it often freezes, when copying files to it errors occur, but it has not been subjected to mechanical stress - there is a CHANCE for restoring its functionality!

It would be nice if, when connecting a flash drive, it was at least somehow detected, for example: a connection sound is made, the flash drive is displayed in "my computer", the LED on it blinks, etc. If the computer does not see the flash drive at all, then first I recommend reading this article:

In general, give universal instructions, how and with what program what to do to restore a flash drive - impossible! But in this short article I will try to give an algorithm that will help even novice users to understand the problem and solve it.

Restoring a flash drive // ​​step by step

Controller Model Definition

By the will of fate, it turned out that I had one flash drive, which Windows refused to format - an error occurred "Windows can't complete formatting". The flash drive, according to the owner, did not fall, no water got on it, and in general, it was handled quite carefully...

All that was clear after examining it was that it was 16 GB, and its brand was SmartBuy. When connected to a PC, the LED lit up, the flash drive was detected and visible in the explorer, but it did not work properly.

SmartBuy 16 GB - "experimental" non-working flash drive

To restore normal operation of the flash drive, you need to reflash the controller chip. This is done with special utilities, and for each type of controller there is its own utility! If the utility is chosen incorrectly, then with a high degree of probability you will completely ruin the flash drive... I’ll say even more, for one model range flash drives - there may be different controllers!

Each device have their own unique identification numbers - VID and PID , and the flash drive is no exception. To select the correct flashing utility, you need to determine these identification numbers (and the controller model based on them).

One of the easiest ways to find out the VID, PID, and model of a flash drive controller is to use special utilities. One of the best of its kind is .

Flash Drive Information Extractor

Small free utility, to get maximum information about the flash drive. No need to install it!

The program will determine the model of the USB flash drive, model and type of memory (all modern flash drives are supported, at least from normal manufacturers)...

The program will work even in cases where it is not defined file system flash drives when the computer freezes when connecting the media.

Information received:

• controller model;
• possible options for memory chips installed in the flash drive;
• type of installed memory;
• maximum current consumption declared by the manufacturer;
• USB version;
• the full physical volume of the disk;
• disk space reported by the operating system;
• VID and PID;
• Query Vendor ID;
• Query Product ID;
• Query Product Revision;
• Controller Revision;
• Flash ID (not for all configurations);
• Chip F/W (for some controllers), etc.

Important! The program only works with USB flash drives. MP3 players, phones and other devices - it does not recognize. It is advisable, before starting the program, to leave only one flash drive connected to the USB ports, from which you want to get maximum information.

Working with Flash Drive Information Extractor

1. We disconnect everything that is connected from the USB ports (at least all drives: players, external hard disks etc.).
2. Insert the flash drive to be repaired into the USB port;
3. We launch the program;
4. Press the button "Get information about the flash drive" ;
5. After some time, we get maximum information about the drive (see screenshot below).
6. If the program freezes- don’t do anything and don’t close it. After a couple of minutes, remove the flash drive from the USB port, the program should “hang” and you will see all the information that it managed to pull out from the flash drive...

Now we know the information about the flash drive and we can start searching for the utility.

Information about the flash drive:

• VID: 13FE; PID: 4200;
• Controller model: Phison 2251-68 (second line in the screenshot above);
• SmartBuy 16 GB.

Addition

You can reliably determine the controller model if you disassemble the flash drive. True, not every flash drive case is collapsible, and not every one can be put back together later.

Usually, to open the casing of a flash drive, you need a knife and a screwdriver. When opening the case, be careful not to damage the inside of the flash drive. An example of a controller is shown in the screenshot below.

Disassembled flash drive. Controller model: VLI VL751-Q8

Addendum 2

You can find out the VID and PID of a flash drive using the device manager (in this case, you don’t need to install anything). True, in this case we will not recognize the controller model, and there is some risk that VID and PID it will not be possible to accurately identify the controller. And yet, suddenly the above utility freezes and does not provide any information at all...

How to find a utility for flashing a flash drive

Important! After flashing the flash drive, all information on it will be deleted!

1) Knowing the controller model, you can simply use search engines (Google, Yandex for example) and find what you need.

The operating algorithm is as follows:

1. We go to the site:
2. Enter yours VID and PID into the search bar and look for it;
3. You'll likely find dozens of lines in the results list. Among them you need to find a line that matches: controller model, your manufacturer, VID and PID, flash drive size .
4. Further in the last column you will see the recommended utility. By the way, please note that the version of the utility also matters! All that's left is to download the necessary utility and apply it.

After you find and download the required utility, run it and format the media - in my case, you only had to press one button - Restore .

Formatter SiliconPower v3.13.0.0 // Format and Restore. Utility end user, designed for both low-level and high-level (FAT32) formatting of flash drives on Phison controllers of the PS2251-XX line.

After a couple of minutes of blinking the LED on the flash drive, it began to work normally, messages from Windows about the impossibility of formatting no longer appeared. Result: the flash drive was restored (became 100% working) and given to the owner.

That's all, actually. I would be grateful for any additions on the topic. Good Luck!

Unfortunately, removable drives in the form of regular flash drives and memory cards from the manufacturer SanDisk are the most problematic devices, which are the most susceptible to damage of both a physical and software nature among all equipment of this type. In this regard, many owners of such devices often have to rummage through tons of material on the Internet to find a suitable utility for restoring the functionality of the drive or information that may have been damaged or deleted due to failures. For some reason, the manufacturer himself has nothing specific to restore SanDisk flash drives does not offer, so quite often you have to use third-party utilities aimed at other devices. But they may not always work. Despite this, there are several ways to help solve this problem everything is just like that.

The main problems of SanDisk drives

So, why are these drives considered the most problematic? As far as one can judge from the reviews of specialists, they do not quite successfully implement the operating algorithms of the built-in controllers themselves, which is why failures constantly occur, leading to firmware crashes, spontaneous changes to the file system, and the inability to access devices in the environment of almost all known devices today. day of operating systems and ultimately to loss important information, which was stored on them. As you can see, such problems can arise with almost all media related to removable memory cards, but with this manufacturer they appear most often, and quite often for no apparent reason.

Restoring SanDisk flash drives: main directions of action

Thus, based on exactly what situations may arise, we will look for the most optimal solution. But here it is necessary to clearly delimit certain directions of action.

For the most part, programs that allow you to perform, for example, recovery of a SanDisk Ultra 64 Gb flash drive, which belongs to the category of memory cards, which is considered the leader in the number and frequency of malfunctions, are focused on the ability to format the drive, which allows you to restore integrity file structure drive. There is no single application that could be used to tidy up the firmware of microcontrollers. However, even after full formatting Quite often it is possible to “fish out” information previously recorded on it from a flash drive (no matter what anyone says). The main thing is to choose the right software, which will be described a little later.

SanDisk RescuePRO flash drive recovery utility

In the meantime, let's return directly to bringing the drives to life. What can you recommend for use? First of all, you should pay attention to the small flash drive recovery program SanDisk RescuePRO.

At least, this is the only application that can be found on the Internet when submitting a request. However, the developer himself and even the name of the program, in general, have nothing to do with the flash drive manufacturer SanDisk. The application itself can be downloaded directly from the developer’s resource - LC Technology International. True, the user will immediately encounter some inconveniences, since on the site he will have to fill out a special form indicating personal data, and only then on the provided email address You will receive an email containing a download link.

The second point is related to the fact that the application does not have a Russian-language interface, so the restoration of SanDisk flash drives will have to be done, focusing exclusively on English names and terms. But don't despair! In the program itself, to start the recovery process, you just need to press the Wipe Media button and wait for the formatting to finish. True, the use of such a program to restore a SanDisk flash drive raises legitimate doubts, since, judging by the interface, the application is not focused on formatting, but on searching for deleted media files, and on SanDisk media, all information is simply deleted.

Note: the process start button can sometimes be inactive, so you simply won’t be able to perform any actions specifically with SanDisk flash drives. And still no one can give a clear explanation why the application works for some and not for others.

Formatter Silicon Power Program

You can restore a SanDisk flash drive using a similar approach using the described application, which, as the name suggests, is intended for devices from another manufacturer, but, according to most experts and users, it is quite good for SanDisk devices (especially for those equipped with controllers PS2251-03).

The actions performed in the application are minimal. You need to run the program, insert the USB flash drive into the port and press the start formatting button. If for some reason you get an error (which is unlikely), your device will most likely be incompatible with this program. But, as stated, it is worth a try.

USB Disk Storage Format Tool Application

But restoring SanDisk flash drives in this program looks very decent. True, you should initially pay attention to the fact that this utility is designed to perform low-level formatting and works like another well-known application - HDD Low Level Format Tool.

In the program, you need to select your media in the drop-down list (of course, if it is identified, be sure to check the boxes for Correct errors, Scan drive and Check if dirty), and then click the button perform a check (Check disk). It is quite possible that this method will restore the device’s functionality. If there is no effect, use the format button. After this, the flash drive can be used again (but without the information previously recorded on it).

Other utilities

Finally, another, in the opinion of many, suitable utility designed for formatting and working similarly to the previous one is MPTool, despite the fact that it is applied mainly to devices Silicon Power, in some cases, this application allows you to restore the operation of SanDisk flash drives.

On the Internet you can find posts that somewhere there is supposedly some non-proprietary program developed specifically for SanDisk devices, called Format and Read/Write Check Utility.

But its use is controversial, since it is impossible to find a single intelligible download link on the Internet; in those archives that are available for download, there is a completely different utility - USB Test Tool, which is also completely non-working.

Is it possible to restore the controllers manually?

In principle, you can try to find SanDisk yourself.

To do this, use the ChipGenius utility to determine the VID and PID identifiers of the problem device, and then search for them. There is little hope that there will be some application suitable specifically for this type of device; a list of programs may still be given that will somehow allow you to restore the functionality of the controllers (the main ones were described above).

What to use to recover damaged or deleted data?

Finally, if there is nothing wrong with the drive itself, but you only need to perform data recovery from a flash drive, there is nothing to think about! According to most experts, the most best program in this regard - R-Studio, which restores information even after complete formatting. Everything is simple here!

First, you need to insert a flash drive into the port, launch the program, select a drive from the list of available devices and partitions, click the scan button, and then save the results found on your hard drive, in a logical partition, or on another removable device. True, after restoring the information, you will not see folders with previously present names, so you will have to look through each renamed directory in search of the desired file.

If you don’t like this approach, you can use a simpler program - R.Saver. It is also possible to restore directories and files, but the result will be somewhat worse than in the R-Studio package.

Results

To summarize, it remains to be noted that, in general, there is no need to manually search for the most suitable application for restoring SanDisk drives. The easiest way is to use one or more utilities presented above for users to see. In theory, at least one will give the necessary result. But if we consider all the described applications from a practical point of view, it is best to try to restore the device’s functionality in the Disk Storage Format Tool application, since it is in it that you can perform two types of actions: checking and formatting, if the first action does not have an effect.

Darning the firmware

Software problems Flash drives are quite common. In these cases, the drive externally intact, when connected to USB port shows signs of life - the indicator blinks and is even detected in the OS, but does not provide access to data. Identified logical drive has an incorrect capacity (zero, 512 bytes, 1 MB or a couple of terabytes), and messages are displayed every time it is accessed"Insert disc", "Format", "No disk access"and so on of the same kind.

The main reason — failure of the microprogram, commonly called firmware. The firmware consists of controller microcode and service data on flash memory chips. The microcode is embedded in the controller at the manufacturing stage (usually a small masked ROM), does not change during operation and rarely deteriorates - unless together with the chip (but then this is a hardware problem). But the “service” ( this is primarily a translator, as well as memory parameters and various identifiers and flags) is rewritten quite often, which is why it is subject to all sorts of distortions.

Most often, problems are caused by power failures when the controller is busy with some internal operation with flash memory. For example, it writes updated service fields there or rebuilds the translator (a routine procedure for leveling out wear). Note that the activity indicator does not light up, that is, from the user’s point of view, the flash drive does nothing and there is no need to stand on ceremony with it. And then it is unexpectedly removed from the USB port, or there is a 5 V voltage drop (the reason is a weak PC power supply, or more often a bad contact in a loose connector), or static breaks through to the case, causing the controller to freeze.

In all these cases, the write operation remains incomplete, and the data in the flash memory remains inconsistent, which leads to unpleasant consequences. First of all, the integrity of the translator suffers - holes form in it, and uniform addressing is disrupted. The next time you turn on the controller, it will detect a problem and lock the memory. “I’ve pulled out a flash drive a hundred times just like that, and no problems, and now you’re in such a bummer!” - a typical reaction of an unlucky owner.

There is another reason for the failure of flash drives, associated with an increase in the number of bad cells. Modern flash memory of the MLC/TLC NAND type is quite unreliable, and a significant capacity reserve is built into the chips. This means that as they fail, defective blocks are promptly (via a translator) replaced with backup ones, and such reassignments are invisible to the OS. Defect management is one of the main functions of the firmware, and if the intensity of the “remap” exceeds a certain threshold, then the firmware itself sets a lock to prevent further damage.

Sometimes a flash drive is blocked more softly - only for writing. The data is visible and readable, but when trying to create a file, erase or format a message appears "The disk is write protected". Such a move on the part of the controller is quite reasonable - NAND memory is damaged mainly when writing, and reading can be left in mild cases. In addition, damage to the user is minimized. Memory cards often behave this way: for example, for a degrading microSD, spontaneous switching to read-only mode is almost commonplace.

It happens that a bad area on a flash drive (often Not big size, about 0.2-4 MB) not only does not lead to blocking, but also does not cause errors when writing and subsequently reading data. But what is read is not at all what was written down. For the user, this looks like an inexplicable corruption of one or more files affected by the defect. You can check the drive like this: create a non-empty file on your hard drive the size of a flash drive, copy the entire file to it and compare both files in binary mode (command fc/b on Windows). If there is at least one discrepancy, the flash drive is unreliable.

Such “field tests,” however, do not provide complete confidence in the serviceability of the device. For comprehensive testing of flash drives (not only USB drives, but also any memory cards), a number of special utilities such as Flashnul 1.0rc1, Flash Drive Tester 1.14, MyDiskTest 2.50, H2testw 1.4 and Flash Memory Toolkit 2.01. They are compact, easy to use, and have broad diagnostic, but at the same time destructive capabilities. By negligence you can mess up (for example, overwrite HDD), so the user is required to be attentive and familiar with the documentation, especially for Flashnul running in console mode. But the utilities easily identify defective and unstable sectors (in common parlance - bad blocks), translation failures, real performance, and also, importantly, fakes. After all, flash drives and cards with a controller programmed for a larger capacity are a constant assortment of Chinese bazaars and online flea markets.

In all the described cases, the problematic flash drive needs repair. Software repair includes cleaning and then testing all available flash memory, creating a new translation table and writing it to the service area (usually at fixed addresses). These actions are often referred to as " low level formatting" All other service information on the chips is also updated.

Exactly the same actions are taken when initializing a new, freshly assembled flash drive at the factory, so for repairs, as a rule, production utilities of the MPTool class are used. MP here means Mass Production, and the prefix is ​​not given in vain: “tool” can work simultaneously with 8 or even 16 drives. Another thing is that outside the factory assembly line such opportunities are useless and only complicate life.

Utilities are strictly, even overly strictly specialized in models and modifications of controllers, so you need to look for a version suitable for a given instance, and even so that it understands the existing flash memory (this is sometimes even more important). Unfortunately, there are no universal recipes here. On flash drives of the same model, controller versions and memory chip options change almost from batch to batch, so ready-made solutions from forums often don’t work and you have to find your own. Sometimes all that remains for the repairman is a patient search through a dozen or two utilities of one category or another, plus playing with the settings (a special pleasure when the ini file is fifty lines in size, where the meaning of many parameters is vague).

Settings for one of the production utilities. There are five such tabs with parameters

This class of technological software, of course, was not intended for wide distribution, and only 5-6 years ago it would have been possible to obtain necessary programs it wasn't easy. And with their not very friendly interface and lack of sane documentation, the task became even more complicated. But demand creates supply: since then, the Chinese have collected and made public almost everything that a repairman needs, and our enthusiasts have created a non-profit resource flashboot.ru, on which almost all available repair utilities are freely available (with the exception, perhaps, of the oldest versions, dating back to the days of 64 MB flash drives).

You can find other useful directories on the Internet, for example usb-disk.ru/prog.php and rdm.kiev.ua/pages/utils/flash. They contain flash drive software of various origins, including proprietary software that has long disappeared from official websites. Some of the utilities are irrelevant (they relate to obsolete models or solve narrow problems such as creating a password-protected partition on a flash drive), but the rest may well be useful when repairing or restoring data. Brief explanations make the choice easier.

It should be noted that the resource usbdev.ru/files is actually an alternative to flashboot.ru, containing many technological utilities broken down by 35 brands of controllers. Recommendations are provided for frequently used utilities, including principles for selecting a version, operating procedures, basic parameters and error codes. Determining the controller and memory model without opening a flash drive is not always easy, and the website describes various ways, how to do it. A selection of specifications for controllers and memory chips will be useful for reference.

The site flashboot.ru is especially valuable because of its methodological materials: instructions for software repair of flash drives of various models, documentation for many utilities, and most importantly, an extensive forum where novice and advanced repairmen share their experience. The posts describe numerous difficulties and ways to overcome them. It’s impossible to list all the tips, but here are three more or less general ones.

First tip— for software repair you need to know exact model controller. The simplest way— open the case and look at the markings of the microcircuit. This is not always possible (for example, monolithic flash drives), so it is better to use software methods. The controller is determined by the iFlash database using codes VID/PID(the first code is the manufacturer ID and the second is the product ID). These codes are assigned to any USB device and can be found using Device Manager or special programs USBDeview 2.22, CheckUDisk 5.4, ChipGenius 4.00.0025 RC3 Fix or Flash Drive Information Extractor 7.5.0.480 (the last two immediately display the brand and model of the controller along with the firmware version, and also report useful information about memory chips). Having identified the controller, you can find a utility to work with it.

Second tip— choose an operating system. Technology utilities should be run in Windows environment XP (and the 32-bit version), they often do not work under Vista and Windows 7. Production tools can be conservative - there is no need for them to chase fashion. However, updated versions are already appearing, and Windows 8, hopefully, will alleviate the situation (compatibility with XP is excellent there). In all cases, you must have local administrator rights: utilities often install their own driver and perform other “dangerous” actions from the OS point of view.

Third tip concerns the transfer of the controller to test mode. Often the operating system cannot detect the connected flash drive - a message pops up in the tray « USB device not identified", while the VID/PID codes are zero. Then you will not be able to install the driver or run the utility. This is due to corruption of service data on flash memory: the controller firmware tries to read it at startup, but freezes and does not respond to OS requests.

In test mode, memory polling is blocked and the controller operates by default. To do this, it is enough to short-circuit two lines of the data bus. On the disassembled flash drive, short-circuit the 29th and 30th pins of the memory chip (with a needle, blade or thin tweezers) and in this form connect the flash drive to the USB port. Immediately after it is detected in Windows, open the pins (you shouldn’t hold them for long: the controller gets hot). Then you can run repair utilities. Disconnect the flash drive only after the utility has completed its work or when it prompts you to do so ( Replug device).

In some cases, you should short-circuit other pins of the chip or generally work with the controller - short-circuit its data bus (for example, the 23rd and 24th pins). main reason This means memory chips in BGA and LGA packages, which are increasingly being installed on flash drives. It is difficult to get to their conclusions, which is why you have to turn to the controller. The principle here is the same as when closing the data bus to memory. There is also a special test pin, which is shortened to minus. There is no general standard for the pinout of controllers, so the specification is in your hands (it is usually not difficult to find it). The poke method is not suitable here - you can burn the device, at which point the “repair” will be completed. For more details, see the comments to it.

Closing the bus also treats monolithic flash drives, where installation would seem impossible. In a number of these models, the pins of the memory chip are duplicated at test points on the end of the case - this is what you should take advantage of. There is no standard wiring here; contacts for closure are selected empirically. Using the described method, you can also revive other devices with a USB interface that have turned into “bricks” - players, video cameras, etc. You just need to gain access to the chip and have a utility for flashing the firmware, as well as the firmware itself (usually in the form of a binary file downloaded from the official website).

The CnMemory flash drive is built on a 32 GB microSDHC card. There is no cure for this. Hey Chinese!

Free access to factory utilities had another beneficial effect. Many flash drive manufacturers have stopped pretending that their products never break, and have posted a variety of Recovery Tools on their official websites . The latter, as a rule, have an easy-to-understand interface, but much fewer settings than the factory software; their task is to return the flash drive to its original state (“like new”), and they are no longer able to cope with complex cases. To download the appropriate utility, you need to go to the section technical support and indicate the drive model, and sometimes also its serial number- often difficult to read due to small and blurry numbers on the case. In some cases (JetFlash Online Recovery from Transcend), the program itself requests the serial number, checking it over the Internet connection. If you have doubts about the authenticity of a flash drive or memory card, it doesn’t hurt to check it (SerialCheck utility, etc.) - popular brands are often counterfeited, and there is little demand for fakes.

It makes sense to start repair work from the official sites, and if proprietary utilities do not help (for example, they refuse to recognize your drive due to a new modification of the controller or memory), use flashboot.ru with its archives. A selection of fully functional software plus a search on the forum (there will always be a similar case!) will help revive almost any model. Even fake flash drives from Chinese bazaars can be brought to life, another thing is that their real capacity (usually 2-4 GB) is of little interest to anyone today, and the memory from the rejection quickly begins to crumble. Signs of a non-repairable counterfeit are a controller of an unknown brand (not described in the iFlash database) and “worn out” memory chips without any markings at all.

If nothing helps, it means that the case is really complex and most likely cannot be treated with software. In particular, worn out, crumbling memory chips (the level of defects during testing exceeds the threshold, usually 2-3%) clearly require replacement. For a non-specialist, this is most often unprofitable, and the flash drive goes into the bucket. It happens that you can’t find a utility for a rare or relabeled controller - then there’s no need to worry either.

The Silicon Power LuxMini 920 model at the time of release was one of the fastest, which was provided by the JMicron F603 controller. But it got so hot that flash drives failed en masse. A year later they started installing a weaker controller

Complex cases include SanDisk flash drives. This American brand offers models good quality, but they also fail. And there is practically no repair software: flashboot.ru and other resources do not have the necessary programs. That's corporate policy. SanDisk is one of the few “full cycle” companies that itself develops and produces NAND flash memory chips, controllers, and the drives themselves. As a result, they use non-standard solutions, down to the addressing scheme and other basic things. SanDisk does not disclose this information to anyone, which is why utilities for its controllers cannot be found in the public domain.

⇡ Work for wear and tear

The main and completely unresolved problem of flash drives is the limited resource of NAND memory in terms of the number of writes/erases and, accordingly, its rapid wear during operation. A worn-out page loses its ability to be rewritten and remains in its last state - a kind of ROM memory. The market constantly demands: “More capacity and speed, smaller dimensions.” In response, the technological process is becoming thinner (we have already reached 19 nm, 16-18 nm standards are on the agenda) and the density of data packaging in the chip is increasing, and the resource - as it turns out.

It doesn’t turn out very well: current 25 nm MLC NAND chips can withstand 3,000, 5,000, sometimes 10,000 rewrite cycles (the first value is typical for the mass segment, the second for mid-level chips with some selection, the third for the best graded samples), and the latest TLC NAND models, storing three bits of data in one cell (8 charge levels!), no more than 1,000-1,500 cycles. And these are still optimistic estimates: skeptics generally talk about 300-500 cycles. For comparison, the previous generation single-bit SLC memory (34 nm process technology) had a lifespan of 100,000 cycles. Such “hardy” chips are still produced, but in small quantities and at a high price - 3-5 times more expensive than MLC; they are used to equip top-end enterprise-class SSDs.

Of course, sophisticated translation and wear-leveling algorithms smooth out the MLC resource limitation, and sometimes quite successfully. Look at the stated service life of current SSD drives, but they are built on the same element base. But flash drives do not have such advanced controllers, firmware, DRAM cache buffers and such a reserve capacity (20% or more) - then they would cost many times more. However, similar exotic products are also produced; take at least a 50 GB drive from SuperTalent for $200.

Inside this flash drive is a full-fledged SSD, built on a SandForce compression controller. Except that the interface is not SATA III, but USB 3.0. This cannot be repaired

Conventional models fail quite quickly. A significant part of them do not even survive to the end of the warranty; many are completely lost. The transition of flash drives to the category of disposable items only emphasizes the current frivolous design, sales policy (as an FMCG product; there are even machines selling flash drives) and bargain prices.

⇡ Cards dealt

All of the technologies described above apply to USB drives. Memory cards are practically irreparable - hardware repair is obviously difficult, and software repair requires special equipment, which is not widely available. The fact is that ordinary card readers (more precisely, their controllers) do not pass technological commands (the so-called vendor specific) necessary for low-level formatting of cards. Repair utilities are also attached to special readers, so the latter are useless in themselves. That’s why even the Chinese don’t post them, and it’s hard to find service software on the Internet. All that is available to the average user are high-level card formatting utilities.

Utilities can be both universal (SDFormatter 4.0, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool 2.2.3) and specialized proprietary ones. The latter are designed for specific families of cards - they cope better with defects, but require a proprietary card reader, which is often inaccessible. In fact, these are lite versions of the factory software. For example, the description of Memory Stick Formatter 2.5 from Sony lists only five reader models that the program can work with - naturally, manufactured by Sony itself. If no utilities help, then the junk card can only be returned under warranty or thrown away (or given to a DR specialist for an expensive restoration).

A few years ago it was easier. In particular, burnt stabilizers were successfully replaced in CF cards, and first-generation SD cards could be repaired using cameras. Some models from Fuji skipped technical commands, which made it possible to use randomly obtained repair software. But those “Fujikis” and those SDs are no longer in use for a long time... Unfortunately, today there are no programs for cards capable of performing any functions that are not available to a conventional disk editor and regular means OS.

There is only one exception left: a device known as a “clip” (official name is “ Adapter for unlocking MMC and SD cards"), allows you to hardware remove the write lock from SD/SDHC/microSD cards (the latter with an adapter), as well as the password - forgotten or spontaneously set. The clip can be found at repair shops cell phones. The compact device is powered by a 9-volt battery or a USB port; When a card is detected in the slot (by the limit switch), a complete erase command is sent to it, which resets the flash memory and service fields on the card. The result is displayed on the built-in LED: fast blinking - success, slow blinking - faulty card. A few seconds - and the card is like new. Of course, all data is irretrievably lost. However, in more serious cases (flat firmware, incorrect volume due to a damaged translator, etc.) the clip is useless.

"Clip" in its original and disassembled form. The battery makes it completely autonomous

Some cameras and smartphones that have their own driver for working with cards can replace the clip. So, according to rumors, Nokia E72 on Symbian OS can remove protection from microSD. The “low-level formatting” option in a number of Canon and Panasonic cameras does the same with SDHC - in this case, the same All Erase command is issued. So I can give advice to the owner of a blocked card: try to format it on all the devices you find, and the simpler the gadget (“dumber”), the greater the chances of success.

Of course, there are pitfalls here. The capacity of SD cards was constantly growing, almost doubling over the year, and with it the specifications changed: SD → SD 2.0 (SDHC) → SD 3.0 (SDXC). Hence the compatibility problems. An old device may simply not recognize a modern card of 32 GB or higher (in addition to capacity, power consumption also plays a role - SD 3.0 standard drives are power hungry). Inscription on the screen “I can’t work with the card”, or even freezing is a common occurrence, and nothing can be done about it.

The non-repairability of memory cards raises the issue of their quality even more acutely, and also makes it necessary to regularly backup. To avoid running into fakes, buy flash drives in trusted places (for example, in large stores). You can simply throw away a failed card, but it’s smarter to return it under warranty. To do this, save documents and packaging, and receipts on thermal paper should be copied immediately - they quickly fade to an unreadable state. It only makes sense to get rid of “waste paper” for one reason - the price of the device does not justify a trip to the warranty office.

All important files on the card must be duplicated on an independent medium - hard drive, DVD, flash drive, other card or cloud service. Don't be lazy to keep your copies up to date. Saving on backup will sooner or later backfire (of course, we are not talking about downloaded free content). By the way, older digital SLRs have already acquired a dual slot and can record pictures simultaneously on two cards. Obviously, this option was introduced for a reason, but at the request of dissatisfied photographers - you won’t envy a professional who has lost unique shots.

In the event of an accident, the user will save his time, nerves and money: restoring data from faulty memory cards is expensive or even very expensive. If a regular SD or CF will cost 3,000-6,000 rubles, then for monolithic structures such as microSD, prices reach 25-30 thousand. IN Lately and full-size SDHC/SDXC cards are increasingly made using monolithic technology, which does not contribute to the cheapness of services.

The reason is that it is difficult to solder to the memory chip, bypassing the controller: debugging pins still need to be found, and their wiring is usually determined experimentally using a working analogue (see monolith library). Not all Data Recovery companies undertake such microsurgery, so you’ll have to look for them outside of big cities. It may be easier to contact a trusted specialist and send the “patient” by regular mail.

⇡ Dispensary: ​​repair-free mileage

From the above we can draw a clear conclusion: it is better not to bring flash drives to repair. As in medicine, prevention here is much more profitable than treatment - it is easier to prevent a breakdown than to try to fix it later. Life has shown that proper use of flash drives and memory cards saves you from many troubles. Here are some recommendations on how to extend the life of your drives, and if a malfunction does occur, then minimize its consequences.

• Protect flash drives from strong mechanical influences (falls, shocks, bending, vibration), temperature changes, dampness and aggressive environments. Do not use excessive force when inserting or removing the drive into a USB port or card slot.
• Protect flash drives from ionizing radiation (X-rays, radionuclides, cosmic rays) and strong electromagnetic fields. Screening luggage at airports carries a certain risk, although not too great. These kinds of dangers grow with the density of data packaging, so it may not be worth taking high-capacity flash drives (64 GB or more) on a flight.
• Flash drives, and even more so memory cards, are afraid of static discharges, so do not touch their contacts with your fingers or metal objects. Increased electrification is observed on synthetic surfaces (carpet, linoleum, etc.), as well as in winter with its dry air. In these cases, before picking up the flash drive, discharge it on the nearest grounded object - say, a heating battery or the back wall system unit. If the computer is not grounded, be especially careful with flash drives. Outdated two-wire electrical wiring and sparking carpet on the floor destroyed, I think, more than one thousand drives.
• Regularly check flash drives using built-in OS tools - this speeds up work and makes it easier to recover data in case of logical errors and file system corruption (the latter is a common consequence of unsafe removal from a USB port, as well as worn-out flash memory and controller failures). Defragmentation serves the same purpose. To reduce wear and tear, it may be more profitable to copy files to a hard drive, quickly format (clean tables only) the flash drive into the OS, and write everything back; Often it is also shorter in time.
• Do it regularly backups data. A valuable file stored on one flash drive and nowhere else is the same unjustified risk as the only apartment key stuck in a holey pocket. This is especially important when traveling, where flash drives and memory cards are trusted with critical information that is expensive in every sense (scans of documents, access codes, correspondence, maps of the area, etc., not to mention photo and video filming).
• It is not recommended to use a flash drive in intensive write operations, for example, to keep a working accounting database on it. Such operation significantly reduces the service life and reliability of the drive - it can fail within a month or two.
• Flash drives and memory cards should not be filled to capacity, especially in one session and with large files - this increases the likelihood of failure. This is the “last frame effect” known to photographers, which ruins the entire shoot. If the volume is full, the file system can be damaged, the translator often crashes, and then you cannot do without the help of a DR specialist. Leave at least 3% free space and monitor the recording progress. Slowdowns and especially freezes are a dangerous symptom (primarily of worn-out flash memory); such a drive is unreliable.
• Remove memory cards from mobile devices (cameras, smartphones, etc.) from the slot as often as possible. It is safer to transfer data via a USB connection to the host. Also, you should not do anything with the card when the battery is dead: if the power suddenly goes out while recording, the card will most likely fail. This also applies to file formatting and deleting operations. Be careful in winter - in the cold, batteries lose capacity and discharge much faster.
• In car gadgets (DVRs, GPS navigators, etc.), memory cards often fail. This is probably due to voltage surges and interference in the on-board network. Cigarette lighter power adapters are often made according to simplified designs; stabilization and filtering are poor. Cards are sensitive to this, especially microSDHC format. Preventative measures are to use high-quality equipment, do not chase high capacity (it has been noticed that cards of 16 GB and larger “die” first) and, of course, back up everything valuable. In terms of power supply, the “220 V + inverter” combination provides good insurance network adapter", but this cumbersome solution is not for everyone.
• Before removing a flash drive from a USB port or a memory card from a card reader, camera, or other mobile device, perform the safe removal procedure in the OS or turn off the power of the mobile device. Do not remove the drive while it is writing or reading (while the activity light is flashing) as it may be damaged. Saving a few seconds will then result in serious losses of time, nerves and money.
• If a flash drive with data behaves strangely, it is not recognized in operating system, or is detected and soon disappears, or freezes at some point - do not try to treat it with low-level utilities, even if their names include the words Recovery, Restore or Repair. Almost all of them overwrite “information” without the possibility of recovery, and often without warning! Important files must first be copied to another drive (how to do this is a separate topic), and only then proceed with repairs using the methods described above.

And may your flash drive live long!

Removable media from SanDisk is one of the most problematic types of equipment in the history of this type of device. The fact is that the manufacturer has not released a single program that could help restore the drive. Therefore, those who have such flash drives can only wander through the forums and look for posts from other users who were able to fix failed SanDisk devices.

We tried to collect all those programs that actually work with media from this company. There were very few of them.

The set of solutions turned out to be very strange and unusual. So, one of them is completely designed for flash drives from another company, but for some reason it also works with SanDisk. Another utility is paid, but you can try it for free.

Method 1: SanDisk RescuePRO

Although the name of the company appears in the title, it seems that SanDisk representatives themselves know nothing at all about it. You can download it on the website of a certain company LC Technology International. In any case, this program copes with the recovery of removable media, and for us this is the most important thing. To use RescuePRO, do the following:

Interestingly, in some cases the format button appears to be grayed out and unclickable. Unfortunately, it is not particularly clear on what basis the division occurs into those users who have this function available and who do not.

If you manage to use SanDisk RescuePRO, all data from the flash drive will be erased. It will be automatically restored and ready for future use.

Method 2: Formatter Silicon Power

This is exactly the same program that for some reason works with some media from SanDisk. The description for it says that it works with devices that have PS2251-03 controllers. But not all SanDisk flash drives that Formatter Silicon Power can service have such a controller. Overall, it's definitely worth a try. To do this, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Method 3: USB Disk Storage Format Tool

One of the few programs that works quite well with SanDisk media. She's the only one on our list who can check removable media, correct errors on it and format it. Using the USB Disk Storage Format Tool looks like this:

What else can you do

In addition to all the above programs, in some cases SMI MPTool also helps. This tool is designed to work with Silicon Power flash drives. How to use it is described in detail in the article on repairing such devices (method 4).

Also on many sites they write that there is a certain proprietary Format and Read/Write Check Utility. But we couldn’t find a single intelligible link to download it.