Previous in Forum: Memory Information   Next in Forum: Software For Retaining Deleted Data
Close
Close
Close
9 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Power-User
Engineering Fields - Manufacturing Engineering - New Member Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 113
Good Answers: 4

Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/30/2012 10:38 AM

I've got a 4GB Cruzer Zip Drive that I use to back up daily data. I always remove it correctly at the end of the day and store it in my desk drawer overnight. This morning when I inserted it, it wouldn't start. It appears all the files are gone but when I look at the properties, it says it's 100% full. This is my 2nd zip drive that has shot craps. I'm at a loss as to what causes the fault. Any ideas on what is going on with this thing? Any suggestions on how to recover any data from it?

Register to Reply
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Guru

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: by the beach in Florida
Posts: 33392
Good Answers: 1817
#1

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/30/2012 1:09 PM

Just buy a new one for $6...they go bad...If you want something that lasts, you'll have to spend more money than that...I use one of these..

__________________
All living things seek to control their own destiny....this is the purpose of life
Register to Reply
Power-User
Engineering Fields - Manufacturing Engineering - New Member Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 113
Good Answers: 4
#3
In reply to #1

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/30/2012 4:57 PM

Thanks for the reply. I'm just curious if these wonders of science have a definitive number of times they can be accessed. I guess I should have kept track and do one less next time!

Register to Reply
Commentator

Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
#8
In reply to #3

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

04/06/2012 9:53 AM

Does the computer see the drive in explorer windows or is the light nigh coming on.

Register to Reply
Guru
Hobbies - CNC - New Member Hobbies - DIY Welding - New Member Engineering Fields - Electromechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 23647
Good Answers: 420
#2

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/30/2012 4:16 PM

is this with the comparsion backup?

__________________
“ When people get what they want, they are often surprised when they get what they deserve " - James Wood
Register to Reply
Guru
Engineering Fields - Nuclear Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Louisville, OH
Posts: 1925
Good Answers: 36
#4

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/30/2012 11:12 PM

Is this what I call a flash drive? (Also known as a thumb drive, and others.) I have had good luck with them until recently when one became erratic. Sometimes the drive was recognized and sometimes not. I put it in a different USB port one time and it worked fine there. It has been replaced because I couldn't trust it.

__________________
Lehman57
Register to Reply
Guru

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Edinburgh, Bonnie Scotland
Posts: 1334
Good Answers: 23
#5

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/31/2012 1:21 AM

When deleting files on any external drive, make sure to empty the recycle bin on the computer before removing the drive, otherwise the data is still retained although not in an accessible manner.

This phenomenon is easiest seen where a file is deleted on a Mac, then the drive is used on a PC. The PC picks up hidden files (Mac hidden files are just prefixed with a dot). Until trash/recycle bin is emptied, the files still remain listed but hidden. Once the drive is removed, the file locations are lost to the machine making the changes, so space appears to just disappear.

Reformat, or file recovery tools can assist.

__________________
Madness is all in the mind
Register to Reply
Participant

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Klerksdorp, North West Province, South Africa.
Posts: 3
#6

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

03/31/2012 5:56 AM

Hi,

I have read the good replies here however one thing that you should also have a look at is the possibility of a virus that may be affecting the usb drives.

The one I am specifically referring to is the "Autorun or Virut" virus which is a starter for the main virus infection.

The fact that you say it shows that the drive is full but you do not see anything makes be believe this is the fault.

To solve this problem is to use a "Autorun" removal tool from one of the major antivirus companies

or you can try these links

http://www.autorunremover.com/what-is-autorun-inf.html

http://free.avg.com/ww-en/virus-removal

There are many different variations to this virus, but a method I found that seems to work for me is to open up a dos command window, change to the usb drive, do a drive listing using "dir /a/p" (Without the inverted commas) which will list all files, if the file "Autorun.inf" is found, then change its attribute so that the file is readable and delete it.

I hope this helps you to solve your problem.

Keep Well.

Register to Reply Score 1 for Good Answer
Guru
Hobbies - HAM Radio - New Member

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver (not BC) Washington (not DC) US of A
Posts: 1261
Good Answers: 12
#7

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

04/05/2012 2:22 AM

The idea I have is to do a double backup. If one zip goes bad, you still have the same data on the other zip. It seems to me that these have a finite number of read/write cycles before they go fubar, although I don't have any numbers handy.

As for extracting the data from a dead zip, I have no idea.

Another thought is to backup on a USB drive (a conventional drive that plugs into a USB slot)... and you might want to double backup this too depending on your situation.

Bill

Register to Reply
Guru
Popular Science - Weaponology - New Member Safety - ESD - New Member Hobbies - Fishing - New Member

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 50.390866N, 8.884827E
Posts: 17996
Good Answers: 200
#9

Re: Cruzer Zip Drive Quit Working

04/08/2012 9:48 AM

Static may be the problem if you are not being careful, but that is the same for all computer equipment....Learn how to stop static.....

Basic data safety requires that 3 versions of any data must be retained, grandfather, father and son.

Also 2 copies of each, kept in a different location. So that is 6 copies in all!!!

It depends on how much data, how often you make copies updates as to how often you need to run the update, and also what media you need to use. For many today, re-writable DVDs of good quality, kept in the dark and away from dust, can be a good method.

Larger quantities of data than say 2 x DVD are probably best kept on industrial standard 1/2" tape. There are several manufacturers, such a drive will cost between $5,000 - $10,000 per unit, a secondhand one will cost considerably less.

Tape widths less than that are usually proprietary to one manufacturer and in my experience are simply never reliable enough.

As in all things, you get what you pay for......

All Tape requires a high bandwidth server to allow the drive to stream. Not streaming will wear out tapes quickly due to repositioning damage. Head cleaning will become a problem....if you do not understand this, leave it completely alone.....

Stay with good quality DVDs for as long as you can, a new DVD drive costs little nowadays. Keep a spare one around.

I would recommend only "+" media as it recovers best of all and the reformat does the whole surface, whereas "-" disks, cannot be completely reformatted. Price is the same.

Some use multiple external hard disks, that is also a possibility, they are cheap and with the right interface, can be changed quickly. Again, buy quality and treat them well.

Here is an example only, buy better quality with a fast USB 3.0 interface for both 2.5" and 3.5" discs:-

These are rarely more than $50 each, really cheap and data rates are largely unimportant, but they work fast if the computer is fast!

As I don't know your data, or its size, I cannot be more accurately helpful than this, sorry.

But you must hold at least two copies in different physical places. Most companies who lose their data, go under in a few months...Be warned.

__________________
"What others say about you reveals more about them, than it does you." Anon.
Register to Reply
Register to Reply 9 comments

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Andy Germany (1); GM1964 (1); komena (1); Lehman57 (1); phoenix911 (1); saveone12 (1); Sciesis2 (1); SolarEagle (1); Ti QE (1)

Previous in Forum: Memory Information   Next in Forum: Software For Retaining Deleted Data

Advertisement