Hello everyone! It was not for nothing that I undertook to write an article on how to flash a USB flash drive - I have experience. Yesterday I was restoring my flash drive Kingston DT Elite 3.0 16GB... Everything worked out, and I thought, why not write a similar instruction, and tell what and how to do in order to give the flash drive a new life :).
Now, probably in every house there is a flash drive and very rarely one. It is convenient to transfer information to them, they are beautiful, and besides, they have not been expensive lately. But very often USB drives fail. If we talk about why this happens, then we ourselves are in the first place. Do you always safely eject your USB stick? Here I am rarely. There may, of course, be other reasons why flash drives simply “die”.
There is one point to clarify here. It happens that the flash drive really "dies". In this case, it cannot be restored. At least at home. But if the USB drive, when connected to a computer, shows at least some signs of life, then you can try to restore its operation by firmware of the controller.
What are the signs of life of a USB drive?
- When you connect a flash drive to a computer, the computer gives a signal to connect the device - it's already good.
- When connecting Windows, ask to format the removable storage (but in the process of formatting there are problems and errors such as "Windows cannot complete formatting").
- The flash drive is detected and visible in the explorer, but when you try to open it, the message “Insert disc ...” appears
- Errors occur when copying information.
- Very slow speed of writing / reading information.
If there is valuable information on the flash drive, then you can try to restore it before and after firmware. This can be done with different programs. I advise Recuva, here is the article but there are many others, good programs.
If the information is very valuable, then it is better not to do anything on your own so as not to make it worse. Contact special service centers that restore information.
Let's now look at the whole process of flashing the controller using a real example, using my Kingston DataTraveler Elite 3.0 16GB flash drive as an example. This flash drive has broken for me at all interesting. I had to drop the files on it and delete those that were already recorded. I connected it to my computer and started deleting the folder. But the Folder was removed very slowly. I disconnected and reconnected this flash drive, an inscription appeared that the disk needs to be formatted “Before using the disk ...”.
Since there were no Important files on the flash drive, I started formatting without hesitation.
But the process itself lasted a very long time and never ended, I forcibly stopped it. The message “Windows could not complete formatting” may still appear.
But still I formatted it, since the tenth time and only in FAT 32. After that, the USB drive was normally detected and I was even delighted. But it was not there. I started copying files to it, and the write speed was about 100 kb / s. I decided to flash it, which I did.
Determine the VID and PID of the USB controller
First we need determine VID and PID... This is data about the model and manufacturer of the controller, which is in our drive. Based on this data, we will be looking for a utility for the firmware. There are many different programs with which you can determine the VID and PID. I advise the utility Flash Drive Information Extractor you can download it from the link.
Connect the USB flash drive to your computer and run Flash Drive Information Extractor (extract the program folder from the archive and run the GetFlashInfo.exe file).
Click the button at the top of the program "Get data about a USB flash drive".
The program will give us the result. We look at the information that is located opposite the VID and PID.
You can copy these numbers, or leave the utility window open, the obtained data will be useful to us now.
We are looking for a utility for flashing a flash drive
According to the VID and PID data, we need to find the utility with which we will flash the controller. There is a good site flashboot.ru, which contains a database of flash drives and utilities for their recovery.
In the search results, we are looking for a USB flash drive similar to ours. The list may include devices from other manufacturers. They just have the same controller, it was identified by VID and PID. You may have noticed that I have a 16 GB flash drive, and in the list I allocated 32 GB. I think there is nothing wrong with that (just where the name of the utility is not indicated on 16 GB)... You try to choose a more similar device from the list.
We are interested in the field UTILS(utility), copy its name in full.
Unfortunately, the utility I needed was not found on this site. Perhaps you will be more fortunate and you will see something in the search results. Download the utility to your computer.
And I didn't stop there and started googling. I just asked for “SK6221 MPTool 2013-04-25” and found this utility on some other site. If you have the same flash drive, then this utility is. True, the name of the archive is different, but this did not prevent me from successfully curing my USB flash drive.
USB drive recovery process
Disconnect the USB flash drive. Extract the utility folder from the archive and run .exe file. In my case, this is the MPTool.exe file. Also look at the text file readme.txt... Perhaps there is an instruction, or a link to a site with instructions. If the instruction is in English, then translate it using the same translate.google.ru.
I'll tell you how I did (you just may have a different utility and everything may be different there, but it shouldn't be very different).
The utility is launched. We connect the USB flash drive. I got information about the flash drive in two lines in the program. Push the button Start... In my case, the yellow bar signaled the firmware process. We wait.
When the process was over, I saw a green color, everything is fine.
You should immediately see a Windows message prompting you to format the drive. But the first time, most likely, nothing will work out. Unplug the USB stick and plug it back in. The driver should be installed and the removable drive should appear in the explorer. You can format it.
I checked the write speed, everything is as expected for USB 3.0, everything is fine!
It is necessary to be prepared for the fact that the actions may differ from those that I described. And not everything can work out the first time. The main thing is not to give up and everything will work out!
How to recover a Silicon Power flash drive
In our world, almost everything breaks down and flash drives from Silicon Power are no exception. It is very easy to notice a breakdown. In some cases, some files start disappearing from your media. Sometimes the drive simply ceases to be detected by the computer or any other device (it happens that it is detected by the computer, but not detected by the phone, or vice versa). Also, the memory card can be detected, but not opened, and so on.
In any case, it is necessary to restore the flash drive so that it can be used again. Unfortunately, in most cases you will not be able to recover any information and it will be permanently deleted. But after that, the USB-drive can again be fully used and write information on it without fear that it will be lost somewhere. It is worth noting that it is very rare that after recovery, removable drives from Silicon Power serve for a long time, they still have to be replaced.
You can recover Silicon Power removable media using the programs released by the company itself. In addition, there are other software that helps in this matter. We will analyze the proven methods that have been tested by users from all over the world.
Method 1: Silicon Power Recover Tool
The first and most famous utility from Silicon power... She has only one purpose - to fix damaged flash drives. Silicon Power Recover Tool works with removable media with Innostor IS903, IS902 and IS902E, IS916EN, and IS9162 series controllers. Its use is extremely simple and looks like this:
Download the utility, open the archive. Then open the folder " AI Recovery V2.0.8.20 SP”And run the RecoveryTool.exe file from it.
Insert your damaged USB stick. When the utility is launched, it should automatically detect it and display it in the field under the caption “ Device". If it doesn't, choose it yourself. Try restarting Silicon Power Recover Tool several times if the drive is still not displayed. If all else fails, it means that your medium is not suitable for this program and you need to use another one. But if the media is displayed, just click the " Start
Method 2: SP ToolBox
The second proprietary program, which includes as many as 7 instruments. We only need two of them. To use the Silicon Power ToolBox to recover your media, do the following:
Download the latest version of the program. To do this, go to the official site of Silicon Power and below, opposite the inscription "", click on the download icon. Below are links to download instructions for using the SP ToolBox in PDF format, we do not need them.
Then you will be prompted to log in or register. Conveniently, you can log in to the site using your Facebook account. Enter your email address in the appropriate field, put two check marks (" I agree ... "and" I have read ...") And click on the button" Continue».
After that, the archive with the program we need will be downloaded. There is only one file in it, so open the archive and run it. Install SP ToolBox and run it using the shortcut. Insert the USB stick and select it where it was originally written " No device". Diagnose first. To do this, click on the " Diagnostic Scan", and then " Full scan"To perform a full scan rather than a quick scan. Under the inscription “ Scan result"The result of the check will be written. This simple procedure will let you know if your media is really damaged. If there are no errors, it is most likely a virus. Then just check your media with an antivirus and remove all malware. If there are errors, it is best to format the media.
There is a button for formatting " Secure erase". Click on it and select the function " Full erase". After that, all data will be erased from your media, and it will restore its functionality. At least that's how it should be.
Also, for fun, you can use the health check function (it is called that) of a flash drive. For this there is a button " Health". Click on it and you will see the state of your media under the inscription “ Health».
Critical- means a critical condition;
Warming- not very good;
Good- implies that everything is fine with the flash drive.
Under the inscription “ Estimated Life Remaining»You will see the approximate lifespan of the storage medium used. 50% means that the flash drive has already served half of its life.
The program can now be closed.
Method 3: SP USB Flash Drive Recovery Software
The third program from the manufacturer, which recovers Silicon Power flash drives with great success. In fact, it does the same process that users usually do using the iFlash service. Read about what it is and how to use it in the tutorial on recovering Kingston flash drives.
The point of using this service is to find the desired program and use it to restore the flash drive. The search is carried out by parameters such as VID and PID. So, USB Flash Drive Recovery independently detects these parameters and finds the required program on Silicon Power servers. Using it looks like this:
Download USB Flash Drive Recovery from the official website of the company. This is done in the same way as in the case of the SP ToolBox. Only if the system requires authorization again, remember that after registration you should have received a password in your mail, which you must use to enter the system. After authorization, download the archive, open it, then several times open the only folder that you will see on the screen (one folder to another). Finally, when you get to the destination folder, run the file “ SP Recovery Utility.exe».
Then everything happens completely automatically. First, the computer is scanned for a Silicon Power flash drive. If such is found, USB Flash Drive Recovery determines its parameters (VID and PID). Then she searches the servers for a suitable recovery program, downloads it and runs it. You just have to click on the desired button. Most likely, the downloaded program will look like the one shown in the image below. If so, just click on the "Recover" button and wait for the end of the recovery.
If nothing happens and all of the above processes are not running, complete them manually. If scanning does not start, which is highly unlikely, check the box next to the “ Scan Device Information". In the field on the right, the corresponding information about the ongoing process will begin to be displayed. Then put a checkmark in front of the inscription “ Download Recovery Tool Kit”And wait for the program to download. Then unpack the archive - this is the mark “ Tool Kit UnZip"And use it, that is, run -" Execution Tool Kit". Then the recovery utility will start.
Using this tool also makes it impossible to save the data contained in the memory of the drive.
Method 4: SMI MPTool
This program works with Silicon Motion controllers, which are installed in most Silicon Power flash drives. SMI MPTool differs in that it performs low-level recovery of damaged media. You can use it as follows:
Click on the " Scan USB"To start scanning your computer for a suitable flash drive. After that, your media should be displayed on one of the ports (column “ Items"On the left). Click on it in this column to highlight it. Actually, if nothing happens, then the program is not suitable for your carrier.
Now press the button " Start"And wait for the end of the recovery.
In some cases, it helps if you do the above steps several times. Either way, it's worth a try. But, again, don't rely on saving data.
Method 5: Recuva File Recovery
Finally, we have come to a method that allows you to recover at least some of the damaged information. Only then it will be possible to deal with the restoration of the operability of the device itself using one of the above utilities. Recuva File Recovery is not SP's own development, but for some reason it is located on the official website of this company. It is worth saying that this is not the same program we all know. All this means only that Recuva will be the most effective in working with flash drives from Silicon Power.
Only when you choose where to scan for deleted or damaged files, choose the option " On my media card”(This is step 2). If the card is not found or files are not found on it, start the whole process over. Only now choose the option " In a specific location»And specify your removable media according to its letter. By the way, you can find it out if you go to “ My computer"(Or simply" Computer "," This computer "- it all depends on the version of Windows).
Scan ”at the bottom of the program window.
The scanning process will then begin. In the largest field, you can see all files and folders available for recovery. On the left there are two more fields - the results of the fast and deep scans. There may also be folders and files that can be recovered. To do this, select the required file with a checkmark and click the "Restore" button in the lower right corner of the open window.
After the recovery of the lost data has been completed, use one of the above utilities to restore the entire drive to work. You can also use a standard Windows tool to check disks and fix their errors.
Finally, you can format your removable media using other programs or the same standard Windows tool. As for the latter, you need to do the following:
In the window " Computer"(" My computer "," This computer ") right-click on your flash drive. In the drop-down menu, select the item " Format…».
When the formatting window opens, click on the " To begin". If it does not help, start the process over, but uncheck the box next to the inscription “ Fast ...».
Good luck to you!
In our world, almost everything breaks down and flash drives from Silicon Power are no exception. It is very easy to notice a breakdown. In some cases, some files start disappearing from your media. Sometimes the drive simply ceases to be detected by the computer or any other device (it happens that it is detected by the computer, but not detected by the phone, or vice versa). Also, the memory card can be detected, but not opened, and so on.
In any case, it is necessary to restore the flash drive so that it can be used again. Unfortunately, in most cases you will not be able to recover any information and it will be permanently deleted. But after that, the USB-drive can again be fully used and write information on it without fear that it will be lost somewhere. It is worth noting that it is very rare that after recovery, removable drives from Silicon Power serve for a long time, they still have to be replaced.
You can recover Silicon Power removable media using the programs released by the company itself. In addition, there are other software that helps in this matter. We will analyze the proven methods that have been tested by users from all over the world.
Method 1: Silicon Power Recover Tool
The first and most famous utility from Silicon Power. She has only one purpose - to fix damaged flash drives. Silicon Power Recover Tool works with removable media with Innostor IS903, IS902 and IS902E, IS916EN, and IS9162 series controllers. Its use is extremely simple and looks like this:
Method 2: SP ToolBox
The second proprietary program, which includes as many as 7 instruments. We only need two of them. To use the Silicon Power ToolBox to recover your media, do the following:
The program can now be closed.
Method 3: SP USB Flash Drive Recovery Software
The third program from the manufacturer, which recovers Silicon Power flash drives with great success. In fact, it does the same process that users usually do using the iFlash service. Read about what it is and how to use it in the tutorial on recovering Kingston flash drives.
The point of using this service is to find the desired program and use it to restore the flash drive. The search is carried out by parameters such as VID and PID. So, USB Flash Drive Recovery independently detects these parameters and finds the required program on Silicon Power servers. Using it looks like this:
Using this tool also makes it impossible to save the data contained in the memory of the drive.
Method 4: SMI MPTool
This program works with Silicon Motion controllers, which are installed in most Silicon Power flash drives. SMI MPTool differs in that it performs low-level recovery of damaged media. You can use it as follows:
- program and run it from the archive.
- Click on the " Scan USB"To start scanning your computer for a suitable flash drive. After that, your media should be displayed on one of the ports (column “ Items"On the left). Click on it in this column to highlight it. Actually, if nothing happens, then the program is not suitable for your carrier.
- Then press the button " Debug". If a window appears asking you to enter a password, enter the number 320.
- Now press the button " Start"And wait for the end of the recovery.
In some cases, it helps if you do the above steps several times. Either way, it's worth a try. But, again, don't rely on saving data.
Method 5: Recuva File Recovery
Finally, we have come to a method that allows you to recover at least some of the damaged information. Only then it will be possible to deal with the restoration of the operability of the device itself using one of the above utilities. Recuva File Recovery is not SP proprietary, but for some reason it is located on this company. It is worth saying that this is not the same program we all know. All this means only that Recuva will be the most effective in working with flash drives from Silicon Power.
To take advantage of its opportunities, read the lesson on our website.
Only when you choose where to scan for deleted or damaged files, choose the option " On my media card”(This is step 2). If the card is not found or files are not found on it, start the whole process over. Only now choose the option " In a specific location»And specify your removable media according to its letter. By the way, you can find it out if you go to “ My computer"(Or simply" Computer», « This computer"- it all depends on the version of Windows). 
Method 6: Flash Drive Recovery
This is also a universal program that is suitable for most modern models of removable media. Flash Drive Recovery is not developed by Silicon Power and is not listed among the recommended utilities on the manufacturer's website. But, judging by user reviews, it is extremely effective in working with flash drives from this manufacturer. Using it looks like this:
In addition to Recuva File Recovery and Flash Drive Recovery, you can use TestDisk, R.saver and other utilities to recover data from damaged media. The most effective such programs are listed on our website.
After the recovery of the lost data has been completed, use one of the above utilities to restore the entire drive to work. You can also use a standard Windows tool to check disks and fix their errors. How to do this is shown in the tutorial on restoring Transcend flash drives (method 6).
Finally, you can format your removable media using other programs or the same standard Windows tool. As for the latter, you need to do the following:
- In the window " Computer» (« My computer», « This computer") Click on your flash drive with the right mouse button. In the drop-down menu, select the item " Format…».
- When the formatting window opens, click on the " To begin". If it does not help, start the process over, but uncheck the box next to the inscription “ Fast ...».
Also try using other disk formatting software. The best ones are listed on our website. And if this does not help, apart from buying a new carrier, we will advise you nothing.
Even the most advanced USB flash drives are not immune to damage. If the flash drive ceases to be detected by the computer or the operating system reacts to access attempts with errors, then it's time to take appropriate measures.
First of all, you need to determine the priorities - the most important thing is the performance of the drive or the files written on it. The options for user actions depend on this. However, there are a number of checks that should be carried out before starting repairs:
- Try to access data from a different connector or computer.
- Inspect interfaces for clogging, rust, or physical damage.
- Make sure that no one who has access to the medium has deleted data from it.
Having discovered physical damage, it is better to prepare for the fact that both the data and the device itself are lost. If the information on it is critical, then you can contact the professionals.
Recovery with saving files
It is possible to restore the functionality of removable media, saving all the data recorded on it, only if the problem lies in a damaged file system. Tools are used to repair the file system Windows or special programs. The first step is to try the mildest method - the disk check utility.
It is quite easy to start a scan. If the flash drive is displayed in the folder "Computer", then you should click on it with the right mouse button and select the item "Properties"... In the tab "Service" there will be a disk check section and a corresponding button that starts the process.
If the disk is not displayed, and all contacts are working and not littered, then the check can be performed from the command line. To do this, in the search bar menu "Start" should introduce cmd.exe and run the detected program as administrator (via the right-click menu).
Then, on the command line, enter the commands one by one:
- diskpart(Enter the disk management program.)
- listvolume(Calling a list of volumes, which will indicate the connected flash drive and the letter that the system assigned to it. In the example - Removable disk with the letter F.)
- exit(Exit the disk management program.)
- chkdsk *: /f(The command to run a disk check, where * is the letter assigned to the USB flash drive.)
As a result of these manipulations, the media will be checked, and all errors that the system can remove will be corrected. However, the success of the procedure is not at all guaranteed. After that, you should try to restore the file system of the flash drive using programs DMDE or TestDisk.
However, even these actions may not bring results. Then, in case of critical importance of data, it remains only to turn to professionals for safe data extraction.
Repair with data deletion
To restore the performance of a flash drive without saving data, it is enough to format it. You should try the fast and low-level formatting methods one at a time. The first is easily performed from the operating system through the menu, which drops out by right-clicking on the flash drive icon.
For low-level formatting, special utilities are used. Firm Silicon power offers a tool for recovering drives of its production - SP USB Flash Drive Recovery Software .
After downloading the program, it is enough to connect the USB flash drive and run the program. Once launched, the utility will automatically detect the drive and offer to restore it. If an incorrect section is indicated in the window, then you should specify the one you need from the drop-down list and click Recover... After the end of the procedure, all files will be deleted, and the drive will return to working condition.
For the convenience of users, manufacturers of USB drives place software on official sites. Therefore, Silicon Power recommends USB flash drive recovery using UFD Recover Tool.
To do this, you need to go to the official website, register, download the program right in the registration window. In addition, on the same site there is software from the official partner of Piriform called Recuva File Recovery. It restores files deleted from the drive.
When inserting some USB drives into the slot, the computer does not correctly detect the amount of memory. There are cases when the case was marked with 32 GB, and when disassembled, the chip turned out to be 1 GB in volume.
Recovery features
The most common case in which the Silicon Power flash drive recovery program is requested is the inscription in the window: "Error, write-protected" / "The drive is write-protected." The program for determining the controller in use will help you to find the optimal utility for recovering a Silicon Power 16 Gb flash drive. At the same time, it is very important to know the type of microcircuit, since the software edition depends on it.
The ChipGenium program copes with the task of identifying a player, flash drive better than others. It successfully interrogates most models, and for rare exceptions it takes data from the VId \ PID database, displaying information about them with a high degree of probability.
Older versions of ChipGenium (3.0, 3.1) are useless for our chosen task, since they cannot poll devices. Operating system assemblies of ChipXP, Zver, Windows PE editions will also not allow displaying correct information. ASMedia Controllers 3.0 are not designed for this utility.
The domestic software manufacturer does not lag behind Western competitors. ANTSpec Software releases Flash Drive Information Extractor software. The utility's advantage is its compatibility with USB 3.0 ports from AS Media. The decrypted information is released only in versions of the program older than 7.0. I recommend this software for controllers SMI, Phison, Innostor, Alcor.
The last program you need to select the correct recovery utility for your Silicon Power 8 Gb flash drive is ChipEasy. The latest generation 3.0 connectors are polled with errors by the utility, therefore, it is better to use the traditional 2.0 port. The principle of operation differs from the two previous ones, however, in the rating the program confidently takes the third place.
Drive firmware
In difficult cases, when the programs discussed above are not able to restore a Silicon Power 4 Gb flash drive, I recommend flashing the device with one of the utilities, programs. To do this, you need to find out the VID & PID, follow the instructions:
- the flash drive is pulled out of the connector
- after starting the utility, the installation of the drivers is confirmed, which, after flashing, closing the program, should be removed automatically
- to do this, manipulate the menu: Driver> Uninstall drivers
- the flash drive is inserted into the PC, the OS prompts you to install the driver on it
- click "Automatic", after installation, click Enum
- now the computer detects the device, you can click Start to flash
- OK status means the firmware has no errors, otherwise the error code can be used to decipher the problem (menu Help> Error Code List)
At the penultimate stage, a problem is possible - the computer does not detect the device. In this case, go to: C: \ Program Files \ Program nameDriver \ InfUpdate.exe, double-click it, write the VOD & PID of the flash drive in it. Users who do not know this parameter can use ChipGenium. After flashing, the program should be uninstalled, otherwise the drivers will not be deleted, the OS simply will not see the flashed flash drive. At the last stage, in order to restore the Silicon Power b32 Gb flash drive, the drive is formatted using Windows tools.
Thus, first you should get accurate information about the controller, the type of microcircuit. Then try to reanimate the media with the utility from the official website, and, in case of failure, use the firmware option, followed by formatting using your OS.
