Question :- SanDisk 1GB

**jj_in_mood** · July 19th, 2005, 12:18 AM

Hi Experts,

Thank you all for letting me a part of this forum :butt: . I hope I will able to get some help and provide some to others.

Problem:-

Yesterday, I was working with my 1GB SanDisk USB Mini Cruzer when my laptop - Windows XP crashed. I was moving somefiles when it crashed

. On next reboot, XP was able to recognize the USB connected but won't read or write to it.

I am unable to run "format", Scandisk" or

"defragmentation" programs on it.

Is there any recovery procedure that i can execute to recover my drive back! ? I dont care about the data which it had.....

Looking forward to your suggestions....

**NooNoo** · July 20th, 2005, 08:17 AM

Welcome to Windrivers jj

Sounds like it corrupted the data when it crashed. If you don't mind about the data then take it to another machine and try the format.

sandisk have a wide range of support here including a button to contact technical support and the ability to return it for repair.

When you try to read or write to the cruzer, what error message do you get?

**jj_in_mood** · July 22nd, 2005, 02:16 AM

Thanks for the welcome!

Bad news is that other pc recognizes the drive, but wont scan it or format it. Nothing works...

Windows straightaway gives error that it drive is not formatted and when clicked to run a format says - Drive can not be formatted.

Any suggestions...?

**confus-ed** · July 22nd, 2005, 04:19 AM

What does disk management make of the drive ?, can you manage to delete the partition on it? (corrupted partition info sounds like the 'why' on this one to me)

**jj_in_mood** · July 25th, 2005, 06:57 AM

can you take some time to explain this a bit in details ;-) sorry could catch what you ment

**confus-ed** · July 26th, 2005, 02:37 AM

Originally Posted by jj_in_mood

can you take some time to explain this a bit in details ;-) sorry could catch what you ment

Before you format you must fdisk (prepare the disk for a new file system), there's a few different ways to do this, but in xp you can use the disk management MMC snap in to do it: How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP

right click my computer, choose manage & you ought to get something like this :-

**jj_in_mood** · July 26th, 2005, 06:36 AM

Yea,
I tried that after thinking hard on what you ment in your last port. Windows 2K detects the drive as unreadable. I dont get options to format or anuthing to do with that drive ;-(

I think its over !

**confus-ed** · July 26th, 2005, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by jj_in_mood

. Windows 2K detects the drive as unreadable. I dont get options to format or anuthing to do with that drive ;-(

If you can see an entry relating to your errant drive, right click it, & try 'delete logical drive' , it ought to at least try to do it, even if it has 'a hissy fit'..

However if disk management can see a drive letter, then FDisk might be a better tool & I personally would use that to try & delete any partition info (which I'm convinced is what's wrong, btw 'be aware' that Fdisk can wreak havoc if you do anything 'accidentally' so be careful & certain about anything you do, do with it!) - if you sucessfully manage to get rid of any partitions on this disk & then can't create new ones, then there's something physically wrong (probably) with the disk & its either 'new one' or RMA ..

**jj_in_mood** · July 26th, 2005, 11:53 PM

Thanks

a) Fdisk, You want me to run this within Windows 2000? I tried searching for it but couldn't find it....

b) If you want me to do this in win98 then let me know ...

**confus-ed** · July 27th, 2005, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by jj_in_mood

.. If you want me to do this in win98 then let me know ...

Sorry went all 'tech in action' there & expected you to 'keep up' - I meant use a 98 boot floppy (as fdisk is indeed absent for some 'dumb reason' {as its very useful} from w2k onwards), but running it from a live 98 install should be ok too, but I'll repeat the advice about being absolutely sure just which partitions you are deleting

Would 2k not allow you to delete the partition/drive letter ?

**jj_in_mood** · July 29th, 2005, 12:56 AM

Its working now!

To my surprise, Windows 98 was able to format the drive with XP/Win2K couldn't !!

Thanks a lot - Confus-ed. Hip hip hurray

Thanks

**confus-ed** · July 29th, 2005, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by jj_in_mood

To my surprise, Windows 98 was able to format the drive with XP/Win2K couldn't !!

Yay !

Something no doubt in NTFS was still tied up this 'wrong partition info' I was mumbling about, 9x using FAT couldn't get confus-ed with this, as it can only detect the pressence of some 'unknown file system' & not any erroneous info within it.