# Flash Drive not Recognized - Need a file off it



## jmbtexas

Hello,

First of all, I simply need a file off an Emprex flash drive.  The easiest way I can accomplish this would be welcomed.

My drive has always worked flawlessly on multiple machines.  Tonight, while the USB flash drive was in use, I received a message saying the drive had an error.  

It was not listed in the drives anymore so I couldn't disable it.  The drive light was still on when I pulled it out.  Now, the light doesn't come on.  Every machine I plug it in recognizes something but not exactly what it is.  "USB not recognized" is the message I get.  

Again, I just need to get a file off it.

I downloaded five programs that all said they could recover files from damaged USB drives.  All of them said they couldn't find the drive even though the computer acknowledges something is plugged into the USB port.  These programs obviously weren't helpful.  What use is a "flash drive recovery tool" that can't identify the damaged drive it can supposedly pull the file from? 

I need that file.

Thanks for the help,

Jeff


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## laznz1

OK 
*puts thinking cap on*
So your flash drive was working suddenly stopped working?
When removing your USB Device did you use to safely stop it first ?
Are all the drivers correct?
Is it possible that it could of contracted a virus?


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## jmbtexas

laznz1 said:


> OK
> *puts thinking cap on*
> So your flash drive was working suddenly stopped working?
> When removing your USB Device did you use to safely stop it first ?
> Are all the drivers correct?
> Is it possible that it could of contracted a virus?



I have one Excel file on the drive.  I was working on the file when it crashed.

I mentioned that I did not remove it safely because the drive was no longer listed, so I could not disable it.

I don't know about the drivers.  Should I have to reinstall the drivers on four different computers that the drive used to work on?

No, it's not a virus.

Thanks.


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## laznz1

thats a toughie um 
Prob not a Driver as you have tested it on other computers 
im stumped sorry


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## JTM

You may have already tried this but here's my input. In Vista/XP not always do storage devices appear in the list. What I mean is that not always do I get the icon showing that something is plugged in or being detected. I manually have to go to Start>Computer> and click on the individual drives (the letters D:/ etc.) and manually click on them to see what is inside them.

If all else fails check drivers for the pc you're using and try to re-obtain the specific file. Best of luck.


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## jmbtexas

I understand what you are saying.  The drive has always been recognized.  There was an error and not it is not recognized. 

Do you think that solution will work in this case?


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## jmbtexas

Wow, this place is full of quality answers.


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## Cromewell

Well you get what you pay for. If I don't know the answer, haven't seen it and can't find anything useful I'm not going to bother posting some guess work. It could be as simple as your drive failed.

Does it show up in disk management at all?


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## jmbtexas

I understand the drive failed.  

My question is how do I get a file off of it?


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## Cromewell

If the software you tried didn't know the drive was plugged in then you don't. If it's failed in a way that you cannot access it anymore you are probably down to sending it to a recovery lab.


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