Reply by DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno●October 3, 20152015-10-03
On 3 Oct 2015 09:28:25 GMT, Jasen Betts <jasen@xnet.co.nz> Gave us:
>On 2015-10-01, bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> wrote:
>[thumb drive repair]
>
>> Windows now recognizes that a USB device of some type is plugged in, but
>> is giving me a "Device Not Recognized" error. Is it possible that this
>> is due to a poor electrical connection, or is it likely that the
>> controller electronics is somehow damaged as well? At this point I'm
>> thinking of removing the USB connector completely and using jumper wires
>> to ensure that all the pads are connected properly to the respective
>> pins and have continuity Suggestions?
>
>Drives of this type often have separate storage and usb-interface
>chips. the symptoms you describe could be explained by a USB
>connection that's working and storage that isn't.
>
>Could be a solder joint, pcb trace, wire bond or die failure.
Except that the entire initial failure was simply the connector.
How is it suddenly that you think connections elsewhere are severed?
Reply by Jasen Betts●October 3, 20152015-10-03
On 2015-10-01, bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> wrote:
[thumb drive repair]
> Windows now recognizes that a USB device of some type is plugged in, but
> is giving me a "Device Not Recognized" error. Is it possible that this
> is due to a poor electrical connection, or is it likely that the
> controller electronics is somehow damaged as well? At this point I'm
> thinking of removing the USB connector completely and using jumper wires
> to ensure that all the pads are connected properly to the respective
> pins and have continuity Suggestions?
Drives of this type often have separate storage and usb-interface
chips. the symptoms you describe could be explained by a USB
connection that's working and storage that isn't.
Could be a solder joint, pcb trace, wire bond or die failure.
--
\_(ツ)_
Reply by DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno●October 2, 20152015-10-02
On Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:32:30 -0400, Joe Gwinn <joegwinn@comcast.net>
Gave us:
.snip
>I'd glue the busted thumb drive and the cable to a piece of wood, to
>protect the cobbled connections.
>
Tie wraps.
Reply by Joe Gwinn●October 2, 20152015-10-02
In article <87udnWLEJ8BXNZDLnZ2dnUU7-WmdnZ2d@giganews.com>, Jon Elson
<jmelson@wustl.edu> wrote:
> bitrex wrote:
>
>
> > I do have a soldering iron...;) But the only thing is that there is so
> > little space that it's nearly impossible to get in there and resolder
> > the pads, even with the finest tip, and ensure I'm not creating bridges
> > while the plug is still in place. I think I'm going to follow your
> > suggestion (and what I was thinking) and just remove the connector
> > completely and use a spare USB cable as the header.
> When the board is all chewed up, this is the most likely way to fix it.
> Absolutely not worth it to just make it useable, but you may be able to get
> the data off it this way, with careful handling. it is likely to be real
> fragile with the cable soldered on to it.
I'd glue the busted thumb drive and the cable to a piece of wood, to
protect the cobbled connections.
Joe Gwinn
Reply by Ian Field●October 2, 20152015-10-02
"bitrex" <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:560d6fe2$0$29139$4c5ecfc7@frugalusenet.com...
> I have a Sandisk 32G USB flash drive that someone has given me in the hope
> that I might be able to salvage some data off it. Looks like it was in a
> laptop and jammed against a wall, resulting in broken solder joints. My
> PC wasn't detecting it when it was plugged in at all.
>
> I cut the drive open and attempted to re-seat the pins and then reflow the
> solder using a heat gun on a low setting moving rapidly over the joints.
> It seemed to work but it's very difficult to tell if all the pins are
> making good connections with the pads.
>
> Windows now recognizes that a USB device of some type is plugged in, but
> is giving me a "Device Not Recognized" error. Is it possible that this is
> due to a poor electrical connection, or is it likely that the controller
> electronics is somehow damaged as well? At this point I'm thinking of
> removing the USB connector completely and using jumper wires to ensure
> that all the pads are connected properly to the respective pins and have
> continuity Suggestions?
I'd carefully dismantle what's left of the USB plug and clean up the solder
pads for its pins. Next - wade in with an illuminated strong magnifier and
try to identify whether any tracks leading away from those pads are broken.
Its probably easier to cut the plug end from a USB extension lead and wire
that onto the flash drive PCB. Cutting the lead from a scrap item like a
printer that runs from a separate supply probably won't work - they usually
don't have the supply pin wired in the USB plug/lead.
Reply by Cydrome Leader●October 2, 20152015-10-02
In sci.electronics.repair bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> wrote:
> I have a Sandisk 32G USB flash drive that someone has given me in the
> hope that I might be able to salvage some data off it. Looks like it
> was in a laptop and jammed against a wall, resulting in broken solder
> joints. My PC wasn't detecting it when it was plugged in at all.
>
> I cut the drive open and attempted to re-seat the pins and then reflow
> the solder using a heat gun on a low setting moving rapidly over the
> joints. It seemed to work but it's very difficult to tell if all the
> pins are making good connections with the pads.
I suggest getting a flux pen and name-brand solder braid and trying what's
called "drag soldering". There are videos on youtube of the process. It's
as magic as it looks, but the flux and clean solder is mandatory.
Reply by ●October 2, 20152015-10-02
In sci.electronics.repair bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> wrote:
> Windows now recognizes that a USB device of some type is plugged in,
> but is giving me a "Device Not Recognized" error.
Keep working on the idea of getting a better USB connection, but also
take a close look, under magnification if you have it, at the flash
memory chip itself. At least on some older flash drives I have taken
apart (1GB-4GB or so), there was a small controller chip that spoke USB,
and then a standard-ish flash chip for the storage. If the controller
chip is there, but the connections to the flash chip are damaged, you
could well get the problem you describe: the controller wakes up enough
to convice the OS that something is there, but the controller is unable
to come up all the way because it can't get at the flash memory.
I have held in my hand a drive that was damaged this way; it was whacked
hard enough that many pins on the flash chip lifted from the board. The
owner decided to start with (older) backup copies of the documents that
were on the failed flash drive.
Matt Roberds
Reply by ●October 1, 20152015-10-01
On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 6:35:52 PM UTC-5, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Oct 2015 14:26:03 -0700 (PDT), DecadentUnixUserNumeroUno
> <@gmail.com> Gave us:
>
> >On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 1:54:52 PM UTC-5, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Another indicator that you ain't too bright.
> >>
> >> Nice copycat job too.
> >
> >Wow, look who's talking oh bright one.
>
> Oh, look! The pommy retard felt the urge to spoof me.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Reply by DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno●October 1, 20152015-10-01
On Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:35:41 -0400, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno
<DLU1@DecadentLinuxUser.org> Gave us:
>On Thu, 1 Oct 2015 14:26:03 -0700 (PDT), DecadentUnixUserNumeroUno
><decadentunixusernumerouno@gmail.com> Gave us:
>
>>On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 1:54:52 PM UTC-5, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Another indicator that you ain't too bright.
>>>
>>> Nice copycat job too.
>>
>>Wow, look who's talking oh bright one.
>
> Oh, look! The pommy retard felt the urge to spoof me.
There is a chance that it could be the John S stupid bastard as well
(instead).
Reply by DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno●October 1, 20152015-10-01
On Thu, 1 Oct 2015 14:26:03 -0700 (PDT), DecadentUnixUserNumeroUno
<decadentunixusernumerouno@gmail.com> Gave us:
>On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 1:54:52 PM UTC-5, DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno wrote:
>
>>
>> Another indicator that you ain't too bright.
>>
>> Nice copycat job too.
>
>Wow, look who's talking oh bright one.
Oh, look! The pommy retard felt the urge to spoof me.