Reliability of USB flash drives

I'm wondering if anyone has any helpful information on the
reliability of
USB flash drives.

I recently started using a SanDisk half-gig flash drive to
tote files from
computer to computer, as a briefcase of sorts.  (Though I'm
not actually
using Briefcase software, or anything like that.  I handle
all file
transfers manually.)

Several times, when moving large numbers of files from the
flash drive to a
hard drive, or from one folder to another on the flash
drive, I've
encountered errors, usually ones where it is announced that
some part of
some file is "unrecoverable."  Unfortunately, I
have not saved the exact
text of the errors.

In the aftermath of these errors, I find corrupted files,
folder that once
held multiple files and folders suddenly empty, and such
things.  When I try
to delete these supposedly-empty folders, I am told the
folder cannot be
deleted because it is not actually empty.

I'm using Windows 2000.  I use Windows Explorer to access
files on the flash
drive, almost exclusively.  I occasionally use TextPad to
open a text file
directly from the drive, but mostly I just copy files onto
and off of the
drive.  The flash drive is formatted FAT32.

I'm hoping that someone can place these errors in
perspective for me.  Are
these sorts of errors normal for USB flash drives?  Did I
just get a bad
drive?  Is SanDisk an untrustworthy brand name?  Have I
damaged my drive
just from the heat, lint, and humidity of my shirt pocket?

Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

-----------------
L Lockwood
Webmaster, Programmer/Analyst-II
PP-CS Information Systems Group
3-8467



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As I understand it, physically they're quite rugged.  Guys
in Iraq love 
them, because they're the only thing that won't break.

But Flash memory dies after a certain number of cycles, so
if you're 
doing a lot of copies, eventually it will die on you.  It's
supposed to 
manage this internally to maximize life, so it should take a
while for 
this to become a factor.

But it sounds like you've either gotten a bad one, or it
wasn't fully 
unmounted it before pulling it out of the port and had the
bad luck to 
be in the middle of a write cycle, or some other file system
issue. 

I have an older 256mb usb drive that has never failed me,
but I honestly 
don't use it that much, so I'm probably not as demanding as
you are. 

-J

L Lockwood wrote:
> I'm wondering if anyone has any helpful information on
the reliability of
> USB flash drives.
>
> I recently started using a SanDisk half-gig flash drive
to tote files from
> computer to computer, as a briefcase of sorts.  (Though
I'm not actually
> using Briefcase software, or anything like that.  I
handle all file
> transfers manually.)
>
> Several times, when moving large numbers of files from
the flash drive to a
> hard drive, or from one folder to another on the flash
drive, I've
> encountered errors, usually ones where it is announced
that some part of
> some file is "unrecoverable."  Unfortunately,
I have not saved the exact
> text of the errors.
>
> In the aftermath of these errors, I find corrupted
files, folder that once
> held multiple files and folders suddenly empty, and
such things.  When I try
> to delete these supposedly-empty folders, I am told the
folder cannot be
> deleted because it is not actually empty.
>
> I'm using Windows 2000.  I use Windows Explorer to
access files on the flash
> drive, almost exclusively.  I occasionally use TextPad
to open a text file
> directly from the drive, but mostly I just copy files
onto and off of the
> drive.  The flash drive is formatted FAT32.
>
> I'm hoping that someone can place these errors in
perspective for me.  Are
> these sorts of errors normal for USB flash drives?  Did
I just get a bad
> drive?  Is SanDisk an untrustworthy brand name?  Have I
damaged my drive
> just from the heat, lint, and humidity of my shirt
pocket?
>
> Any information you can provide will be appreciated.
>
> -----------------
> L Lockwood
> Webmaster, Programmer/Analyst-II
> PP-CS Information Systems Group
> 3-8467
>
>
>
>
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to
> or unsubscribing from its mailing list and finding out
> about upcoming meetings, please visit the Micronet Web
site:
> <http://micronet.be
rkeley.edu/>.
>
>   

-- 
Jay Bryon
Senior Network Engineer, IST-IS-NSO 
(Network artists formerly known as CNS)
U.C. Berkeley

jayberkeley.edu
2-5636

[Unless stated explicitly otherwise, all opinions are my own
and do not represent official policy of any part of IST,
U.C. Berkeley or the U.C. Regents.]  



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Hi:
I find these problems to be unusual. I do this kind of think
all the time.
But I am using xp and server 2003. I do this to take a exam
on and off a
system for students. And I never have these kinds of 
problems. I am using
pny a 4 gb drive and it works grate. My only caution is that
be aware of
wear you put it. I have had many a day of trying to think
wear is the drive
but it always turns up but not always when I need it smile 

I did have one drive get damaged but that was because I left
the cap off to
much of the time and it was badly built 

Lucia Greco
Assistive Technology Specialist
University Of California Berkeley
(510) 643-7591 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu
[mailto:owner-micronet-listlists.berkeley.edu] On
Behalf Of L Lockwood
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 2:18 PM
To: Micronet List
Subject: [Micronet] Reliability of USB flash drives

I'm wondering if anyone has any helpful information on the
reliability of
USB flash drives.

I recently started using a SanDisk half-gig flash drive to
tote files from
computer to computer, as a briefcase of sorts.  (Though I'm
not actually
using Briefcase software, or anything like that.  I handle
all file
transfers manually.)

Several times, when moving large numbers of files from the
flash drive to a
hard drive, or from one folder to another on the flash
drive, I've
encountered errors, usually ones where it is announced that
some part of
some file is "unrecoverable."  Unfortunately, I
have not saved the exact
text of the errors.

In the aftermath of these errors, I find corrupted files,
folder that once
held multiple files and folders suddenly empty, and such
things.  When I try
to delete these supposedly-empty folders, I am told the
folder cannot be
deleted because it is not actually empty.

I'm using Windows 2000.  I use Windows Explorer to access
files on the flash
drive, almost exclusively.  I occasionally use TextPad to
open a text file
directly from the drive, but mostly I just copy files onto
and off of the
drive.  The flash drive is formatted FAT32.

I'm hoping that someone can place these errors in
perspective for me.  Are
these sorts of errors normal for USB flash drives?  Did I
just get a bad
drive?  Is SanDisk an untrustworthy brand name?  Have I
damaged my drive
just from the heat, lint, and humidity of my shirt pocket?

Any information you can provide will be appreciated.

-----------------
L Lockwood
Webmaster, Programmer/Analyst-II
PP-CS Information Systems Group
3-8467



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rkeley.edu/>.


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A few more pieces of anecdotal data.

I recently had a Sandisk Cruzer Micro 2GB go out on me with
completely no 
warning. One day, it simply refused to be recognized by any
of the 
computers I use. This is after I had used it to consolidate
a large 
portion of my working files.

I had gotten an A-Data PD9 1GB drive at christmas time, so i
broke that 
out of the package. On the very first use it corrupted files
that were 
copied to it.

I then got a Kingston DataTraveler 1GB, because of the
lifetime warranty. 
So far so good, knock wood.

Needless to say I tell everyone not trust these things to
store files. 
Always have a backup.

On the other hand, a coworker has been using the same model
SanDisk stick 
with no problems. He even put it through the wash with no
ill effects.
-- 
Mark


On Fri, 16 Mar 2007, L Lockwood wrote:

> I'm wondering if anyone has any helpful information on
the reliability of
> USB flash drives.
>
> I recently started using a SanDisk half-gig flash drive
to tote files from
> computer to computer, as a briefcase of sorts.  (Though
I'm not actually
> using Briefcase software, or anything like that.  I
handle all file
> transfers manually.)
>
> Several times, when moving large numbers of files from
the flash drive to a
> hard drive, or from one folder to another on the flash
drive, I've
> encountered errors, usually ones where it is announced
that some part of
> some file is "unrecoverable."  Unfortunately,
I have not saved the exact
> text of the errors.
>
> In the aftermath of these errors, I find corrupted
files, folder that once
> held multiple files and folders suddenly empty, and
such things.  When I try
> to delete these supposedly-empty folders, I am told the
folder cannot be
> deleted because it is not actually empty.
>
> I'm using Windows 2000.  I use Windows Explorer to
access files on the flash
> drive, almost exclusively.  I occasionally use TextPad
to open a text file
> directly from the drive, but mostly I just copy files
onto and off of the
> drive.  The flash drive is formatted FAT32.
>
> I'm hoping that someone can place these errors in
perspective for me.  Are
> these sorts of errors normal for USB flash drives?  Did
I just get a bad
> drive?  Is SanDisk an untrustworthy brand name?  Have I
damaged my drive
> just from the heat, lint, and humidity of my shirt
pocket?
>
> Any information you can provide will be appreciated.
>
> -----------------
> L Lockwood
> Webmaster, Programmer/Analyst-II
> PP-CS Information Systems Group
> 3-8467
>
>
>
>
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> The following was automatically added to this message
by the list server:
>
> For information about Micronet, including subscribing
to
> or unsubscribing from its mailing list and finding out
> about upcoming meetings, please visit the Micronet Web
site:
> <http://micronet.be
rkeley.edu/>.
>

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