Sandisk USB Error - PLEASE help
 

Hi,

I really hope someone can help me out of this BIG heap of trouble. After buying a 512MB Sandisk USB device, it worked great and I used it for more than travelling. Now, it says "new hardware found" and it is looking for the software "ADIR ROM" which it cannot find. :eek: I think something has corrupted - hopefully not the data. It is EXTREMELY important that this data is recovered, it is EXTREMELY valuable. :( Does any one have ANY ideas? :confused: The device was relatively new, so I hadn't backed up anything. I don't understand how this could have happened though.

ANYTHING that might be of ANY help will be appreciated.

Thanks so much

The best bet for recovering information from a bad flash drive is LC Technology. They offer both a software recovery product and recovery services. The recovery software is available for free download. Though, I don't know what it's limitations are. Also, SanDisk recommends LC Technology for recovering lost data.

You flash drive has two components - controller and memory. From the error message you posted, the controller has been affected. There's a good chance that the data has not been corrupted, only that it's unreachable. That's where a specialist like LC Tech might be able to help out.

Hope all turns out well.

Thanks so much for your help :)

I don't want to mess up your evening, but it seems like you are in trouble:

http://www.usbman.com/forum/UltraBoa...397&SID=978993

If you do a search for "adir rom" it seems like a pretty chronic problem :(

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...22&btnG=Search

Anothe reason I never ever buy Sandisk :(

:( Im trying to think positive. As long as only the controller is damaged, I will hopefully manage. I also have 1 main advantage - the people in the travel technology forum at FT ;)

If the controller is damaged then you are looking at a repair of several thousand to recover the data in the flash chip. I feel your pain :(

I tried the download, but the program did not recognize the disk :(

:eek: Do you know where I could get this done? Would the LC technology people be able to do it ?

Cheers

Looks like it:

http://www.lc-tech.com/services/sandisk-recovery.html

And doesn't even look THAT expensive, they have a dedicated sandisk recovery service, your drive should only be $125, amazingly low!

thank you SOOOOOO much :)

$125 is nothing compared to the value of what I would have lost. I am eternally grateful :D

I don't quite understand what this means :confused:

Once you have decided to send us the card, you can call in to our service department, and you will be sent a form to fill out. Then include the completed form with your card when you ship it to us. Click here to download the form.

Can I just download the form, fill it out and send it to them?

It also keeps talking about a card :confused:

Thanks again

Cheers

I don't believe this is for USB memory sticks :(

Thanks anyways

This may be a very simplistic approach to the problem, but sometimes the simplest answer can save you 100's. Have you tried reinstalling the drivers/software that came with your usb stick? If it is saying new hardware it isnt reading the drivers. It probably wont work, as this seems to be a known error but it is sure worth trying.

Personally I NEVER leave something only on a USB stick, they are too easy to set down and lose or have walk away. They should be a back up copy not your only copy. If you have data that critical have you considered getting something like a maxtor external drive to use as a backup site?

They only seem to mention "digital media", and IMHO their USB drives are just that. The internals are pretty much the same as any other kind of card (sd, CF etc...). I'd say call them ASAP.

USB sticks under 2000 and XP don't use drivers, there are no Sandisk drivers for these systems as they are simply seen as USB ATAPI devices.