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What is it?

Tiktaalik

Half True Scotsperson
Tiktaalik
Joined
Sep 29, 2006
Messages
3,666
Okay, I feel like an idiot, but I have a device that I bought because it was advertised as a thumb drive but which is not. It does not fit in the USB port and is slightly wider (the flat way) and flatter. I got a bunch of other ones at the same time which are regular-sized and work fine.

What the heck have I got?
 
Sounds like a Sony Memory Stick, but if you can't read the brand and part number on it you probably shouldn't be sticking it in your computer: you don't know where that thing's been!
 
Pulvinar said:
Sounds like a Sony Memory Stick, but if you can't read the brand and part number on it you probably shouldn't be sticking it in your computer: you don't know where that thing's been!
Click to expand...

I find that just not sticking your things into other things at random just to see if they fit or not is a good way to lead your life in general... this holds true on oh so many levels.
 
Pulvinar said:
Sounds like a Sony Memory Stick, but if you can't read the brand and part number on it you probably shouldn't be sticking it in your computer: you don't know where that thing's been!
Click to expand...

That or the plug has been crushed flat.

Maybe you can exchange it?
 
Um, it sounds like an SD card? They are very thin compared to a USB-a, but have a flat plastic case. The plug end usually looks very plastic as well.
 
No, it's not an SD card. It will not fit in the USB ports, so I can't stick it in anywhere randomly! It looks much like a thumb drive: it has a rectangular metal casing, with a visible card if you look up the open end. It is not crushed. But it is just slightly flatter and wider than a normal thumb drive & doesn't have the little white piece you can often see in the end.

I'm taking it to work today. Maybe our IT guy will know what it is...if not, I'll take a photo if possible & post it.

I'm kind of glad someone didn't just get on here and say, "You idiot. It's an XYZ drive. Everyone's getting them these days."

I have a feeling it's a mistake; it came with a case that the USB part of the thumb drive should stick into and it doesn't fit. I wonder if it's in backwards? Has anyone ever seen the rear end of a thumb drive, the part that's usually stuck in whatever holder it comes with?

I may be trying to stick the rear end in my port...
 
It's either one of those new XYZ Drives that everyone is raving about, or it could be from the aliens.





Seriously, though, my best guess is that it might be an eSATA drive. But, most of the ones I've seen also have a USB plug on them.
 
Last edited:
Tiktaalik said:
No, it's not an SD card. It will not fit in the USB ports, so I can't stick it in anywhere randomly! It looks much like a thumb drive: it has a rectangular metal casing, with a visible card if you look up the open end. It is not crushed. But it is just slightly flatter and wider than a normal thumb drive & doesn't have the little white piece you can often see in the end.

I'm taking it to work today. Maybe our IT guy will know what it is...if not, I'll take a photo if possible & post it.

I'm kind of glad someone didn't just get on here and say, "You idiot. It's an XYZ drive. Everyone's getting them these days."

I have a feeling it's a mistake; it came with a case that the USB part of the thumb drive should stick into and it doesn't fit. I wonder if it's in backwards? Has anyone ever seen the rear end of a thumb drive, the part that's usually stuck in whatever holder it comes with?

I may be trying to stick the rear end in my port...
Click to expand...

Hmm, maybe it is a broken USB drive missing the dongle at the end?
 
Case solved!

It is, indeed, the "rear end" of a USB flash drive! It was apparently inserted into the casing wrong-way 'round - my IT tech "solved" the mystery with a good yank. I now have a bare USB flash drive. I'll find something to insert it into as a case...if you've never seen a flash butt, you might be surprised! Thanks for all the guesses...
 
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