It's no secret that removable USB devices in the form of ordinary flash drives sometimes cause a lot of problems for their owners due to their inoperability. And information on them can be lost. In particular, this applies to Silicon Power devices. Recovery of USB-drives 16 Gb, smaller or larger capacity has its own characteristics. They will be the main focus. But for all other removable media that support the USB data transfer interface and connect to the appropriate ports, this technique may be equally suitable.
First signs of carrier damage
Unfortunately, it is the drives of this manufacturer that often refuse to work in the normal (stationary) mode, when reading, editing or moving data should be performed.
And here comes the very first problem associated with Silicon Power. Recovery of USB-drives of 16 or more gigabytes is impossible only for the reason that the operating system does not recognize them.
On the other hand, failures and more serious problems associated with software, which may often be missing in Windows systems, and with damage to the media themselves are possible, when not only the USB device, but also the controller responsible for it is not detected. .
Silicon Power: USB Drive Recovery. General principles
Nevertheless, we will proceed from the fact that the flash drive has no physical damage, nor has it been overheated or exposed to electromagnetic or other radiation that can cause failures both at the physical and software levels.
For this, special utilities and software applets are used. In Windows systems, you can only restore a 16 Gb Silicon Power flash drive by setting a disk scan through the command console. We go further.
Silicon Power USB Drive Recovery Features
The main trouble is that the devices of this manufacturer are not always determined by the computers to which they are connected. In other words, the installed operating system, be it Windows, Mac OS or Linux, cannot identify the file system.
Silicon Power devices, in principle, are initially formatted, but only at the level of compatibility with memory cards (ext2/3/4), and Windows systems are not designed for this. Even the notorious version of the tenth modification is not always able to identify such a drive.
Formatting
The easiest method to fix the problem is believed to be formatting the media.
In this case, you cannot use only the cleaning of the table of contents, you need to perform a full formatting, which seems to completely destroy the data. Not a question - you can recover information even after that. For Silicon Power, recovery of USB drives must be done using special programs.
recovery programs
In this case, programs for identifying deleted files and folders like Recuva (one of the most popular utilities) are not taken into account only because they are an absolute fake in the software world and are not capable of recovering absolutely anything!!!
R.Saver or its equivalent R-Studio looks much more acceptable. The interface, of course, is somewhat different, but both programs are committed to restoring the file system, regardless of what format the data was originally saved on the media.
It is also interesting that the initially launched scanning process of any removable device, whether it be a memory card or a regular flash drive, will scan the device so deeply that, according to the results, many users simply do not believe their eyes. They see files deleted 5-10 years ago!!!
Restoring the controller
More difficult for Silicon Power to recover USB drives is in cases where problems occur directly with the controller (main chip). If it does not have physical damage, which is usually observed, the essence is to “reflash” it.
To do this, you will need to download the appropriate firmware, having previously set the values \u200b\u200bof the VEN and DEV identifiers, which can be seen in the driver properties section in the standard Device Manager, as shown in the picture above. But in this case, you will have to pay attention to the fact that the process of restoring the operation of the controller can take a lot of time, and the information on the media is almost always destroyed.
If such procedures do not help, the controller will have to be replaced, although in this case it will be easier to buy a new flash drive and not do stupid things. The issue of recovery is relevant only when the media contains particularly important information. This is where USB recovery utilities like R.Saver or similar software products can help, which are able to read data in such a way that they can easily identify any deleted information even after the media is completely formatted, be it a computer hard drive, flash drive or memory card. In other cases, such methods, although applicable, are not recommended. And tampering with the controller can cause a lot of problems that weren't there before.
Conclusion
Thus, based on all of the above, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that problems with this type of USB media are eliminated quite simply, provided that the malfunctions were associated exclusively with software problems. What to apply? Don't be afraid to do even full formatting. Firstly, it will save you from problems with the file system and system-level media recognition. Secondly, after using software products like R.Saver, information can still be restored. Some "minds" argue that this is not the case. Judging by the reviews of users and experts who give recommendations on various forums on the Internet, it is this sequence of actions that seems to be the most preferable, unless, of course, we talk about physical damage to the media. In such a situation, if the user does not have extremely important data stored on a damaged media, it is easier to buy a new one than to deal with recovery procedures.
Good day!
If your flash drive began to constantly fail: it is not formatted, when connected to a computer - it often freezes, when copying files to it - errors fly out, but it has not been subjected to mechanical stress - there are CHANCES to restore its performance!
It would be nice if, when connecting a flash drive, it was at least somehow determined, for example: a connection sound is emitted, the flash drive is displayed in "my computer", an LED blinks on it, etc. If the computer does not see the USB flash drive at all, then first I recommend that you read this article:
In general, it is impossible to give universal instructions on how and with what program what to do in order to restore a USB flash drive! But in this short article I will try to give an algorithm that will help, even for novice users, to deal with the problem and solve it.
Recovery flash drive // step by step
Determining the controller model
It turned out, by the will of fate, I have one flash drive that Windows refused to format - an error took off "Windows cannot complete formatting". The flash drive, according to the owner, did not fall, water did not fall on it, and in general, it was handled quite carefully ...
All that was clear after looking at 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 malfunctioned.
SmartBuy 16 GB - "experimental" non-working flash drive
To restore the normal operation of the flash drive, you need to reflash the controller chip. This is done with special utilities, and each type of controller has its own utility! If the utility is chosen incorrectly, then with a high degree of probability, you will spoil the flash drive completely ... I will say even more, one model range of flash drives can have different controllers!
Each device have their own unique identification numbers - VID and PID , and the flash drive is no exception. To choose the correct utility for flashing, you need to determine these identification numbers (and the controller model by them).
One of the easiest ways to find out the VID, PID, and controller model of a flash drive is to use special utilities. One of the best of its kind is .
Flash Drive Information Extractor
A small free utility to get the most information about a flash drive. You don't need to install it!
The program will determine the USB flash drive model, model and type of memory (all modern flash drives are supported, at least from normal manufacturers)...
The program will work even in cases where the file system of the flash drive is not detected, when the computer freezes when the media is connected.
Information received:
- controller model;
- possible options for memory chips installed in a flash drive;
- type of installed memory;
- maximum current consumption declared by the manufacturer;
- USB version;
- the total physical volume of the disk;
- disk size 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 single USB flash drive connected to the USB ports, from which you want to get the most information.
Working with Flash Drive Information Extractor
- We disconnect everything that is connected from the USB ports (at least all drives: players, external hard drives, etc.).
- We insert the repaired USB flash drive into the USB port;
- We start the program;
- Click the button "Get flash drive information" ;
- 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. Remove the flash drive after a couple of minutes from the USB port, the program should "hang down", 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.
Flash drive info:
- VID: 13FE; PID: 4200;
- Controller model (Controller): Phison 2251-68 (second line in the screenshot above);
- SmartBuy 16 GB.
Addition
You can reliably determine the controller model if you disassemble the USB flash drive. True, not every body of a flash drive is collapsible, and not every one can be put back together later.
Usually, to open the case 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 controller is shown in the screenshot below.
Broken flash drive. Controller model: VLI VL751-Q8
Supplement 2
You can find out the VID and PID of the 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, all of a sudden the above utility will hang and give no 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 algorithm of work is as follows:
- We go to the site:
- We enter our VID and PID in the search bar and look for;
- In the list of results, most likely you will find dozens of lines. 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, note that the version of the utility also matters! It remains to download the desired utility and apply it.
After you find and download the desired utility, run it and format the media - in my case, you had to press just one button - Restore (restore) .
Formatter SiliconPower v3.13.0.0 // Format and Restore. An end-user utility designed for both low-level and high-level (FAT32) formatting of flash drives on Phison PS2251-XX controllers.
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. Bottom line: the flash drive was restored (became 100% working), and given to the owner.
That, in fact, is all. For additions on the topic - I would be grateful. good luck!
With a situation where the flash drive is not displayed correctly (here, for a start, you can try formatting) or the information on it suddenly disappeared, sooner or later most users meet. But do not despair - it is likely that you yourself will be able to revive the device and successfully restore the photos and documents saved on it or "bring to life" the file system.
Thanks to our recommendations, you can save not only on the services of a wizard, but also on special programs - we will consider only free software for repairing flash drives. However, you should also keep in mind that different utilities are designed for devices from different manufacturers.
If you don't know the model of your USB drive
do the following:
Go to the Start menu and in the "Run" line write mmc devmgmt.msc, then press Enter. Under Universal Serial Bus Controllers, find your USB Mass Storage Device, select it, and right-click. Open Properties, then go to the Details tab and in the dropdown select the Device Instance Code (or Hardware Codes) item. Write down or remember PID and VID.
Then go to the FlashBoot.ru website and enter the VID and PID data in the special field. After that, you will get information about your device and the utilities that are best for repairing it.
Transcend flash drive recovery
To restore devices of this brand, the official Transcend RecoveRx utility is best suited. With its help, you can conduct an in-depth search for already deleted files, which you can later also recover: photos, documents, audio and video files.
By the way, RecoveRx supports all types of storage devices, including memory cards, MP3 players and external hard drives. This program works extremely simply - you just need to specify the type of files or select all.
The second way is the online recovery of flash drives from the JetFlash Transcend series. To use it, you need to download JetFlash Online Recovery (with an active Internet connection). Once launched, the tool will automatically restore all your data.
Silicon Power flash drive recovery
If you have a Silicon Power flash drive, you are in luck - the manufacturer cooperates with Recuva. The File Recovery tool provides an intuitive interface that allows you to quickly scan the device and mark those that are subject to reincarnation. You can read more about the features of this program.
Recovery flash drive Kingston
In case you have lost files on the media of this company, the flash drive recovery utility can also help you. If you have problems with the operation of the device, then most likely you will have to format it, and this should be done not with a Windows tool, but with the official Kingston Format Utility. Just run it, select your device and click "Format".
SanDisk flash drive recovery
SanDisk USB sticks come with a five-year warranty, so if you ever run into problems, feel free to go to the store or contact the manufacturer (e-mail.
Typical reasons why a user may turn to programs for low-level formatting of a flash drive or memory card are system messages that the disk is write-protected, the inability to format the USB drive in any way, and other similar problems.
In these cases, low-level formatting is an extreme measure that can help fix the drive's performance; before using it, it's better to try other recovery methods described in the materials:,.
The popular low-level formatting utility Formatter Silicon Power or Low Level Formatter is specifically designed for Silicon Power flash drives, but it also works with other USB drives (the program will automatically determine if there are supported drives at startup).
Among the flash drives for which it was possible to restore functionality using Formatter Silicon Power (however, this does not guarantee that your exact same flash drive will be fixed, the opposite result is also possible - use the program at your own peril and risk):
- Kingston DataTraveler and HyperX USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
- Silicon Power drives, of course (but even with them there are problems)
- Some flash drives are SmartBuy, Kingston, Apacer and others.
If Formatter Silicon Power does not detect drives with a supported controller, then after starting the program you will see the message “Device Not Found” and other actions in the program will not correct the situation.
If the flash drive is supposedly supported, you will be notified that all data from it will be deleted and after pressing the "Format" button, you will have to wait for the formatting process to finish and follow the instructions in the program (in English). You can download the program from here flashboot.ru/files/file/383/(it is not on the official website of Silicon Power).
Additional Information
Not all utilities for low-level formatting of USB flash drives are described above: there are separate utilities from different manufacturers for specific devices that allow you to perform such formatting. You can find these utilities, if available for your particular device, using the last part of the mentioned pro review.
Today we will look at:
Silicon Power's USB flash drives feature a simple and elegant design. By purchasing such a stylish product, we hope that miniature storage media will last long enough.
It is very unpleasant when flash media suddenly fails, while the drive contains valuable information that they did not have time to duplicate. According to customer reviews, 16 GB USB drives from Silicon Power are the most vulnerable to logical errors and physical impacts. Do not immediately despair, in most cases you can restore the performance of the media and save the information.
Signs that the USB device has failed and needs to be repaired or restored
- Flash is periodically or not detected at all.
- When turned on, it is defined as a connected device, but a message is displayed that it is not recognized by the operating system (unknown device).
- The impossibility of performing file access, reading or writing operations, while messages are displayed: “no access to the disk”, “the disk is write-protected”, “insert disk”, “the file or folder is damaged. Reading is impossible.
- Defined as low or no storage media.
- The message "Before you can use the disk in the G:\ drive, you need to format it. Format?". After several tries, it turns out that "Windows cannot complete formatting."
Causes of malfunctions
- Logical - incorrect formatting, removal and removal of the device during recording, transferring or downloading information, improper use of a flash drive when watching movies on TVs, a failure in the file system.
- Mechanical - shocks, falls, etc.
- Thermal and electrical - static electricity discharges, power instability during power surges and overheating.
- Software and hardware failures in the electronic parts of flash drives.
- Corruption or removal of the "driver" program for recognition of the device by the operating system.
- , written specifically for the intentional removal or distortion of information.
Solutions for recovering flash drives
When restoring the performance of USB drives, it should be borne in mind that in most cases, this results in a complete loss of data recorded on them.
With serious logical errors of the file system, knowledge of specialists in computer technology is needed.
With mechanical, thermal and electrical influences and destruction, the device is usually not suitable for operation. However, if only the body of the flash drive is damaged, there is a possibility of information recovery in service centers.
The "driver" program can be reinstalled by downloading it from the manufacturers' official website at the link Silicon Power drivers.
As in the previous case, the program is launched without installation through the executable file "RecoveryTool (.exe)". Screenshot of the start screen and start scanning:
Before the scan starts, a warning is displayed stating that while the program is running, there is a risk of losing data from the media. By clicking on Start, the process of restoring the performance of the flash drive takes place.
SoftOrbits Flash Drive Recovery is a program for recovering information from flash drives after multiple formatting. You can download the trial version from the official site softorbits.com.
The program must first be installed. The launch is carried out through the executable file "frecover (.exe)". The screenshots below show the process of starting the trial version of the program, where the choice of media for scanning, selection of files for recovery, hard disk space for recording them, as well as the preview window of the recovered information are carried out:
To obtain the final recovery results, you must buy a registered version of the program on the Softorbits website.
Controller Firmware
If the use of the above software did not lead to the expected results, there is a more complicated option for recovering flash media - this is the so-called "controller firmware". This option consists in using special utilities to repair hardware failures of a particular type of flash media using known unique USB device identifiers - VID and PID.
If you carefully examine the window of the running USB Flash Drive Recovery program described above, you can see that the VID and PID values \u200b\u200bare automatically recognized during operation. If these figures are entered into the database of identifiers of known flash drives on the Iflash website , it is easy to find in the table the model of your flash drive from the manufacturer Silicon Power and a utility for its recovery (“flashing”).
Experiments along the way of using various options for restoring the health of your flash drive will certainly lead to the desired results and pleasant personal discoveries.