Flash drive conundrum

  • Thread starter Thread starter JFG
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J

JFG

Hello, group,

If this question belongs in another ng, please redirect me.

I bought an eight GB flash drive from a Chinese seller on ebay that turned
out to be a fake. The seller has since been eliminated from ebay but in the
meantime there are many like me who would like to make a little lemonade
from this lemon. The flash drive does work but beyond some point it stores
only garbage. It is a drive that has been reprogrammed to show 8 GB but in
reality is smaller. I didn't pay a lot for it so I'm not upset, but what I
would like to do is reprogram it to whatever its proper size is and use it.
I have tried Windows Disk Management and also Linux QParted but neither
shows the true size. Both show it to be 7.89 GB, but I assure you that this
is NOT the correct size. So here's the question: does anyone know of
software to reprogram it to only show its true size and format it in Fat 16
or 32? I'll appreciate any and all suggestions. JG
 
JFG said:
Hello, group,

If this question belongs in another ng, please redirect me.

I bought an eight GB flash drive from a Chinese seller on ebay that turned
out to be a fake. The seller has since been eliminated from ebay but in the
meantime there are many like me who would like to make a little lemonade
from this lemon. The flash drive does work but beyond some point it stores
only garbage. It is a drive that has been reprogrammed to show 8 GB but in
reality is smaller. I didn't pay a lot for it so I'm not upset, but what I
would like to do is reprogram it to whatever its proper size is and use it.
I have tried Windows Disk Management and also Linux QParted but neither
shows the true size. Both show it to be 7.89 GB, but I assure you that this
is NOT the correct size. So here's the question: does anyone know of
software to reprogram it to only show its true size and format it in Fat 16
or 32? I'll appreciate any and all suggestions. JG
Click to expand...

It sounds like you have way too much lemon in your hand yourself. 7.89GB
is 8GB right there, or if you pay enough attention to the measurement
between hard drive manufacture and real computer term then you may know
computer uses K=1024 vs HD uses K=1000
 
JFG said:
Hello, group,

If this question belongs in another ng, please redirect me.

I bought an eight GB flash drive from a Chinese seller on ebay that turned
out to be a fake. The seller has since been eliminated from ebay but in the
meantime there are many like me who would like to make a little lemonade
from this lemon. The flash drive does work but beyond some point it stores
only garbage. It is a drive that has been reprogrammed to show 8 GB but in
reality is smaller. I didn't pay a lot for it so I'm not upset, but what I
would like to do is reprogram it to whatever its proper size is and use it.
I have tried Windows Disk Management and also Linux QParted but neither
shows the true size. Both show it to be 7.89 GB, but I assure you that this
is NOT the correct size. So here's the question: does anyone know of
software to reprogram it to only show its true size and format it in Fat 16
or 32? I'll appreciate any and all suggestions. JG
Click to expand...

You say that "beyond some point it stores only garbage". The key question
would be "at what point?". Once you know that you can probably establish a
single partition on the device leaving the "garbage" space untouched,
format the partitioned space, and then use it as removable storage. None of
that should be overly difficult. But given that you would still have a
device which you already know to be questionable I don't think that
actually storing anything on it and expecting to get it back would be sensible.
 
John McGaw said:
You say that "beyond some point it stores only garbage". The key question
would be "at what point?". Once you know that you can probably establish a
single partition on the device leaving the "garbage" space untouched,
format the partitioned space, and then use it as removable storage. None
of that should be overly difficult. But given that you would still have a
device which you already know to be questionable I don't think that
actually storing anything on it and expecting to get it back would be
sensible.
Click to expand...

Thanks, John; I don't intend to store anything of importance on it. It's a
flash drive headed for the trash I'm afraid but I'm enjoying fooling with it
to see if it's possible to reprogram it. So far, no luck. I used Linux
QParted and created a small (1 GB) primary partition in Fat 32 to see if
that would work. I didn't. Still when I store a file on it and then try to
retrieve it it is garbage. As I said, it's a small flash drive that is
programmed to read as if it were 8 GB. My task is to find the right program
or procedure to program it to its actual size. Someone in China has a way
to program it incorrectly and if I knew how that was done I could maybe
program it correctly. The header says it all, it's a conundrum. I'm having
the fun of trying to crack the nut. Best, JG
 
Thanks, John; I don't intend to store anything of importance on it. It's a
flash drive headed for the trash I'm afraid but I'm enjoying fooling with it
to see if it's possible to reprogram it.
Click to expand...
If you can get a few gigs on it, why toss it? I would use it to
carry around programs and whatever that I had elsewhere but might
need actually on me. If I lost it or someone stole it, not as big
of a deal as it otherwise would be.

So far, no luck. I used Linux
QParted and created a small (1 GB) primary partition in Fat 32 to see if
that would work. I didn't. Still when I store a file on it and then try to
retrieve it it is garbage. As I said, it's a small flash drive that is
programmed to read as if it were 8 GB. My task is to find the right program
or procedure to program it to its actual size. Someone in China has a way
to program it incorrectly and if I knew how that was done I could maybe
program it correctly. The header says it all, it's a conundrum. I'm having
the fun of trying to crack the nut. Best, JG
Click to expand...
I don't know, but there's probably some place in the drive where
the size and other things are stored. This is true in hard drives.
You only see a higher level thing. So you'd need some program, it
might be drive specific I do not know, to access those parts of the
flash unit.
 
JFG wrote:
snip...
Thanks, John; I don't intend to store anything of importance on it. It's a
flash drive headed for the trash I'm afraid but I'm enjoying fooling with it
to see if it's possible to reprogram it. So far, no luck. I used Linux
QParted and created a small (1 GB) primary partition in Fat 32 to see if
that would work. I didn't. Still when I store a file on it and then try to
retrieve it it is garbage. As I said, it's a small flash drive that is
programmed to read as if it were 8 GB. My task is to find the right program
or procedure to program it to its actual size. Someone in China has a way
to program it incorrectly and if I knew how that was done I could maybe
program it correctly. The header says it all, it's a conundrum. I'm having
the fun of trying to crack the nut. Best, JG
Click to expand...

I guess the next step is to try an even smaller partition. Try half the
size and see if that works. But it would seem that you've already passed
the point of diminishing returns with a 1gB partition. If you are just
looking upon it as an intellectual exercise you don't have anything to lose
even if you finally wind up with a storage device with the capacity of a
floppy.
 
VanguardLH said:
Did you attempt to contact eBay to see if you were covered under their
buyer protection policy, especially since the fraudulent seller got
removed by eBay?
Click to expand...

Thanks, Van, I haven't done that because the drive was so cheap to begin
with. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. An 8 GB flash drive
for less than $20 USD with free shipping just had to be too good to be true.
The challenge is to reprogram it if possible. I'd settle for a 1 GB or 2 GB
if that's the actual size. I'm hoping that a reader of the ng might have an
idea about the reprogrammiing. Best...JG
 
JFG said:
Thanks, Van, I haven't done that because the drive was so cheap to begin
with. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. An 8 GB flash drive
for less than $20 USD with free shipping just had to be too good to be true.
The challenge is to reprogram it if possible. I'd settle for a 1 GB or 2 GB
if that's the actual size. I'm hoping that a reader of the ng might have an
idea about the reprogrammiing. Best...JG
Click to expand...
I haven't tried the advise or the programs, but:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?CIID=105823
#begin quote
A lot of these cheap keys find their way to Ebay, advertised with a
large capacity – usually between 1 and 8GB. When you plug it in,
your OS will report the full capacity, however half of that doesn’t
exist. Filling the key more than halfway writes to its imaginary
memory and throws that data into a black hole. During normal use,
the hack is a bugger to detect and will no doubt turn your day into
a bed-wetting nightmare when crucial files are lost in the void.
....
The hack works by tricking the controller into believing it has a
larger memory chip attached than it actually does. If you open up a
key, you will find two main chips soldered on: the flash memory
(the large rectangular IC) and the controller (the smaller square
IC). This exploit seems to be isolated to keys with an iCreate
controller. However, without disassembling the key, there is no way
to know what you will get. Pictured below is a dicey
iCreatei5127-lg based stick, but there may be others out there.
....
If you’re stuck with it, however, you can cut your losses and
reformat it to the correct size. iCreate provide a tool called
iFormat. We had a little trouble with this version, but there is an
older (more stable) version available, which will correctly detect
how much flash you have and repartition. As your drive shrinks, the
pangs of buyers’ remorse may kick in, however the danger of losing
files is now gone.
#end quote
 
JFG said:
Thanks, John; I don't intend to store anything of importance on it. It's a
flash drive headed for the trash I'm afraid but I'm enjoying fooling with it
to see if it's possible to reprogram it. So far, no luck. I used Linux
QParted and created a small (1 GB) primary partition in Fat 32 to see if
that would work. I didn't. Still when I store a file on it and then try to
retrieve it it is garbage. As I said, it's a small flash drive that is
programmed to read as if it were 8 GB. My task is to find the right program
or procedure to program it to its actual size. Someone in China has a way
to program it incorrectly and if I knew how that was done I could maybe
program it correctly. The header says it all, it's a conundrum. I'm having
the fun of trying to crack the nut. Best, JG
Click to expand...

You may have more fun to send him an email to sorry for the misinformation
or misunderstanding about the computer use.
 
VanguardLH said:
Did you attempt to contact eBay to see if you were covered under their
buyer protection policy, especially since the fraudulent seller got
removed by eBay?
Click to expand...

eBay or PayPal may try to help solve the problem *but* they may only solve
the *real* problem not the type of misunderstanding problem "JPG" claims.
IOW, 7.9GB is the real 8GB so there is no problem there, and the other thing
about partition, Linux is another story JPG may have to learn to work thing
out himself.
 
JFG said:
Thanks, Van, I haven't done that because the drive was so cheap to begin
with. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. An 8 GB flash drive
for less than $20 USD with free shipping just had to be too good to be true.
The challenge is to reprogram it if possible. I'd settle for a 1 GB or 2 GB
if that's the actual size. I'm hoping that a reader of the ng might have an
idea about the reprogrammiing. Best...JG
Click to expand...

Flash drive is very cheap these days so I won't suprise to see a slow 8GB
flash drive for $20. Even about a year ago when 8GB was the largest and was
still very expensive, I was able to get the fastest 8GB at the time for
around $46 when the same flash drive was selling $80-100+ from other online
stores.
 
Hello, group,
If this question belongs in another ng, please redirect me.

I bought an eight GB flash drive from a Chinese seller on ebay that turned
out to be a fake. The seller has since been eliminated from ebay but in the
meantime there are many like me who would like to make a little lemonade from
this lemon. The flash drive does work but beyond some point it stores only
garbage. It is a drive that has been reprogrammed to show 8 GB but in
reality is smaller. I didn't pay a lot for it so I'm not upset, but what I
would like to do is reprogram it to whatever its proper size is and use it. I
have tried Windows Disk Management and also Linux QParted but neither shows
the true size. Both show it to be 7.89 GB, but I assure you that this is NOT
the correct size. So here's the question: does anyone know of software to
reprogram it to only show its true size and format it in Fat 16 or 32? I'll
appreciate any and all suggestions. JG
Click to expand...

Might be a simple task to pop it open and see what chip(s) it's using.

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VanguardLH said:
I doubt the issue is about all of a perceived 0.1GB difference in
reported and marked capacity. "beyond some point it stores
only garbage" says nothing about WHEN the corruption occurs. Could be
at 4GB which is half the size of the marked size. The OP was vague on
just when corruption begins in the addressing range.
Click to expand...

The 8GB reports as 7.9GB then it should be 8GB because most HD use KB=1000
instead of KB=1024

And about the garbage I will have to see to believe, because most vendor
won't waste their Possitive Feedbacks selling 1/2 the capacity. Or they may
cheat on $10,000 or $100,000 item *not* $20 item.
 
JFG said:
I bought an eight GB flash drive from a Chinese seller on ebay that
turned out to be a fake. The seller has since been eliminated from
ebay but in the meantime there are many like me who would like
to make a little lemonade from this lemon. The flash drive does
work but beyond some point it stores only garbage. It is a drive
that has been reprogrammed to show 8 GB but in reality is smaller.
Click to expand...

Can you use something like Format and mark off the bad areas? You may
need a third-party program because I believe Format complains and
quits if it finds too many bad sectors.

How about running Fdisk or another partitioning utility to cut down
the size?

$20 for 8GB is cheap but no longer that much cheaper than what major
brands sometimes cost. For example, here are current Fry's offerings:

8GB Emprex: $25 ($25 rebate)
2GB Emprex: $ 4 ($15 rebate)
16GB Corsair: $50 ($20 rebate)
 
larry moe 'n curly said:
Can you use something like Format and mark off the bad areas? You may
need a third-party program because I believe Format complains and
quits if it finds too many bad sectors.

How about running Fdisk or another partitioning utility to cut down
the size?

$20 for 8GB is cheap but no longer that much cheaper than what major
brands sometimes cost. For example, here are current Fry's offerings:

8GB Emprex: $25 ($25 rebate)
2GB Emprex: $ 4 ($15 rebate)
16GB Corsair: $50 ($20 rebate)
Click to expand...

I have the 8GB Corsair which was one of the fastest and I paid around $46
(special sale) for it over a year ago.
 
kony said:
At $20 delivered it would seem to be 2GB or smaller drive,
they couldn't make any money on this fraud otherwise.
Click to expand...

I thought part of the fun, of this fraud, was using a chip which is
1/8th the proper size. So you could advertise an 8GB drive, and when
approached by the buyer, apologize and tell them it was an 8 Gigabit drive :-)
Just a harmless "units of measurement" error :-) That would probably
improve their fraud profit picture as well.

Paul
 
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