This was a great 64G drive... until it wasn't. It connects, disconnects over and over and over when plugged in. USB port doesn't matter. Computer doesn't matter.
So--- I would bet the actual memory is ok-- just the parts that send/receive usb are jacked up. Has anyone ever done surgery of this kind? I have some things on this I prefer not to lose...
OK.... I tried something that I thought was a long shot, and it actually worked.
This little usb drive had been plugged into a laptop at my old job and stayed there for ~2 years always plugged in. Then it was plugged into my computer at home, and it stayed there for 5 years before it finally started acting up. I plugged it in and tried it again tonight, and it did connect for about 60 seconds, then went back to that connect-disconnect cycle. So-- I tried something I thought might address part of the problem. I put it on my desk under a zip-lok bag of ICE for 20 minutes, then I connected it and put the ice on top of it. It STAYED CONNECTED. Woo Hoo! I was able to copy about 40 Gb off of it.
Over the years I've encountered dozens of HDD's that would not boot Windows or were so eaten up with viruses they wouldn't run but 10 seconds after completing POST then show a fake BSOD image.
I'd remove the drive and place it in a USB 2/5/3.5" combo dock, backup files, run DSKCHK, SFC or scan with antivirus / anti-malware programs and got it fixed and was bootable probably 90% of the time. IMO, a USB dock for drives is probably the best $25 you'll ever spend on something for your bench if you work on PC's or maintain your own.
Anyway, I said all that to say this...on 2 occasions the above techniques failed and I did a hail Mary: wrapped the HDD in a dish towel and placed it in the kitchen freezer for a couple of hours. Took it out, placed on the dock and backed up the customer's files (doc's, pictures, etc.) before it warmed up and crapped out. Those drives got replaced with new. I tried the freezer trick maybe a total of 4 times and twice it worked, haven't really had a need to try again in probably 8 or 10 years but it did work for me twice when DSKCHK, SFC, etc. did not.
I repeat....an external USB 2.5"/3.5" combo dock is a GREAT tool. I'd stick with a simple one with 1 slot. I'd avoid the ones with dual slots and built-in cloning firmware, I had one that was too finicky.
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