Home-Download software-Kingston usb flash drive recovery. Flash drive recovery: controller detection, flash drive firmware

Kingston usb flash drive recovery. Flash drive recovery: controller detection, flash drive firmware

The era of CDs and DVDs is almost completely over. Today, flash drives are used everywhere as universal storage media. USB flash drives have small sizes, have sufficient quantity built-in memory and allow you to add or delete any files without any harm to existing ones.

Everything seems to be fine, but flash drives have one significant drawback- at improper use they fail quite often... Most typical breakdown is the computer definition of the drive as unknown device or a disk with zero memory:

If you were careless to unplug your USB drive from its slot without first using the safe removal function, then it is quite possible that it will become a victim short circuit and stops being read. Is it possible to restore a flash drive after such an incident? Read on...

Types of flash drive failures

So if you are reading this article, then most likely you already have a “dead” flash drive. Before you try to revive it, you need to find out what kind of trouble happened and how your USB drive reacts when connected to a PC. In other words, let's see how bad it is :)

The flash drive can react in two ways: either indicator diode whether it lights up or not. If the diode does not light up, then you can diagnose physical breakdown. In this case, you can try to repair the drive only if you have a soldering iron and know how to work with it (more on this last section articles).

A much more optimistic forecast can be given if the indicator lights up and does not go out. This means that our problem is software and can be fixed using special software. In this case, one of two scenarios awaits us: the flash drive may be detected as an unformatted disk with a capacity of 0 bytes, or it may not be detected at all.

If the computer sees an empty drive, then everything can be resolved correct formatting. However, most often the problem is that due to a sudden power surge, the firmware of the flash drive is damaged and we will have to look for it on the Internet.

To summarize the algorithm for diagnosing a breakdown, I suggest you act according to the scheme below:

Formatting treatment

The easiest damage that can happen to your flash drive is a file system failure. Failure can be of two types: with a violation of the cluster layout and without. IN the latter case You can even do without formatting and save all the data on a flash drive!

You can diagnose a failure without violations if the flash drive is detected by the computer, but does not open. The computer simply freezes when trying to display its contents, so we don’t try to open anything. Let's see what letter you've decided on removable media, launch the Command Prompt (Start - Run - cmd) and enter the command "CHKDSK G (or other letter): /f":

The /f key will automatically try to correct file system errors that led to the unreadability of your flash drive and, if the command completes successfully, you will receive a fully functional drive with all the data that was on it before the error appeared!

Unfortunately, it’s not often that you get off so easy... Much more often you have to deal with flash drives, whose size is determined by the computer as 0 bytes. In this case, formatting can help. And not regular means, but with special utilities. One of the most universal in this regard is HP USB Disk Storage FormatTool (you can download it in the archive from the link at the end of the article):

This utility allows you to correctly format any media in FAT32 and NTFS systems. To do this, just select the desired device from the drop-down list and click the “Start” button. By default, the Quick Format option is enabled, but this mode may not work with a damaged flash drive. If unsuccessful, you must uncheck the corresponding box before starting the procedure again.

In particularly advanced cases, when even HP USB Disk Storage FormatTool gives an error, but the flash drive is still recognized as removable media; so-called low-level formatting can help. It erases all memory sectors byte-by-byte and fills them with zeros, making it impossible to attempt to recover data in the future.

If saving a flash drive is more important to you than saving the data that was on it, then the HDD Low Level Format Tool utility (available in the archive for the article) can help you format it in the above-mentioned way:

When you start the program, a window will appear asking us in which mode we want to use HDD Low Level Format Tool. Naturally, we need a free one, so we click the “Continue” button for free"or simply close the window. The main window will appear with a list of disks. Select the one you need, click "Continue", confirm your consent and wait for the process to complete.

Low-level formatting itself takes quite slowly, so be prepared in advance for the fact that it can take about an hour (depending on the capacity of the flash drive and its read/write speed). Moreover, in free mode, formatting speed is limited to 50 megabytes per second (approximately 180 gigabytes per hour).

Determining the controller type

If formatting does not produce results or the flash drive is initially detected by the computer as an unknown USB device, then the problem is most likely due to damaged firmware. Find firmware for popular models Media online is not that difficult, but you need to know exactly what to look for. And to do this, first of all you need to determine the type of flash drive controller.

This can be done in two ways: using special programs or using PID and VID identifiers. It is preferable, naturally, to use programs with good bases data, since controllers from completely different companies may have the same identifiers and you will have to look for a suitable utility for firmware for a long time...

The best in terms of determining the type of controller are the Chinese programs ChipGenius and ChipEasy, and from the Russians, perhaps, Flash Drive Information Extractor (everything is in the archive). You can use any of them, however, the disadvantage of the Russian language is the lack of links to download utilities for firmware (highlighted in pink in the screenshot):

They all give out quite a lot various information, however, we are mainly interested in two parameters: device identifiers (highlighted in yellow in the screenshot) and, directly, the controller model (highlighted in green). Knowing this data, we can find a firmware program on the Internet.

By the way, Chinese programs They already give us links to such programs, but it’s not always possible to download them, even if you use Google’s page translator, so the search will be discussed separately below. It’s a pity, of course, that our developers were unable to integrate the search for a link to the firmware into their program, but oh well :)

In the meantime, it’s worth mentioning that you can find out the identifiers (but not data about the controller!) of a flash drive without special utilities. To do this, go to Device Manager ( context menu icon "My Computer" - "Properties" - "Device Manager"), select our drive from the list, call its properties and in the "Information" tab select the "Hardware ID" property:

We have at our disposal an unnamed flash drive (alas, it’s working :)) and we found out its identifiers, as well as the type of controller and its model. Now it's time for the most difficult procedure - searching for a program for firmware.

Flash drive firmware

Firmware or firmware (abbreviated F/W) is a microprogram that controls the operation of the flash drive controller. If it fails, the drive, while remaining physically functional, stops responding to standard computer requests, which is why you can neither read nor write information from it.

Fortunately, the firmware for most controllers is freely available on the Internet. Therefore, the main problem is only finding them. You can search directly in search engines on requests like: "Alcor (chip manufacturer) AU6982 (chip model) VID: 058F ​​PID: 6387 firmware", and on specialized sites.

One of the best Russian-language resources for searching and downloading firmware for any flash drive is FlashBoot.ru:

On the search page we need to enter PIDs and VID, then click the "Search" button. We will receive a whole list of flash drives that have the same ID as ours. The task now comes down to finding a device with the same controller model as ours.

If you find a flash drive in the table that resembles yours in all respects, click on its name and you will see detailed information about her:

Here we are primarily interested in the UTILS line, which contains the name of the utility needed to flash our flash drive. We copy this name and search for it on the Internet. You can do it differently. You can search on the same site. To do this, go to the "Files" section in top menu. True, the names of the programs from the list and those on the site differ, so the search will not always be successful.

In any case, we found out that our flash drive is based on an Alcor chip and its model is AU6982. This is already enough for a successful search, which leads us to the need to download the AlcorMP utility one of the versions available on the website:

We unpack the downloaded archive into a folder, check whether the version of the program matches the version that we identified by identifiers and launch executable file. If the firmware version is suitable, then we will see data about our flash drive in one of the cells of the working window. All you have to do is press the "Auto" or "Setup" button (if you know how to configure parameters) and wait for the firmware to finish.

If the working window is empty, which often happens, then we were unlucky the first time :) You need to try downloading other versions of programs suitable for the same chips as your flash drive. In short, this is where the lottery begins and sometimes you can try up to a dozen different utilities until you find the only one that will correctly identify your drive.

After flashing the firmware, safely unplug the flash drive and reinsert it. If everything worked out, then it should be detected by the computer without any problems. If not, try other flashing programs until you succeed.

Treatment for physical injuries

The most severe case of a flash drive failure is when it does not show any signs of life when connected to a PC: the indicator does not blink, messages about unknown equipment do not appear, and there are no unidentified devices in the Device Manager. In this case, real physical damage can be stated.

However, if the flash drive did not fall from a great height, it was not exposed to high temperature and has not been dropped into the water, you have a small chance of saving it (and sometimes even the data on it!). Most likely the problem is that due to a short circuit on the flash drive board, something has become unsoldered. Often the legs through which food flows are unsoldered.

In any case, we will have to open the flash drive case to try to restore it. To do this, unfortunately, you may need to unscrew it if it does not disassemble. Inside we will see something like this board:

The main “problem” areas are the legs of the USB plug and the power stabilizer, which over time tend to become unsoldered or burn out due to short circuits. If you know how to work with a soldering iron, first try soldering the outer terminals of the plug, which are responsible for power and grounding. This should restore normal power to the flash drive.

If, after manipulating the soldering of the outer legs, the flash drive starts blinking when connected to a PC, but is not detected, the problem may be with the soldered legs, receiving and transmitting data. Solder them too and check again. If the connection is not accompanied by a blinking indicator, then most likely you need to solder or replace the power stabilizer.

Conclusions

Alas, sometimes it happens that even after all attempts at resuscitation, the flash drive shows no signs of life. In this case, you should admit that you did everything you could and, with a clear conscience, throw the media in the trash.

Although, if the flash drive is very dear to you, you can take it to a good service center. There they can unsolder your memory chip and transplant it to new board. True, the cost of such an operation is comparable to the cost of a new device, and sometimes even exceeds it! Therefore, it is advisable to do this only if there is some kind of important information.

However, most often before service center it doesn't work out. Most flash drives can be restored at home. Our article and program archive will help you with this, which you can download from the link below. I wish you success!

P.S. Permission is granted to freely copy and quote this article, provided that open credit is given. active link to the source and preservation of the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny.

Various problems with USB drives or flash drives are something that probably every owner faces. The computer does not see the flash drive, files are not deleted or written, Windows writes that the disk is write-protected, the amount of memory is displayed incorrectly - this is not full list such problems. Perhaps, if the computer simply does not detect the drive, this guide will also help you: (3 ways to solve the problem). If the flash drive is detected and works, but you need to restore files from it, first I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material.

If various ways to correct USB errors drive by manipulating drivers, actions in Windows Disk Management, or using command line(diskpart, format, etc.) did not lead to a positive result, you can try utilities and programs for repairing flash drives provided by both manufacturers, for example, Kingston, Silicon Power and Transcend, as well as third-party developers.

I note that using the programs described below may not correct, but rather aggravate the problem, and checking their functionality on a working flash drive may lead to its failure. You assume all risks. The following guides may also be useful: , .

This article will first describe proprietary utilities popular manufacturers - Kingston, Adata, Silicon Power, Apacer and Transcend, as well as a universal utility for SD memory cards. And after that - detailed description how to find out the memory controller of your drive and find free program to repair this particular flash drive.

Transcend JetFlash Online Recovery

To restore the functionality of Transcend USB drives, the manufacturer offers its own utility - Transcend JetFlash Online Recovery, which, theoretically, is compatible with most modern flash drives produced by this company.

Two versions of the program for repairing Transcend flash drives are available on the official website - one for JetFlash 620, the other for all other drives.

For the utility to work, you must have an Internet connection (for automatic detection specific recovery method). The utility allows you to restore a flash drive as if formatted (Repair drive and erase all data) and, if possible, with saving data (Repair drive and keep existing data).

Download Transcend utility JetFlash Online Recovery is available from the official website https://ru.transcend-info.com/supports/special.aspx?no=3

Silicon Power Flash Drive Recovery Software

On the official website of Silicon Power in the “Support” section there is a program for repairing flash drives from this manufacturer - USB Flash Drive Recovery. To download you will need to enter an address email(not checked), then the UFD_Recover_Tool ZIP archive is downloaded, which contains the SP Recovery Utility (requires .NET Framework 3.5 components for operation, will be downloaded automatically if necessary).


Likewise previous program, for SP Flash Drive Recovery to work, an Internet connection is required and restoration of work occurs in several stages - definition USB settings drive, loading and unpacking suitable utility for it, then - automatic execution of the necessary actions.

Download the repair program Silicon flash drives Power SP Flash Drive Recovery Software is available for free from the official website http://www.silicon-power.com/web/download-USBrecovery

If you are the owner of the drive Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0, then on the official Kingston website you can find a utility for repairing this line of flash drives, which will help format the drive and bring it to the condition it had when purchased.

You can download Kingston Format Utility for free from https://www.kingston.com/ru/support/technical/downloads/111247

ADATA USB Flash Drive Online Recovery

The manufacturer Adata also has its own utility that will help fix flash drive errors if you cannot read the contents of the flash drive, Windows reports that the disk is not formatted, or you see other errors related to the drive. To download the program you will need to enter serial number flash drives (so that exactly what is required is loaded) as in the screenshot below.


After downloading, run the downloaded utility and perform several simple steps on restoration USB operation devices.

Official page where you can download ADATA USB Flash Drive Online Recovery and read about using the program - http://www.adata.com/ru/ss/usbdiy/

Apacer Repair Utility, Apacer Flash Drive Repair Tool

Several programs are available for Apacer flash drives - different versions Apacer Repair Utility (which, however, cannot be found on the official website), as well as Apacer Flash Drive Repair Tool, available for download on official pages some of the Apacer flash drives (search the official website specifically for your USB drive model and look at the downloads section at the bottom of the page).


Apparently, the program performs one of two actions - simple formatting of the drive (Format item) or low-level formatting (Restore item).

Formatter Silicon Power

Formatter Silicon Power - free utility low level formatting flash drive, which, according to reviews (including in the comments to the current article), works for many other drives (but use it at your own peril and risk), allowing you to restore their functionality when no other methods help.


The utility is no longer available on the official SP website, so you will have to use Google to download it (I do not provide links to unofficial locations within this site) and do not forget to check the downloaded file, for example, on VirusTotal before launching it.

SD Memory Card Formatter for repairing and formatting SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards (including Micro SD)

The SD Memory Card Manufacturers Association offers its own universal utility to format the corresponding memory cards if problems arise with them. At the same time, judging by available information, it is compatible with almost all such drives.

The program itself is available in versions for Windows (Windows 10 is also supported) and MacOS and is quite easy to use (but you will need a card reader).

Download SD Memory Card Formatter available from the official website https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

D-Soft Flash Doctor program

Free program D-Soft Flash Doctor is not tied to any specific manufacturer and, judging by reviews, can help fix problems with a flash drive through low-level formatting.

In addition, the program allows you to create an image of a flash drive for subsequent work no longer on a physical drive (to avoid further malfunctions) - this can be useful if you need to obtain data from Flash disk. Unfortunately, the official website of the utility could not be found, but it is available on many resources with free programs.

How to find a program to repair a flash drive

In fact, there are much more such free utilities for repairing flash drives than are listed here: I tried to take into account only relatively “universal” tools for USB drives from different manufacturers.

It is quite possible that none of the above utilities are suitable for restoring the functionality of your USB drive. In this case, you can use the following steps to find the program you need.


Additionally: if all the described methods are repaired USB drive didn't help, try.

Many users neglect safe removal flash drives, as a result of which the drives stop working correctly: they are not recognized by the system, require formatting, do not read/write data, show the wrong size (for example, 14 Gb instead of 16 Gb). If you encounter similar problem, then the question of how to restore a flash drive will probably become relevant for you.

Is it possible to restore the functionality of a flash drive?

Some may think that restoring a flash drive is a pointless exercise. Drives from Transcend, Kingston, A-Data and other manufacturers have flooded the market, making flash memory cheap. Memory cards and flash drives with capacities from 8 Gb to 32 Gb are not so expensive that you can’t easily throw them away and buy new media. However, old flash drives and Micro SD memory cards are usually not thrown away at all: they lie on the table and wait to be restored.

Recovery is possible if the flash drive or memory card has not completely “died” (usually death occurs when the controller burns out).

But if the drive is simply not detected or shows the wrong volume, then the reason for this behavior is most often a controller firmware failure. We will discuss in detail below how to restore a flash drive after such a failure.

Saving information and searching for the necessary software

If important information is stored on a flash drive or SD card, then before flashing and restoring the controller (and with it the functionality of the drive), it is necessary to extract the data. This can be done using the Photorec utility, which can work with media for which it is not detected file system.

After extraction necessary information From an SD card or flash drive, you can start searching for a utility for flashing the controller firmware. But to flash a controller, you first need to determine its model. To do this, we use the CheckUDisk utility (distributed free of charge) and the website flashboot.ru:


After checking and receiving necessary information(VID PID of the drive) you need to download the utility to restore the functionality of the flash drive or SD drive. Go to flashboot.ru and open the “iFlash” tab. Here you need to enter the VID PID values ​​and find the desired manufacturer of the memory card or flash drive (HP, Generic Flash Disk, Protex, Oltramax, Smartbuy, etc.).

If your model of flash drive or SD memory card is in the database online service If not, then it’s okay: the main thing is that the VID PID and the manufacturer match. If the required data matches, then you need to get information about exact model controller for flashing and restoring it, as well as the name of a suitable utility.

The table has columns “Controller” and “Utility”. You also need to pay attention to the volume - controllers for flash drives and SD cards for 16 Gb and 32 Gb may differ. You need to copy the full name of the utility and download it through the “Files” section on the flashboot.ru website or from another source. Often, along with the recovery program, instructions for its use are downloaded, which it is advisable to read carefully.

Controller firmware

Let's say you have a Protec flash drive with a capacity of 16 Gb. You find it by VID PID through the iFlash online service and download the controller firmware utility for free. What to do next? Carry out measures to restore the flash drive (SD memory card).

Universal instructions for restoring all flash drives:

If the firmware is successfully installed, you should see a positive status of the flash drive - “OK” or “Good”. If problems arise during the operation, an error code will appear: its explanation can be found in the help of the utility found by VID PID, or on other online services.

Restoring any flash drives (SD cards) is carried out approximately according to the same scheme, however, the instructions may differ slightly for different utilities: you need to find the program for flashing the controller using the VID PID and run USB recovery drive.

To restore a flash drive, you must additionally format it. It can be done using standard using Windows or using special programs. It is recommended to run full rather than quick formatting. This will take a little more time (especially if the storage capacity exceeds 16 Gb), but you will be sure that the flash drive is now completely clean and functional.

Good day!

If your flash drive begins to constantly fail: it cannot be formatted, when connected to a computer it often freezes, when copying files to it errors occur, but it has not been subjected to mechanical stress - there is a CHANCE for restoring its functionality!

It would be nice if, when connecting a flash drive, it was at least somehow detected, for example: a connection sound is made, the flash drive is displayed in "my computer", the LED on it blinks, etc. If the computer does not see the flash drive at all, then first I recommend reading this article:

In general, give universal instructions, how and with what program what to do to restore a flash drive - impossible! But in this short article I will try to give an algorithm that will help even novice users to understand the problem and solve it.

Restoring a flash drive // ​​step by step

Controller Model Definition

By the will of fate, it turned out that I had one flash drive, which Windows refused to format - an error occurred "Windows can't complete formatting". The flash drive, according to the owner, did not fall, no water got on it, and in general, it was handled quite carefully...

All that was clear after examining 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 did not work properly.

SmartBuy 16 GB - "experimental" non-working flash drive

To restore normal work flash drives, you need to reflash the controller chip. This is done with special utilities, and for each type of controller there is its own utility! If the utility is chosen incorrectly, then with a high degree of probability you will completely ruin the flash drive... I’ll say even more, for one model range flash drives - there may be different controllers!

Each device have their own unique identification numbers - VID and PID , and the flash drive is no exception. To select the correct flashing utility, you need to determine these identification numbers (and the controller model based on them).

One of the most simple ways Find out the VID, PID, and model of the flash drive controller - use special utilities. One of the best of its kind is .

Flash Drive Information Extractor

A small free utility for getting maximum information about a flash drive. No need to install it!

The program will determine the model of the USB flash drive, the model and type of memory (all modern flash drives are supported, according to at least, from normal manufacturers)...

The program will work even in cases where the file system of the flash drive is not detected, or when the computer freezes when connecting the media.

Information received:

  • controller model;
  • possible options for memory chips installed in the flash drive;
  • type of installed memory;
  • maximum current consumption declared by the manufacturer;
  • USB version;
  • the full physical volume of the disk;
  • disk space 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 flash drive connected to the USB ports, from which you want to get maximum information.

Working with Flash Drive Information Extractor

  1. We disconnect everything that is connected from the USB ports (at least all drives: players, external hard drives etc.).
  2. Insert the flash drive to be repaired into the USB port;
  3. We launch the program;
  4. Press the button "Get information about the flash drive" ;
  5. After some time, we get maximum information about the drive (see screenshot below).
  6. If the program freezes- don’t do anything and don’t close it. Remove the flash drive from the USB port after a couple of minutes, the program should “hang” 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.

Information about the flash drive:

  • VID: 13FE; PID: 4200;
  • Controller model: Phison 2251-68 (second line in the screenshot above);
  • SmartBuy 16 GB.

Addition

You can reliably determine the controller model if you disassemble the flash drive. True, not every flash drive case is collapsible, and not every one can be put back together later.

Usually, to open the casing 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 of a controller is shown in the screenshot below.

Disassembled flash drive. Controller model: VLI VL751-Q8

Addendum 2

You can find out the VID and PID of a 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, suddenly the above utility freezes and does not provide any 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 operating algorithm is as follows:

  1. We go to the site:
  2. Enter yours VID and PID into the search bar and look for it;
  3. You'll likely find dozens of lines in the results list. Among them you need to find a line that matches: controller model, your manufacturer, VID and PID, flash drive size .
  4. Further in the last column you will see the recommended utility. By the way, please note that the version of the utility also matters! All that's left is to download the necessary utility and apply it.

After you find and download the required utility, run it and format the media - in my case, you only had to press one button - Restore .

Formatter SiliconPower v3.13.0.0 // Format and Restore. Utility end user, designed for both low-level and high-level (FAT32) formatting of flash drives on Phison controllers of the PS2251-XX line.

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. Result: the flash drive was restored (became 100% working) and given to the owner.

That's all, actually. I would be grateful for any additions on the topic. Good Luck!

Almost every person who is in one way or another connected with computers has at least once encountered the problem of a flash card malfunction. It can be expressed in different ways: Windows does not see the flash drive, refuses to format it, failures occur when copying and moving files, or the wrong amount of memory is determined.

You can restore a Kingston drive using special software

Majority simple cases can be cured by simply formatting the flash drive using operating room tools Windows systems. To do this, you need to insert it into your computer and after identifying it, go to My Computer, click right click on the drive and select Format. After successful formatting, the system will notify you about this.

If after formatting the problems remain or it ends in failure, for example, operating system gives an error - “Windows cannot complete formatting”, then you need to try another method. For example, Kingston provides for its drives special means to restore their functionality. The Kingston flash drive recovery program can be easily downloaded from the company’s official website, in the support section. After downloading, you need to unpack it and run it. In the window that opens, select the required drive and click Format. After formatting in a special way, the flash drive should work.

Another method worth trying is to use a low-level formatting program. Such a program, for example, D-Soft Flash Doctor or similar. It is not targeted at any specific drive or manufacturer, so it can format any flash drives and memory cards.

If all these actions did not lead to anything, it means that problems have arisen. serious problems with controller.

Restoring a Kingston flash drive using firmware

You can restore a flash drive by using a special utility for low-level firmware of its controller. But there are situations when the device really cannot be helped by anything other than physical intervention, such as soldering or connecting to special devices.

If the drive has the following viability criteria, then there is still a chance to restore it:

  • Windows detects the flash drive when it is plugged into the computer port;
  • after inserting the flash drive into the connector, the system automatically asks for formatting;
  • the drive identifies itself, is visible in the system, and when accessed, the message “Insert disk...” is displayed;
  • systematic errors when copying or moving files to a flash drive;
  • Slow speed of the drive as a whole.

Before you restore the Kingston flash drive, you need to find out the controller identifiers. You need two of them, the first one is VID, which contains the manufacturer’s identifier. The second is PID, which stands for product code. You need to determine them with a utility like Flash Drive Information Extractor. Once you receive them, you can write them down somewhere.

Finding a recovery utility

Directly for the firmware you will need special utility, capable of flashing a flash drive controller at a low level. Such special programs Usually available only from equipment manufacturers. With their help, they carry out initial firmware, repair and testing of devices. Sometimes these utilities end up online by accident, and sometimes manufacturers share them. But the whole problem is that each manufacturer has its own utility, which can be different depending on the controller model and the amount of memory.

To search the desired program It is for the model being reanimated that SID and PID will be needed. There is one service on the network called Flashboot.ru, which stores thousands of utilities for firmware various devices and gadgets.

You must substitute the received numbers in the SID and PID fields and click search. The service can display several program options at once. You need to choose the one whose description indicates the corresponding volume of the drive being restored. The list may also contain utilities for other manufacturers. You need to remember that you need to restore the Kingston flash drive, so select the most suitable configuration from the list. The Utils field describes the name of the program. After finding the desired line in the list, you need to copy the name of the utility and go to the files section of the flashboot.ru website. You need to paste the copied name into the search bar and click find.

After finding the utility, you need to download it to your computer and unpack it. Sometimes a situation arises when the program you are looking for is not in the files. Then you can simply search for her by name in any search engine.

Using a program to recover a Kingston flash drive

Using the utility is the most simple part operations. You just need to insert the USB flash drive, launch the program and click on the Start button in the program. Of course, the design, localization and operating methods of different utilities for different flash drives may be different, but the essence is the same, and it is intuitive. After successful flashing of the controller, the operating system may immediately offer to format the revived flash drive.

If all else fails

If nothing helped or the utility was never found, this means that, most likely, one of the modules of the drive’s electrical circuit is physically damaged. In such a situation, only a service center can help. Specialists will be able to physically connect to the contacts of the flash drive and conduct an analysis or scan for damage. If the flash drive can be repaired, then it will be repaired, but if not, then nothing will help it.



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