Flash Drives

[Black Bart]

Guess the problem's computer-specific and

Apparently the problem sometimes lies in the computer. My computer would not recognize
new larger flash drives at startup. My computer expert downloaded updated data from the
flash drive manufacture, etc. to my computer, then my computer WOULD recognize the flash drives. A year later I had a RAID system installed on this SAME computer so it now runs TWO 80 meg harddrives. Ever since it will NOT recognize ANY of my flashdrives on boot up. I discovered that if I start up my computer and THEN plug in the flashdrives, it will then recognize them. Now, I leave my computer running 24 hours a day during the filing season, so I do not have to continiuosly plug and unplug the flashdrives. I have had TWO flash drives fail but they are quick and easy to FORMAT to get them running again, but you LOSE all data stored upon them.

varies widely from one machine to the other. I think I'll just stick with the one-gigs* that are recognized by both computers and let it go at that.

*Office Max had a good sale on these (Verbatims) the other day -- $9.95 each. Not much memory, but it's cheap if you want to check it out.

[Black Bart]

Dan

BB, in computer years that's a relic! 8^ )

Consider yourself banished for makin' such a statement (you may return when you've been gone as long as your computer is old).

When I call tech support they say "How old is your computer?" This, of course, blames my fossilized figurin' machine when they can't solve the problem (am I the only person alive with a five year old computer?)

It reminds me of an Andy Rooney column: Every time his appliances conked out; right away the repairman asked their age. The obvious inference (your appliances are obsolete) annoyed him greatly, so he began asking "What kind of appliances do [i]you[/i[ have?" and "Do you go out and buy brand-new stuff every year?" Their answers were, invariably, older model equipment and a sheepish "No."

I've started doin' it with tax techs too. First they'll say, "An '07 Supra-Xpress Bells-a-Whistlin' model". Then I ask "In your home?" And usually it's "Uh...no, that's at work -- I've got an e-Machine at home."

[Black Bart]

Doing it "by the book"

...if you pull the flash drive out...wile...operations...taking place, you can corrupt the data...might not cause any problems...but then on the 101st time you do...damage...that "Safely Remove" icon is on there for a reason - otherwise it wouldn't be available.

I've been told that yanking the flash drive out without ejecting is not much different than reaching over & shutting power off to the computer without going through the correct procedure. Not exactly the same, but similar.

John, I think you're right about it being like turning off the computer without properly exiting. I really miss my old DOS machine that I could just reach over and punch it off at any time with no consequences.

[Black Bart]

Yes.

Does the 1st system which stopped recognizing the flash drive recognize other flash drives?

Don't have any trouble at all with the one-gig flashes on that system. It's only when I put in the four-gig sticks that they're ignored.

[Black Bart]

Dennis

Bart,

Can you see this icon when you go into the start tray and open that up?

No -- it doesn't come up. I don't know why, since it seems like it should.

...respect Luis' warning about...system restart

Guess I'll have to give him (dadgum smart Yank) the benefit of the doubt too, as I'm not computer-savvy enough to bail myself out of a jam if it occurs. Thanks for trying.

P.S. Glad to hear you're okay. Anything from Sandy lately?

[Black Bart]

Dany

I found this on google at a tech forum:
http://www.techimo.com/forum/t175282.html

They had interesting chit-chat on that link, but the poster's solution didn't work for me. He said "Go to MY COMPUTER and right click. Choose MANAGE. When the window opens, under STORAGE, select DISK MANAGEMENT..." I tried it, but the window that opened on my computer didn't list the "Manage" option. Thanks for trying anyway.

[dyne]

flash drive difficulty

Apparently the problem sometimes lies in the computer. My computer would not recognize
new larger flash drives at startup. My computer expert downloaded updated data from the
flash drive manufacture, etc. to my computer, then my computer WOULD recognize the flash drives. A year later I had a RAID system installed on this SAME computer so it now runs TWO 80 meg harddrives. Ever since it will NOT recognize ANY of my flashdrives on boot up. I discovered that if I start up my computer and THEN plug in the flashdrives, it will then recognize them. Now, I leave my computer running 24 hours a day during the filing season, so I do not have to continiuosly plug and unplug the flashdrives. I have had TWO flash drives fail but they are quick and easy to FORMAT to get them running again, but you LOSE all data stored upon them.

[taxmandan]

Fairly new. About five years old.

BB, in computer years that's a relic! 8^ )

[JohnH]

My understanding

The way this process was explained to me, it's a random event to damage the data on the flash drive by removing it without ejecting it electronically. If you observe the flash drive, you'll notice that the light always flickers when you're saving data, retrieving data, or cataloging the drive. However, it will also flicker at other times, seemingly at random. I don't know what's going on at these times - maybe the computer is checking that it's still there, maybe some automatic backup is taking place, or maybe it's talking about the weather.... I also understand that these operations sometimes continue for a few seconds after the light has stopped flickering.

Anyhow, if you pull the flash drive out wile one of these operations is taking place, you can corrupt the data on the flash drive and/or confuse the computer. So you might not cause any problems pulling it out 100 times, but then on the 101st time you do some sort of electronic damage.

Electronically ejecting also helps the computer keep track of what is and isn't on board, so it can assign drive designations correctly. Bottom line is, that "Safely Remove" icon is on there for a reason - otherwise it wouldn't be available.

I've been told that yanking the flash drive out without ejecting is not much different than reaching over & shutting power off to the computer without going through the correct procedure. Not exactly the same, but similar.

[RLymanC]

flash drive

Does the 1st system which stopped recognizing the flash drive recognize other flash drives?

[DTS]

Icon

Bart,

Can you see this icon when you go into the start tray and open that up? If so, try dragging it to your desktop and see if this is available to you after a restart.

I have to respect Luis' warning about doing a system restart. I have never had one problem doing this, but his experience may be totally different. I would hate to advise you of something only for it to go badly for you. If you would like me to tell you how to do this, please copy everything, so you don't lose anything just in case and I'll private message you directions.

It does sound like you may have found a fix for your problem, however. Give the other a try first.

Dennis

PS: Fires are much better in many areas. Still some going, but I think most are 90-95% contained. Our weather is cooler and more moist, which help the firefighters and no wind!

[geekgirldany]

I found this on google at a tech forum:

http://www.techimo.com/forum/t175282.html

[Black Bart]

...I don't know of any exception to the rule that the flash drive must be electronically ejected, even on the Vista computer.

On my other "newer" computer, we routinely insert/pull the flash drives (both 1 and 4 gig) without clicking any icons at all and they always work perfectly with no "electronic ejection" whatever.

[Black Bart]

Odd,

On more than one computer, on both Dells and Gateways, and with different brands of flash drives and different sizes, I've had nothing show when inserting a flash, but then after closing the My Computer screen and opening it again -- voila! there's the flash drive listed. I don't know why. But, so far, it keeps working for me

When you posted this, I put the 4-gig drive in the port, went to My Computer, dropped down the list of drives and there it was. Also the file icons appeared on the screen. But then I exited, clicked on the "Safely remove hardware" icon and shut down the computer. Trying it again now when I started up again, I'm back to square one -- going to My Computer it's not listed in the drives, no icons come up, and no icon on the tool bar, so it's being ignored again.

I'll have to find some sure-fire way to do it, otherwise can't risk putting multiple clients on a drive I can't access. But thanks for the tip -- at least I found out that the machine and the drive are still capable of recognizing each other.

[JohnH]

Not sure why this is so

I'm running Windows XP on one computer and Vista on another one (they are not networked). I frequently swap flash drives between them, and as soon as I insert the Flash Drive in the USB port both computers always display the little "Safely Remove Hardware" icon on the lower right side of the screen, on the taskbar. It's hidden until I hover over it with the cursor.

I don't know of any exception to the rule that the flash drive must be electronically ejected, even on the Vista computer.