16GB USB flash drive has just become 8GB

[motorollin]

I've got an El Cheapo USB flash drive which was partitioned as 16GB. When I plugged it in today it appeared as 8GB. I checked in a partition editor and there was no free space on the drive. I tried deleting and re-creating the partition but it only allowed me to create it at 8GB. Tried zero-filling to destroy the partition table, then re-created it, but it still only allowed me to create an 8GB partition.

The fact that the capacity changed to 50% what it was before makes me wonder whether there are two chips, one for each 8GB, and one of them has failed. Is that possible? Would the capacity really just be reduced to a smaller, valid partition?

[bloodline]

Sounds reasonable,

I have two 16gig ocztechnology Rally2s and one 8gig Rally2... all three do a fine job and were not very expensive :-)

PS they look right sexy too...

[GadgetMaster]

motorollin wrote:
I've got an El Cheapo USB flash drive which was partitioned as 16GB. When I plugged it in today it appeared as 8GB. I checked in a partition editor and there was no free space on the drive. I tried deleting and re-creating the partition but it only allowed me to create it at 8GB. Tried zero-filling to destroy the partition table, then re-created it, but it still only allowed me to create an 8GB partition.

The fact that the capacity changed to 50% what it was before makes me wonder whether there are two chips, one for each 8GB, and one of them has failed. Is that possible? Would the capacity really just be reduced to a smaller, valid partition?

You could be right, one of the chips could have failed.

Then again It could have been 8GB all along with some sort of wizardry fooling your computer into thinking that it has more capacity than it actually has.

I've heard of this kind of fraud, usually in cheap imports though.

Btw, have you tried asking for half your money back?  :python:

[Karlos]

GadgetMaster wrote:

Btw, have you tried asking for half your money back?  :python:

A customer enters a computer parts shop.

Moto: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.

(The owner does not respond.)

Moto: 'Ello, Miss?

Owner: What do you mean "miss"?

Moto: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!

Owner: We're closin' for lunch.

Moto: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this USB pen drive what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the El Cheapo Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Moto: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'S half dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...its fragmented.

Moto: Look, matey, I know a half dead USB pen drive when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no it's not dead, it's, it's restin'! Remarkable drive, the El Cheapo Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful casing!

Moto: The casing don't enter into it. It's half dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 's fragmented!

Moto: All right then, if it's fragmented', I'll defrag it! (shouting at the device) 'Ello, El Cheapo flash drive! I've got a lovely fresh format for you if you show...

(owner hits the drive)

Owner: There, it's fixed!

Moto: No, it isn't, that was you hitting the casing!

Owner: I never!!

Moto: Yes, you did!

Owner: I never, never did anything...

 :python:  :python:

[bloodline]

:roflmao:

[motorollin]

Sorry Karlos, I'm too young to know what you're on about :-P

[Speelgoedmannetje]

AFAIK these thingies are often FAT partitioned, aren't they? Maybe google FAT specifications, to see if such a thing is possible.

-edit- you're of course using some unixish file system since you're using a mac, so no FAT I guess...

[motorollin]

Actually it is FAT since it is used to transfer files to a Windows machine. I'll have a look around to see whether it is possible for a FAT partition to remain valid once half of its physical medium has vanished.

[Karlos]

motorollin wrote:
Sorry Karlos, I'm too young to know what you're on about :-P

Moto: (puts USB pen drive into display model PC, yelling and hitting the casing repeatedly) 'ELLO 'PUTER!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your new removalbe storage device!

(Takes USB pen drive out of the computer and thumps its connector end on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Moto: Now that's what I call a dead device!

Owner: No, no.....No, 's stunned!

Moto: STUNNED?!?

Owner: Yeah! You stunned it, just as it was auto detectin'! El Cheapo Blues stun easily, major.

Moto: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That USB pen drive is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of activity was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged disk test.

Owner: Well, it's...it's, ah...probably pining for some media.

Moto: PININ' for some MEDIA?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did it fall apart the moment I got it home?

Owner: The El Cheapo Blue dismantles for storage in bits! Remarkable drive, id'nit, squire? Lovely casing!

Moto: Look, I took the liberty of examining that drive when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had the extra flash chip in first place was that it had been NAILED there.

(pause)

Owner: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that chip down, it would have slid up to the casing, bent 'it apart and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Moto: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this drive wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'S bleedin' demised!

Owner: No no! 'S pining!

Moto: 'S not pinin'! 'S passed on! This pen drive is no more! It has ceased to be! 'S expired and gone to meet 'its maker! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peices! If you hadn't nailed the chip to the PCB it'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is electronic processes are now 'istory! 'S off the board! 'S kicked the bucket, 'S shuffled off it's mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PEN DRIVE!!

[cecilia]

motorollin wrote:
Sorry Karlos, I'm too young to know what you're on about :-P

you tube dead parrot

[Karlos]

motorollin wrote:
Sorry Karlos, I'm too young to know what you're on about :-P

Bah :-x

Surely you must be aware of the famous Monty Python "Dead parrot sketch" ?

[countzero]

I don't think FAT will remain valid after half the physical medium vanishes.

for how long did you use it for 16 gb ?

maybe someone stole your 16 and replaced it with a 8 gb one ?  :crazy:

[motorollin]

Karlos wrote:
Bah :-x

Surely you must be aware of the famous Monty Python "Dead parrot sketch" ?

I have heard of it, but never seen it.

[motorollin]

countzero wrote:
I don't think FAT will remain valid after half the physical medium vanishes.

for how long did you use it for 16 gb ?

maybe someone stole your 16 and replaced it with a 8 gb one ?  :crazy:

I don't think so. It lives in a drawer and hasn't left the house. It's a mystery!

[Karlos]

motorollin wrote:

countzero wrote:
I don't think FAT will remain valid after half the physical medium vanishes.

for how long did you use it for 16 gb ?

maybe someone stole your 16 and replaced it with a 8 gb one ?  :crazy:

I don't think so. It lives in a drawer and hasn't left the house. It's a mystery!

People say that about socks, but we all know there's a wormhole network connecting sock draws across the world with each other as well as other people's washing machines...