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Oh no! I broke my USB

LibraryLady

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LibraryLady
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I don't know how, but it got bent while it was plugged in and now I can't read anything from it. Is it repairable? Or do I now have to commit hiri kiri? (It was given to me at work.)
 
I'm guessing you mean a USB portable memory stick or something?

I've never tried, but you MIGHT can disassemble the connector enough to get to, and straighten out the pins. If they are bent and not mating well enough, that would cause them to not pass data. Though, USB interfaces are still new to me, never really played with the connectors like I have the old standard serial. :)
 
The pins don't bend. They are on an insulating board. If you've bent it, anid it isn't working anymore, then you most likely broke the pins where they connect to the circuit board inside of the device housing.

I've fixed ones like this before. you have to open the housing to do it, though. If you are really unlucky, you didn't just break the pins but also the board. In that case there's not much you can do. If it were me and there were extremely important files on the stick I'd buy an identical new stick and try moving the flash chips from the broken one to the new one.


It's already busted. Open it up and see if it's the pins or the board. If it's the pins, try to fix it. If it's the board, scrap it. From the question I take it you don't have the soldering skills to remove and replace a flash chip. :)
 
MortFurd said:
The pins don't bend. They are on an insulating board. If you've bent it, anid it isn't working anymore, then you most likely broke the pins where they connect to the circuit board inside of the device housing.

SNIP
Click to expand...

Dang! Your right! :)

I glanced at the connector on the end of a nearby USB cable for my post. I would have sworn those pins were sticking up in the middle of the connector, like most connectors. On a second, closer look, I see they are actually on the top of an "insulating board".

I've been thinking it's time for new glasses for awhile. Guess I have more evidence to back up that theory now ;)
 
If you drill a 1/4" hole in the bottom and give it a shake, all the bits will fall out.
 
You can make them lighter by leaving out all the zero bits.
 
Soapy Sam said:
If you drill a 1/4" hole in the bottom and give it a shake, all the bits will fall out.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of our old "Bit Bucket" for catching the holes from the punch tape machine.

Those bits made for messy confetti :D
 
I had a problem like that with one. If you want to get the data off, to transfer to a new one, try pushing down or up on it till it connects. (without pushing too hard, you don't want to break what it plugs into). This can temporarily re-connect the wires long enough to get the data off. Worked for me.
 
Okay, so I reported the fact that I broke my USB Flash Drive to our IT guy in charge of that stuff, who is, by the way, one of the nicest people on the whole face of the earth and an extremely talented poet. Yes that's irrelevant, but by golly I had to say it.

No questions asked he gave me a new one.

It doesn't work. He came over and fiddled with some software, and it worked for about two days. Now it doesn't work again.

In spite of the fact that I could get another one for free, I am very tempted to get my own. I have scruples about using a work thing for personal stuff, although not vice versa, and I wouldn't have to bother the IT guys who are overworked as it is.

But I am absolutely clueless about the whole thing, I am ashamed to say. I went to Staples today, and both a very nice fellow customer and a nice staff member tried to help me, but I decided I wasn't ready to commit, since I don't know what I need.

Any advice?

I'm a little embarrassed that I'm so helpless with this one. I'm a librarian, I'm supposed to know everything. :blush:
 
You might have a damaged USB port, the one it was plugged into when it was bent. You should have the IT guy take a look at it, busy or no- it could develop into a worse problem, and then you wouldn't have any choice, and it would take him longer. ;) Most likely, the port is replaceable with not a great deal of trouble; if it's a laptop, it could get a little gnarly, but better to deal with the problem now when it's small than later when it's big and nasty and taking chomps out of your worktime and his.

Don't be ashamed; none of this stuff is easy. Working with computers takes a lot of often esoteric knowledge. Luckily for you, there are a lot of people around who have that knowledge at their fingertips, just as I'm sure you have quite a lot of your own

ETA: and like an idiot I forgot to mention the most important thing: try another port, if you have one. If the port is damaged, that will fix it- if not, then it won't work and you'll know it's the USB device, not the port.
 
Schneibster said:
You might have a damaged USB port, the one it was plugged into when it was bent. You should have the IT guy take a look at it, busy or no- it could develop into a worse problem, and then you wouldn't have any choice, and it would take him longer. ;) Most likely, the port is replaceable with not a great deal of trouble; if it's a laptop, it could get a little gnarly, but better to deal with the problem now when it's small than later when it's big and nasty and taking chomps out of your worktime and his.

Don't be ashamed; none of this stuff is easy. Working with computers takes a lot of often esoteric knowledge. Luckily for you, there are a lot of people around who have that knowledge at their fingertips, just as I'm sure you have quite a lot of your own

ETA: and like an idiot I forgot to mention the most important thing: try another port, if you have one. If the port is damaged, that will fix it- if not, then it won't work and you'll know it's the USB device, not the port.
Click to expand...

Thanks. However, that was the first thing I did--I tried it in two other ports on two other pcs, plus my home pc. That poor flash drive is dead; it is an ex-flash drive. :(

ETA: Reggie the IT Guy tested the original port and it's fine. At least one silver lining.
 
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In my experience, USB sticks either fail on day one or after about 18 months.
Like light bulbs.
Usb hard drives are more delicate- I mean the ones with an actual rotating hard drive in. They look portable, but ain't. A bit like a paper cup full of really hot coffee. (I think there's something universal here. I often think this when drunk).
LL- These things are very cheap now. Practically disposable. Don't worry about it. Just ensure you don't rely solely on a USB stick to store an important file. Shortish term backup only.
 
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