Recovering a Kingston datatraveler 100 g3 16gb flash drive. Do-it-yourself USB flash drive repair: we fix hardware and software problems. Using a program to recover a Kingston flash drive

But before you do anything, think about how valuable the information is stored on it? If the data is important, then it would be better to try to recover it before and after the firmware. To do this, you can use the Recuva program, or another similar one. And if extremely important data is stored there, which is very important and valuable, then in this case it is better not to do anything on your own. Take the flash drive to a specialized service center, where specialists will be able to restore it with a less high risk to your data.

Restoring a flash drive using the example of Kingston DT

In our example, we will use a Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 16GB flash drive. It worked fine for a while, but then strange things started to happen. When trying to delete or write data, the whole process is so slow that it can be said to not move at all. After reconnecting, the system displayed a message asking you to format the disk.

Considering the low importance of the data on the device, it was decided to format it. The formatting process took a long time and was not completed. Only a message appeared indicating that the formatting attempt was unsuccessful.

We connect our faulty flash drive and run the utility. At the top of the program window there will be a button to receive data, click on it. After this we will see all the information on the device. Pay attention to the values next to VID and PID.

Reflash a faulty Kingston flash drive

For now we disconnect the drive. We launch the utility for flashing (our program is called MPTool.exe). If the application comes with a file called readme.txt, then look into it. Most likely there are instructions there. Please note that there are different utilities and everything may look slightly different for you. But in general, the interface and operating principle should be similar.

After starting the flashing program, you need to connect the flash drive again. After this, the utility will detect the device. Now all that remains is to click on the start button for rewriting the firmware. Let's wait a little until the process is completed.

Upon completion, the program will let you know that everything was successful.

Then a system message will immediately appear that before working with the device it needs to be formatted. But it’s better to immediately disconnect the flash drive and then connect it again. And only after that begin the formatting process. After completing all these procedures, you can check the operation of the flash drive. Everything works as quickly as it should and files are adequately copied and read. Do not forget that some steps may be slightly different from those described in this article. But in general the whole process looks exactly like this.

That's all. Take care of your flash drives and remove the device safely.

This might come in handy.

Kingston flash drives are distinguished by their reliability and long service life, but they are also not protected from various failures. Sometimes the drive actually “dies” and it is not possible to restore it. More often there are situations when a flash drive can be brought back to life using a special firmware utility.

Most often, Kingston dt100g2 and datatraveler flash drives break.

Is it possible to recover a flash drive?

Signs that the drive can be restored:

When you connect a flash drive, a notification appears that a new device has been detected.
The system prompts you to format the removable disk.
The drive does not open, but is shown in Explorer.
Errors occur when reading and writing data.

These problems can be eliminated by flashing the controller or formatting the media, but if the flash drive has important information, then before performing any restoration procedures you need to try to “pull it out”. Use to extract a recovery program like Recuva or so as not to lose the necessary files.

Search for a program for flashing the controller

To restore you will need special utility for Kingston flash drive. In order not to make a mistake and download the right program, you need to know the drive controller model.

Method 1

Look necessary information You can go to flashboot.ru in the iFlash section, using the VID and PID values of the flash drive as a filter.

Connect the drive to your computer.
Open the device manager (right-click on the “Computer” icon - Manage).
Find "USB Mass Storage Device".
Right click and open properties.
Go to the Details section and select the Hardware ID property.

Method 2

Another way to get the information you need is to download Flash program Drive Information Extractor and click the “Get Data” button. The report will contain the lines “VID” and “PID”; use their value to find a utility that can correctly restore the Kingston Datatraveler flash drive.

You can download the program in the “Files” section on the website flashboot.ru. If the utility is not here, try to find it on other web resources.

Recovery utilities

You can find the program you need without a controller model - just type in the search engine the request “kingston recovery utility”. In the results you will see several utilities, among which there will certainly be programs such as Phison Preformat, AlcorMP AU698x RT, etc.

The problem is that Kingston flash drive recovery programs only work if they are compatible with the controller installed in the drive. Therefore, if you download the first repair utility you come across, it may not detect the connected media.

When the desired program is found, you can begin to restore it. Be sure to look at the instructions, which should be packaged in the archive along with the recovery utility - perhaps the program has a special operating procedure. The general recovery procedure looks like this:

You don’t need to do anything else: the program will automatically correct errors and return the flash drive to a working state. This completes the restoration of the Kingston flash drive; If the controller firmware did not help resolve the problem, then the cause of incorrect operation should be sought among hardware faults.

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 most simple ways Find out the VID, PID, and model of the flash drive controller - 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

We disconnect everything that is connected from the USB ports (at least all drives: players, external hard disks etc.).
Insert the flash drive to be repaired into the USB port;
We launch the program;
Press the button "Get information about the flash drive" ;
After some time, we get maximum information about the drive (see screenshot below).
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:

We go to the site:
Enter yours VID and PID into the search bar and look for it;
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 .
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!

Kingston flash drives are very popular due to the fact that they are quite inexpensive and reliable. This is not to say that they are cheaper than others, but their cost can still be called low. But, since absolutely everything breaks in our world, it is not at all surprising that Kingston removable media can also fail.

This happens quite simply - you insert a flash drive into the computer, but it “does not want” to read data from it. The drive can be detected, but everything will look as if there is no data on it. Or simply not all data may be determined. In general, situations can be very different. In any case, we'll look at a few effective ways restoring the functionality of a Kingston drive.

Kingston has its own flash drive recovery tools. There is also a universal method for restoring removable media, which is relevant for devices from any company. We will analyze all the most effective methods.

Method 1: MediaRECOVER

This is one of two proprietary programs from Kingston. To use it, you need to do the following:

The second option looks more " humane"for a flash drive. It just involves restoring the flash drive. In any case, if using MediaRECOVER does not help, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Kingston Format Utility

This is another signature Kingston program. It is suitable for all flash drives of this brand, starting with the DTX 30 series and ending with USB devices Datatraveler HyperX. This utility also formats the flash drive without a chance to save any information. To use Kingston Format Utility, do the following:

Method 3: HDD Low Level Format Tool

Judging by user reviews, this program copes well with damaged Kingston flash drives. Low Level Format Tool works at a low level, so it is quite successful at what it does. And this applies not only to removable media from Kingston. But, again, the utility formats the flash drive and restores its functionality, but not the data from it. To use this program, you need to do very little, namely:

Method 4: Super Stick Recovery Tool

Another very simple program designed to recover Kingmax flash drives, but it is also suitable for Kingston (although for many this will seem quite unexpected). So, to use Super Stick Recovery Tool, do the following:

program, insert the USB flash drive and run the executable file.
If everything is fine and the program can work with your flash drive, information about it will appear in the main window. Click on the button Update" to start formatting. After that, just wait until the process finishes and try to work with the flash drive again.

Method 5: Search for other recovery utilities

Not all Kingston flash drive models will be suitable for the programs listed in methods 1-4. In fact, there are a lot of similar programs. In addition, there is a single database with information about programs intended for recovery. It is located on the site's iFlash service. The process for using this repository is as follows:

This method is suitable for all flash drives.

Method 6: Standard Windows Tools

If all the above methods did not help, you can always use standard means Windows formatting.

You can also use standard Windows tool to format a flash drive. Try different combinations of the order of actions - first format, then check and correct errors, and then vice versa. It is quite possible that something will help and the flash drive will become operational again. To format removable media, again right-click on the selected drive in " Computer" In the drop-down menu, click " Format…" Then, in the next window, just click on the button “ Begin».

It is worth saying that all of the methods described above, except for checking the disk with a standard Windows tool, assume complete and irreversible loss of data from the media. Therefore, before performing all these methods, use one of the data recovery utilities from damaged storage media.

Almost every person who is in one way or another connected with computers has at least once encountered the problem of a flash card malfunction. It can be expressed in different ways: Windows does not see the flash drive, refuses to format it, failures occur when copying and moving files, or the wrong amount of memory is determined.

You can restore a Kingston drive using special software

Most simple cases can be cured by simply formatting the flash drive using operating room tools Windows systems. To do this, you need to insert it into the computer and after identifying it, go to My Computer, right-click on the drive and select Format. After successful formatting, the system will notify you about this.

If after formatting the problems remain or it ends in failure, for example, operating system gives an error - “Windows cannot complete formatting”, then you need to try another method. For example, Kingston provides special tools for its drives to restore their functionality. The Kingston flash drive recovery program can be easily downloaded from the company’s official website, in the support section. After downloading, you need to unpack it and run it. In the window that opens, select the required drive and click Format. After formatting in a special way, the flash drive should work.

Another method worth trying is to use a low-level formatting program. Such a program, for example, D-Soft Flash Doctor or similar. It is not targeted at any specific drive or manufacturer, so it can format any flash drives and memory cards.

If all these actions lead to nothing, then there are serious problems with the controller.

Restoring a Kingston flash drive using firmware

You can restore a flash drive by using a special utility for low-level firmware of its controller. But there are situations when the device really cannot be helped by anything other than physical intervention, such as soldering or connecting to special devices.

If the drive has the following viability criteria, then there is still a chance to restore it:

Windows detects the flash drive when it is plugged into the computer port;
after inserting the flash drive into the connector, the system automatically asks for formatting;
the drive identifies itself, is visible in the system, and when accessed, the message “Insert disk...” is displayed;
systematic errors when copying or moving files to a flash drive;
Slow speed of the drive as a whole.

Before you restore the Kingston flash drive, you need to find out the controller identifiers. You need two of them, the first - VID, contains the manufacturer's identifier. The second is PID, which stands for product code. You need to determine them with a utility like Flash Drive Information Extractor. Once you receive them, you can write them down somewhere.

Finding a recovery utility

Directly to carry out the firmware, you will need a special utility that can flash the flash drive controller at a low level. Such special programs Usually available only from equipment manufacturers. With their help, they carry out initial firmware, repair and testing of devices. Sometimes these utilities end up online by accident, and sometimes manufacturers share them. But the whole problem is that each manufacturer has its own utility, which can be different depending on the controller model and the amount of memory.

For search the desired program It is for the model being reanimated that SID and PID will be needed. There is one service on the network called Flashboot.ru, which stores thousands of utilities for firmware various devices and gadgets.

You must enter the received numbers into the SID and PID fields and click search. The service can display several program options at once. You need to choose the one whose description indicates the corresponding volume of the drive being restored. The list may also contain utilities for other manufacturers. You need to remember that you need to restore the Kingston flash drive, so select the most suitable configuration from the list. The Utils field describes the name of the program. After finding the desired line in the list, you need to copy the name of the utility and go to the files section of the flashboot.ru website. You need to paste the copied name into the search bar and click find.

After finding the utility, you need to download it to your computer and unpack it. Sometimes a situation arises when the program you are looking for is not in the files. Then you can simply search for her by name in any search engine.

Using a program to recover a Kingston flash drive

Using the utility is the simplest part of the operation. You just need to insert the USB flash drive, launch the program and click on the Start button in the program. Of course, the design, localization and operating methods of different utilities for different flash drives may be different, but the essence is the same, and it is intuitive. After successful flashing of the controller, the operating system may immediately offer to format the revived flash drive.

If all else fails

If nothing helped or the utility was never found, this means that, most likely, one of the modules of the drive’s electrical circuit is physically damaged. In such a situation, only a service center can help. Specialists will be able to physically connect to the contacts of the flash drive and analyze or scan for damage. If the flash drive can be repaired, then it will be repaired, but if not, then nothing will help it.