A program for recovering a silicon power flash drive. The best free software for repairing usb flash drives. Silicon Power: USB storage recovery. General principles

Today we have another “mono-testing” on our agenda - in the sense that we will consider three flash drives from the same manufacturer, namely Silicon Power. They belong to different classes, but all are equipped with a long-boring USB 2.0 interface. Alas, having announced new developments designed for faster and more promising USB 3.0 and showing them at various exhibitions, manufacturers are in no hurry to start real mass deliveries of such devices, due to the incomplete readiness of the infrastructure. Thus, those who like to buy the "best" will have to wait a little longer. The well-known traditional USB flash drives continue to rule the market, however, they differ significantly from each other in terms of consumer characteristics. Except, perhaps, functionality.

Software

Previously, Silicon Power supplied the vast majority of drives exclusively "bare", that is, without any additional software. Now this "injustice" has been corrected - the owner of any flash drive or VZD with this brand can download the SP Widget utility from the website, which in functionality strongly resembles CoSoSys CarryItEasy +, also offered by many manufacturers of flash drives under license (for example, a special version for Transcend is called JetFlash Elite) ... However, despite this similarity, the utility gives the impression of an original product, and it looks completely different.

The main window of the program, launched directly from a flash drive and, when not needed, peacefully hanging in the system area of ​​the taskbar, has a purely advertising meaning. Note that in the current version the figure shows the Touch 850 flash drive, which we will get to know in detail below :) To access all the program functions, there are buttons in the right column.

The first one is designed to synchronize the "My Documents" folder on your computer with a similar one on a flash drive. It is displayed on the screen, and then you just need to select the desired files or subdirectories. And perform one of three actions - copy the selection to the drive, perform the reverse process, or synchronize the computer with the flash drive.

If you need to work with directories lying somewhere else, similar operations can be done with them using the second button. True, there is already one limitation - the selected folder will be processed in its entirety, that is, you can no longer select only part of the content, and ignore some.

But there can be many such "alternative" folders, and for any of them its default action (copy direction or synchronization) is configured, and you can perform the necessary operations on the entire function definition area with one click.

The disadvantage of the operations described above is that when they are performed, the files are not protected from unauthorized access in any way, and the flash drive can be lost or stolen. If you are not satisfied with the fact that the "finder" will be able to read your documents, it makes sense not just to copy them, but to encrypt them on the fly, which is done by the third button on the panel.

The fourth one performs actions similar to working with files, with the "Favorites" of Internet Explorer ...

... and the fifth allows you to perform a similar operation with Outlook or Outlook Express mail databases. Unfortunately, the utility currently does not support other browsers and email programs.

The sixth button allows you to block access to the computer. There are three unlocking options, of which the most interesting is the use of a flash drive as a hardware key.

The seventh button just downloads the trial version of Norton Internet Security 2009, and the ninth button sends the user to read the news on the Silicon Power website, so we won't go into them in detail. Of interest is the button number eight, which shows a page with detailed technical information about the drive and about what the program has worked out for us - for all special folders their capacity is given (which is quite useful, since they are hidden, so that the user of "normal" qualifications before them in Explorer won't get) and the date of the last sync. By the way, how much free space is left on the device is clearly visible on any of the SP Widget pages.

The tenth button in the panel is used to search for program updates, as well as download documentation.

The eleventh one allows you to select the interface language. Alas, the choice is still extremely limited - English and three dialects of Chinese. This can be considered a rather noticeable drawback compared to the Russified CarryItEasy +, JetFlash Elite and others like that. As for the rest, the program's capabilities are not bad - just what many people need. Therefore, the fact of its appearance can be assessed in an extremely positive way.

Silicon Power LuxMini 920

We have already tested this drive, but last year its maximum capacity was only 32 GB. But the speed of work turned out to be very impressive: in fact, that modification remains the best of those using MLC-flash and competes with more expensive lines on the SLC. More precisely, it “could have stayed” and “could have competed”, because some time after the publication of the review, the company radically redesigned the device: drives on a completely different controller began to enter the market in the same case. It is noticeably slower (which is a minus), but also less voracious (which is by no means a drawback - the old models got too hot with active use, so it happened that they also failed due to overheating). It was extremely interesting for us - this modification is peculiar only to models with a capacity of up to 32 GB inclusive, and in the newer 64 GB one the company retained the same "extreme" filling, or the whole line has changed irrevocably. Therefore, we decided to test the older modification.

By the way, another curious detail is connected with it. Usually, having mastered the release of drives with a capacity of more than 32 GB (the official maximum for the standard formatting program Windows XP and newer versions when using FAT32), manufacturers offer users a special utility in order to still continue using the old (but most compatible with all operating systems and household appliances) file system. Silicon Power approached the issue differently - LuxMini 920 with 64 GB are shipped from the factory formatted for NTFS. This FS has its advantages, but also a number of disadvantages (especially when used on flash drives), so the question arose - which is more optimal. Moreover, it can be assumed that the company takes into account NTFS peculiarities during the factory formatting (in particular, for many flash drive models, special alignment of service areas, selection of the cluster size, etc. is required), so that all parameters will be selected in an optimal way. And, of course, we conducted tests in the standard form for our methodology - using FAT32 (for formatting, we used a small console program fat32format, capable of working with partitions up to 2 TB inclusive).

Silicon Power Touch 830

Unlike drives of the LuxMini or Ultima families, representatives of the Touch line cannot boast of high technical characteristics or redundant functionality (however, the SP Widget program described above also works with them, so now the difference in the latter parameter has been noticeably reduced). Their main purpose is to delight those buyers who first of all need an original appearance of the device (again, not as original as that of Unique, of course). And both of the products we got into our hands today are the best fit for those who need a compact drive. This is especially true of the 830 model, which is only slightly larger than flash sticks: its dimensions are only 35 × 12.3 × 3.5 mm and weighs only 4 grams. How did you achieve this? The design is almost equivalent to the thinnest devices, except that most of the flash drive (with the exception of the contact group area) is housed in a metal case. A very sensible approach: firstly, it is very compact, secondly, there are no moving parts, thirdly, the metal plate makes the device a little more reliable than the sticks, and you won't be able to stick it upside down into the port, well and, finally, the appearance is somehow "richer" than that of the plastic imitation of a gum strip. But there are also disadvantages traditional for the smallest - only one flash memory chip is placed in such a case, which so far limits the maximum capacity of 16 GB (modifications for 2, 4 and 8 GB are also available; we tested the second of them), and high speed does not allow to achieve work. But it looks nice :)

Silicon Power Touch 850

If you need something even more attractive in appearance or just more capacious, then you can pay attention to the next model in the line. The 850 has a more traditional design with a retractable connector, but also compact: 31.6 x 16.4 x 6 mm and weighs 6.1 grams. The increase in size made it possible to fit up to 32 GB in the older modification, otherwise the capacitive range is the same as in the 830 (we tested an 8 GB flash drive). And the designers disposed of a separate case as it should: it remained metal, but on one side there is a “crystal” plate. We immediately had associations with the HTC Touch Diamond communicator, where complaints about a similar decoration element on the back panel were repeatedly raised - the protruding corners were quickly erased, so that the appearance became unpresentable. It is difficult to say yet whether this problem will be inherent in a flash drive. Perhaps not - it itself is smaller and lighter, so it is unlikely to rub heavily against adjacent surfaces (besides, one side of the case is not at all the same as the back side of the cell phone, on which it usually lies ). The final answer to the question will appear only after the drive goes on mass sale and has time to be used by a large number of buyers (in this case, rather, buyers), but in the meantime, we can state the fact that in both colors (and steel gray , and yellowish) it looks very impressive. It even seems that the designers were somewhat mistaken with the complete accessories: a short metal braided cord looks very good in the spirit of the device itself, but it was worth focusing on the fact that the flash drive would be worn as a pendant or similar decoration (like, for example, Pretec i- Disk Bella II.Well, how it works when used for its intended purpose, the tests will show, to which we turn.

Real capacity

Unlike hard drives, various flash drives, which formally have the same volume, in practice differ in the amount of "disk" space available to the user, therefore, for all tested devices we have given this important parameter (since it is for it money is paid), we have given, we will and will give further :) In the simplest and most understandable form - how many bytes are available for use on a flash drive freshly formatted for FAT32.

Testing methodology

Described in detail in a separate article... There you can get acquainted with both the configuration of the test bench and the software used.

Competitors

Recently, we have begun to move away from the practice of comparing drives only with those tested in the previous article - they are too different. Therefore, it was decided to take two fast models from those already tested according to the current method as reference points - Silicon Power LuxMini 920 with a capacity of 32 GB (obviously, one cannot do without this device, studying its changer) and Corsair Flash Voyager GTR for the same 32 GB ... And the colors of the "mass series" today will protect the Transcend JetFlash 500 and JetFlash V95С (both 4 GB each) - the latter is generally a direct competitor to the Touch line from Silicon Power, the former is interesting for its slowness (however, traditional for many current mass models of low capacity) , so it is perfect for the role of the "floor".

Access time

Traditionally, we leave without comments the access time on read operations and proceed to writing. As you can see, today's subjects are especially incapable of making us happy. Perhaps the access time of LuxMini 920 has decreased compared to the previous modification of the line, but that's all. And the Touch 830 "went off scale" in a second, which is somehow even ... indecent or something.

Linear operations

Despite the fact that IOMeter tries to be independent from the used file system, there is a difference when working with large blocks, and not in favor of FAT32. When working with it, the LuxMini 920 is only equivalent to the Corsair Flash Voyager GTR, but when using the factory format, it does not lag behind its early counterpart. Well, the low results of the Touch 830 in this (and in others too) test are quite understandable - the device clearly uses only one flash memory chip, and even that is quite slow.

When writing data, the picture is almost the same, but here already LuxMini 920 64 GB with any file system does not pretend to be a leader. But it works quickly, which cannot be said about the representatives of the Touch line. However, the 850 keeps at a pretty decent level, but our 830 may have "knocked down" and low capacity (although, given the compactness and limited volume, there is reason to assume that all models of this line use only one flash memory chip and , accordingly, the controller operates in a single-channel mode, so a large capacity of older modifications will not help in any way).

Working with video

When writing to a large continuous file, and even in large blocks, as you can see, modern high-speed drives can significantly bypass the old modification of LuxMini 920. The results of a device formatted for NTFS are especially indicative - due to more efficient caching, the flash drive became one and a half times faster than itself :) The only good thing about the other two models is that they cope with this task.

Working with applications

The biggest disappointment is the LuxMini 920 results on the new controller in the ContentCreation test: if the previous modification on this template, which simulates real work with a large number of files, kept at the level of SLC flash drives, the new one fell to the performance of high-speed MLC models. Well, representatives of the Touch family showed quite predictable results.

Copying files

The speed of copying files from the drive did not show any unexpected surprises - this operation can now be fast. Always, with the exception of those cases when the controller operates in single-channel mode, which, apparently, is true for, for example, the 4 GB Touch 830 (and other modern mass flash drives of this capacity; and many more). The picture is more curious with the reverse operation, and not even with the results of different drives (they could well have been expected), but with the comparative position of FAT32 and NTFS on the LuxMini 920. Initially, we assumed that the greatest gain would be obtained when copying a large number of small files, but the reality is turned out to be the opposite :) The gain on large files is extremely pleasant - after all, NTFS is usually used to support them. But a sharp decrease in speed at low speed is the opposite. But this is, recall, "factory" formatting, in which, in theory, the manufacturer had to take into account all the nuances of alignment and not only.

Overall GPA

power usage

This is a quite reasonable justification for changing the controller (different from the price one) - the consumption of the old LuxMini 920 was, nevertheless, too high, and the new one was managed to be “driven” into quite reasonable limits. Except for random write operations, but here everything is quite understandable by the large number of microcircuits in 64 GB models and by the fact that with such a test load you have to write to all of them.

Prices

The table shows the average retail price of the tested drives in Moscow as of the time you read this article:

Total

In general, today we did not find anything fundamentally new. As expected, a bundle of MLC chips and a USB 2.0 interface has long dominated the USB flash drive market, which we have been regularly encountering (in various forms) for several years now. Moreover, the change of controller in the LuxMini 920 series also eliminated this atypical peak, which, along with the termination of almost all manufacturers of SLC-models, is in no way able to please those who are looking for a really fast drive that can compete with external hard drives in performance, not inferior to them in terms of performance. compactness. In the segment of fashion models, no records were observed before, so the results of the Touch did not bring anything new. Just another confirmation that progress can go backwards - since a flash drive with a USB 2.0 interface cannot be too fast, manufacturers prefer to use the fastest memory chips in other devices: for example, SSD. In the near future we will try to find out whether the "second wind" will open after the transition to USB 3.0 at least for the top models of flash drives, but for now we have what we have.

Silicon Power flash drives: Ultima and Touch series

If the safety of data on your flash drives is really very important for you, we recommend that you read about their proper storage and protection. The information provided there is valid for all types of flash drives - from cheap and fragile handicrafts made by Taiwanese Transcend to durable quality products by American Kingston or Taiwan Silicon Power. Today, as you understand, we are talking about the latter.

About company

Silicon Power (more precisely, Silicon Power Computer & Communications Inc.) is a Taiwanese company specializing in the production of various devices for storing information: hard drives (including external ones), USB flash drives, memory cards with data transfer rates up to 90 MB / s, memory modules and so on. The company was founded back in 2003, and now its products are distributed in more than 120 countries around the world.

In 2010, Silicon Power opened its office in Russia (Moscow, Pushkina st., 27). In addition, it already has divisions in Japan, Holland, China, USA, India and, of course, Taiwan. Over the eight years of its existence, the company has received many awards as one of the most successful Taiwan projects - including as the fastest growing representative of the industry. And in 2011, the Indian magazine Chip - one of the world famous publications specializing in electronics - as a result of extensive testing, recognized flash drives and memory cards from Silicon Power as the fastest.

Russian and European experts have already come to similar conclusions. At the same time, surprisingly, the cost of flash drives from SP is almost the lowest in our market. That is why we will now take a closer look at what this company can offer us, and see if Silicon Power flash drives really deserve the right to be called one of the best.

Flash drives Silicon Power

To begin with, all Silicon Power USB devices sold on the Russian market are equipped with a USB 2.0 interface. Several new devices with USB 3.0 support have already been announced, but the company is in no hurry to launch them into mass production.

SP flash drives are made mainly of plastic and metal, cost from 200 to 6000 rubles, and are designed for volumes of information from 1 to 64 GB - that is, almost everyone here will find something to their liking. Also, the indisputable advantage of these devices is that most of them have hardware encryption and data backup capabilities.

All Silicon Power USB flash drives are divided into three large series: Touch, Ultima and LuxMini. And, despite the fact that it is the flash drives and the LuxMini line that are considered the fastest, today we will take a look at the Ultima and Touch devices: they deserve a closer look.

Touch series

Perhaps, this is the brightest and most unusual of all the series of USB flash drives from Silicon Power. In it you can find completely different models - both in appearance and in technical characteristics. They are united by only one main thing: the presence of a special convenient pull-out mechanism for the USB-connector. Also, almost all Touch series flash drives have a shockproof, dustproof and waterproof case, which is one of their main advantages.

is a flash drive with a "sporty" design, as if hinting at the speed and lightness of this model. The body is made of matte black plastic, and the USB connector slides out and slides in with a red (or green) switch. According to the manufacturer, this element has a unique, unparalleled design - namely, the wave-like surface of the Wave Surface, thanks to which the device looks very stylish and is quite pleasant to use.

Unfortunately, this solution turned out to be not very successful technically: the plastic of the case is rather fragile, from frequent careless use this toggle switch may become unusable and it will not be very convenient to use it - you will have to press it with your fingers. Also, this mechanism is fixed only in the extended state - accordingly, the connector can easily slide out on its own while carrying the flash drive in a bag or pocket.

However, for those 210-300 rubles that online stores ask for the Touch 610, you will hardly find another device so nice in appearance. Also, an indisputable advantage of flash drives with a retractable mechanism is that they are much more convenient to carry - especially in jeans pockets.

The memory capacity of the Touch 610 is from 1 to 16 gigabytes, the production of models with 32 and 64 GB is not yet planned. This device also cannot boast of speed. Sequential write - at 8 MB / s, sequential read - about 13-14 MB / s. Selective read and selective write - of course, even lower. The speed of the latter is generally only 2.5-3 Mb / s, which is practically unacceptable for modern USB flash drives.

- a device with a more stylish, solid and "adult" design. Here you can see the rhombus characteristic of the series, and when you change the angle of view, the viewer gets the full impression of the volumetric picture. The body color is cherry red, gold or deep blue, the body is made of quite high quality plastic. For easy portability, the flash drive is equipped with a shiny metal chain, and there is a 3.5 mm rhinestone at the place where the chain is attached to the body. In general, this model looks 5+, and its design is well suited to both men and women.

The technical parameters are also higher than those of the previously reviewed Touch model. First, the allowed capacity is up to 32 GB. At the same time, the dimensions here are significantly smaller - only 34.5x15x5.15 mm and 5 grams of weight. The retractable connector locks well in both positions. The speed of working with data is also rather pleasing: the Touch 810 takes no more than a second to read 30 megabytes of information. The sequential write speed is almost double that of the Touch 610: about 16 MB / s. At the same time, the cost of a 16 GB model is only 920-990 rubles.

The flash drive, it would seem, is from the same series as the first two of our devices - it has a completely different design, which is more suitable for students, men or just office workers. The decoration here is rather sparse: a single-color silver stainless steel case with a black plastic back and a black metal chain made of round beads. In this case, Silicon Power relied on reliability and durability: this USB drive is made with COB (Clip-on-board) technology, which makes it resistant to dust, water and vibration. Here, which is not typical for the Touch line, the connector is not able to slide out, and this also works for the integrity and inviolability of the structure.

But, as they say, not by strength alone. The Touch 830 has many more pros. The most obvious is size. The length, width and depth of this device is even less than that of the Touch 810, and are 35, 12.3 and 3.5 mm, respectively, and the weight is only 4 g. However, such a small case fits only one flash chip. memory, and as a result, the maximum capacity of the Touch 830 is only 16 GB.

Since there is only one microcircuit, this device (as well as any other model from the Touch line) can work only in single-channel mode, which means that you cannot expect especially high read and write speeds from it. For example, data is copied from the device at a speed of about 11 Mb / s versus 32-35 Mb / s in modern expensive models from Corsair Flash Voyager. The write speed (that is, data transfer to the device) is in the region of 5-6 Mb / s. However, for the same Transcend, things are even worse, so if you have used one of the inexpensive USB flash drives before, then you will not experience any discomfort when switching to the Touch 830. And the undoubted advantages of this model are the excellent "Nordic" design and reinforced concrete strength. The price is also pleasing: from 200 rubles for a model with a volume of 4 GB to 1050-1150 rubles for 16 GB.

The penultimate device in this series, which we will consider. Its design is perhaps the nicest for me. The model is equipped with a high-quality retractable connector, which is well fixed both "outside" and "inside". The body, like the Touch 830, is metal, made of zinc alloy, however, a translucent crystal-shaped overlay is placed on the front side of the flash drive. The model is produced in two versions: steel gray (for men) and gold (for beautiful ladies). Naturally, there are no functional differences between them.

The excellent, stylish and pleasant-looking design of the flash drive itself is pretty spoiled by an indistinct metal braided cord, which outwardly resembles an elastic band from sweatpants. It is pleasant to the touch and holds well in the hand or on a keychain, but completely eliminates the USB flash drive as a stylish accessory, turning it into another workhorse - albeit somewhat unusual.

And as a horse, the Touch 850 is quite good. To begin with, the dimensions of this device exceed the dimensions of all the models discussed earlier: 31.6x16.4x6 mm and weighs 6.1 g. Due to this, a flash memory chip with a capacity of up to 32 GB fits inside. The speed of copying information from this flash drive is at the level of 23.5-24.5 megabytes per second. The write speed is up to 9 Mb / s, which is already more than acceptable, albeit less than that of the leader in this parameter among this line: the Touch 810 model.

The cost of the Touch 850 is also slightly higher than that of the previously reviewed USB flash drive models: from 300 rubles for 2 GB to 1950-2100 rubles for 32 GB. This model takes design and good reliability, with a retractable connector and a fairly large maximum amount of stored information.

- the last option we are considering from this line of Silicon Power. As the name suggests, this USB stick is very similar to the Touch 850 flash drive. They have the same size and roughly the same read and write speed.

The main difference is in its appearance: in the Touch 851 there are many small diamonds arranged in a checkerboard pattern, in addition, this model has a much more convenient and beautiful chain. These models also differ in capacity: the maximum capacity of the Touch 851 flash drive is 16 GB versus 32 GB for the Touch 850.

With the help of a convenient lever on the rear panel, the USB connector can be easily removed inside the drive - here, too, there are no differences from the previous model. At the same time, the cost of the Touch 851 is 50-100 rubles less than that of the Touch 850.

Ultima series

This series is distinguished by a more strict design, the absence of a retractable connector and, accordingly, more solid dimensions. These models were created not for students or schoolchildren, but for respectable and representative businessmen. Nevertheless, nothing prevents their use by a wider range of users.

Ultima series flash drives are always metallic, solidly painted in a soft, calm color. The USB connector is covered with a steel cap. The strength of flash drives from this line is at a very high level.

- a beautiful and inexpensive flash drive, placed in a two-piece, partially metallized embossed case. It can be made in three colors: black, green and white. The surface of this USB storage device is protected from scratches and cannot be fingerprinted. Therefore, they are popular among cybercriminals who climb into the windows of the twentieth floors and steal information from the computer of the tall boss. What do you think they don't have a special flash drive for this? Naive!

Also, oddly enough, Ultima 110 is popular among ordinary users - they appreciate it for its presentable appearance and good speed. The dimensions are larger than those of the Touch series models, but still small: 55x17x8 mm.

In one second, up to 18 megabytes of information is written to this flash drive, and up to 30 megabytes are read. Ultima 110 is available in 8GB or 16GB capacity. The 8 GB model costs about 400 rubles, the 16 GB model - in the range from 900 to 1300 rubles.

- the second, but already the penultimate USB-drive from this line, which we have today according to the plan for consideration. The fact is that, as already mentioned, the Ultima series is not as diverse as the Touch series, therefore most of the models here have similar characteristics and appearance.

Ultima 155 stands out here in that a special microSDHC card reader is built into it, which allows, when the device is connected to a computer, to write data not only to the USB flash drive itself, but also to the microSDHC card. This greatly simplifies the life of mobile phone users using this format of memory cards.

It is not so easy to find the Ultima 155 on sale in Russia, primarily because of the higher cost, which scares off misunderstood customers. But we have found widespread use of another Silicon Power model, which is no different from the Ultima 155, except for the color and the absence of a microSDHC card reader: the Ultima 150 flash drive.

- like the Ultima 155 - it comes in two versions: gray or lilac. The internal parts of the flash drives are securely placed inside the dark plastic, and then additionally belted on top with a steel plate. Therefore, these devices turned out to be very durable and do not deform, even if you step on them. The capacity of these flash drives is 8 GB (320-350 rubles for the Ultima 150) and 16 GB (570-650 rubles). Yes, this model is very inexpensive.

The dimensions of Ultima 150 and Ultima 155 are 59x18x8 mm. At the same time, the read speed is up to 32 MB / s, and the write speed is up to 18 MB / s, which, perhaps, is the record for our today's review.

But ahead of us is a fascinating acquaintance with the favorite of international reviews - the LuxMini line and its record-holder LuxMini 920. And we will also learn about the SP Widget program, produced by Silicon Power, which allows you to work even more efficiently with the flash drives of this company.

It's no secret that removable USB-devices in the form of ordinary flash drives sometimes give their owners a lot of problems due to their inoperability. And information on them can be lost. In particular, this applies to Silicon Power devices. Recovery of USB drives of 16 Gb, smaller or larger capacity has its own characteristics. The main emphasis will be placed on them. But for all other removable media that support a USB data interface and connection to the corresponding ports, this technique may work equally.

First signs of media damage

Unfortunately, it is the drives of this manufacturer that often refuse to work in normal (stationary) mode, when reading, editing or moving data should be performed.

And here comes the very first problem related to Silicon Power. Recovering USB drives of 16 or more gigs is impossible just for the reason that the operating system does not recognize them.

On the other hand, it is possible that there are failures and more serious problems associated with software, which can often be absent in Windows systems, and with damage to the media themselves, when not only the USB device is not detected, but also the controller responsible for it ...

Silicon Power: USB storage recovery. General principles

Nevertheless, we will proceed from the fact that the flash drive has no physical damage, nor has it been exposed to overheating or exposure to electromagnetic or other radiation that could cause malfunctions both at the physical and software levels.

For this, special utilities and software applets are used. In Windows systems, you can recover a 16 Gb Silicon Power flash drive only by performing a disk scan through the command console. Let's go further.

Silicon Power USB Flash Recovery: Features

The biggest problem is that devices from this manufacturer are not always detected by the computers to which they are connected. In other words, the installed operating system, be it Windows, Mac OS or Linux, cannot identify the file system.

Silicon Power devices, in principle, are initially supplied formatted, but only at the level of compatibility with memory cards (ext2 / 3/4), and Windows systems are not designed for this. Even the notorious version of the tenth modification is not always able to identify such a drive.

Formatting

The easiest method to fix the problem is believed to be formatting the media.

In this case, you cannot use only the clearing of the table of contents, you need to perform a complete formatting, which seems to completely destroy the data. No question - you can recover information even after that. For Silicon Power, recovery of USB drives should be done using special software.

Recovery programs

In this case, programs for identifying deleted files and folders like Recuva (one of the most popular utilities) are not taken into account only because they are an absolute fake in the software world and are not able to recover absolutely anything !!!

The R.Saver program or its analogue R-Studio looks much more acceptable. The interface, of course, is somewhat different, but on the other hand, both programs are engaged in restoring the file system, regardless of what format the data was originally saved on the media.

It is also interesting that the initially launched process of scanning any removable device, be it a memory card or a regular flash drive, will scan the device so deeply that, as a result, many users simply do not believe their eyes. They see files deleted 5-10 years ago !!!

Restoring the controller

Recovering USB drives looks more difficult for Silicon Power when problems arise directly with the controller (main microcircuit). If he does not have physical damage, which is usually observed, the point is to "reflash" it.

To do this, you will need to download the appropriate firmware, having previously set the values ​​of the VEN and DEV identifiers, which can be seen in the driver properties section in the standard "Device Manager", as shown in the picture above. But in this case, you will have to pay attention to the fact that the process of restoring the controller's operation can take a lot of time, and the information on the media is almost always destroyed.

If such procedures do not help, the controller will have to be replaced, although in this case it will be easier to buy a new USB flash drive and not be silly. The issue of recovery is relevant only when the carrier contains especially important information. This is where utilities for recovering USB drives like R. Saver or similar software products will help, which are able to read data in such a way that they can easily determine any deleted information even after the media is completely formatted, whether it be a computer hard drive, flash drive or memory card. In other cases, such methods, although applicable, are not recommended. And tampering with the controller can cause a lot of problems that weren't there before.

Conclusion

Thus, based on all of the above, we can make the only conclusion that problems with USB-drives of this type can be eliminated quite simply, provided that the malfunctions were associated exclusively with software problems. What to use? Don't be afraid to do even full formatting. First, it will save you from problems with the file system and media recognition at the system level. Secondly, after using software products like R. Saver, information can still be restored. Some "minds" argue that this is not the case. Judging by the reviews of users and specialists who give recommendations on various forums on the Internet, this is the sequence of actions that looks most preferable, unless, of course, we talk about physical damage to the carrier. In such a situation, if the user does not have extremely important data saved on the damaged media, it is easier to buy a new one than to engage in recovery procedures.

For the convenience of users, manufacturers of USB drives place software on official sites. Therefore, Silicon Power recommends USB flash drive recovery using UFD Recover Tool software.

To do this, you need to go to the official website, register, download the program right in the registration window. In addition, on the same site there is software from the official partner of Piriform called Recuva File Recovery. It restores files deleted from the drive.

When inserting some USB drives into the slot, the computer does not correctly detect the amount of memory. There are cases when the case was marked with 32 GB, and, when disassembled, the chip turned out to be 1 GB in volume.

Recovery features

The most common case in which the Silicon Power flash drive recovery program is requested is the inscription in the window: "Error, write-protected" / "The drive is write-protected." The program for determining the controller in use will help you to find the optimal utility for recovering a Silicon Power 16 Gb flash drive. At the same time, it is very important to know the type of microcircuit, since the software edition depends on it.

The ChipGenium program copes with the task of identifying a player, a flash drive better than others. It successfully interrogates most models, and for rare exceptions it takes data from the VId \ PID database, displaying information about them with a high degree of probability.

Older versions of ChipGenium (3.0, 3.1) are useless for our chosen task, since they cannot poll devices. Operating system assemblies of ChipXP, Zver, Windows PE editions will also not allow displaying correct information. ASMedia Controllers 3.0 are not designed for this utility.

The domestic software manufacturer does not lag behind Western competitors. ANTSpec Software releases Flash Drive Information Extractor software. The advantage of the utility is its compatibility with USB 3.0 ports from AS Media. The decrypted information is released only in versions of the program older than 7.0. I recommend this software for SMI, Phison, Innostor, Alcor controllers.

The last program you need to select the correct recovery utility for your Silicon Power 8 Gb flash drive is ChipEasy. The latest generation 3.0 connectors are polled with errors by the utility, therefore, it is better to use the traditional 2.0 port. The principle of operation differs from the two previous ones, however, the program confidently takes the third place in the rating.

Drive firmware

In difficult cases, when the programs discussed above are not able to restore a Silicon Power 4 Gb flash drive, I recommend flashing the device with one of the utilities, programs. To do this, you need to find out the VID & PID, follow the instructions:

• the flash drive is pulled out of the connector
• after starting the utility, the installation of the drivers is confirmed, which, after flashing, closing the program should be removed automatically
• to do this, manipulate the menu: Driver> Uninstall drivers
• the flash drive is inserted into the PC, the OS prompts you to install the driver on it
• click "Automatic", after installation, click Enum
• now the computer detects the device, you can click Start to flash
• OK status means the firmware has no errors, otherwise the error code can be used to decipher the problem (menu Help> Error Code List)

At the penultimate stage, a problem is possible - the computer does not detect the device. In this case, go to: C: \ Program Files \ Program nameDriver \ InfUpdate.exe, double-click it, write the VOD & PID of the flash drive in it. Users who do not know this parameter can use ChipGenium. After flashing, the program should be uninstalled, otherwise the drivers will not be deleted, the OS simply will not see the flashed flash drive. At the last stage, in order to restore the Silicon Power b32 Gb flash drive, the drive is formatted using Windows tools.

Thus, first you should get accurate information about the controller, the type of microcircuit. Then try to reanimate the media with the utility from the official site, and, in case of failure, use the firmware option followed by formatting using your OS.

24.03.2017

Almost everyone carries a USB drive with them, which stores various documents, photos or audio recordings. Sometimes it happens that the flash drive is not displayed in Windows or does not allow recording new information. Such errors are often encountered on drives with two memory chips. At the well-known company Silicon Power, flash drives for 16, 32, 64 GB sometimes cease to be read on the computer or an inscription appears "Disc is write-protected"... Such problems can be easily eliminated with special programs.

Causes and symptoms of the error

There are 5 reasons in total, due to which the device may malfunction:

• logical errors;
• physical damage to parts;
• electrical overload and overheating of the media;
• damage to the firmware of the memory controller;
• wear or failure of NAND memory.

Logical errors appear when:

• incorrect formatting;
• sudden removal of the device during the exchange of information;
• using the wrong file system.

Physical damage, overheating, or a sudden power surge are most likely to damage the pins on the board. They can be restored by soldering. But if the microcontroller is damaged, then it can no longer be repaired.

If the logic program of the controller is violated, the following problems are observed on the flash drive:

• not detected in the computer (there is a connection sound, but the disk is not displayed);
• prohibition on recording new data;
• no access to the disk;
• drive size is incorrect.

To restore the device to work, you will need to reflash the microcontroller. But after performing these operations, all data from the disk will be irretrievably lost.

Method 1: SP Toolbox

Proprietary programs are most effective for recovering Silicon Power drives. SP Toolbox combines various components to diagnose a USB flash drive.

After diagnostics, you can start recovering the media.

Method 2: D-soft Flash Doctor

As a rule, flash drives store important information that you would not want to delete. In order not to lose it, you can create a disk image. D-soft Flash Doctor allows you to scan drives, create and burn disk images. Also, the software allows you to restore a USB flash drive, for this a full formatting is performed.

To complete the recovery, follow the instructions:

1. Select the damaged disk.
2. Click on "Recover Media".

Method 3: SP G50 FW Update Program

A special utility SP G50 FW Update Program has been created to update the Silicon Power firmware; it can be downloaded from the official website. Find the section on the page "USB drives" and click download.

The software is loaded in an archive containing an .EXE file and English instructions for use. After starting the application, a window with a simple interface will appear.

The main window says that before clicking the button "Update" you need to make a backup copy of the data, since all files will disappear after flashing. It will be impossible to recover information.

1. Run the program.
2. Insert the Silicon Power USB stick.
3. In the window "Device" the device letter appears.
4. If a window appears "Explorer" Windows, be sure to close it.
5. Click on "Update".

Wait for the process to finish. This usually takes about 1 minute. After updating the firmware, you can continue to use the device for its intended purpose. If you previously made a backup, then restore the data.

Method 4: Formatting and Checking for Errors

If previously third-party operating systems such as Ubuntu, Kali Linux, etc. were written to the drive, then quite often after that there is a problem with recognizing the flash drive. This error is related to the peculiarities of data formatting in Windows and Linux.

If the drive is detected in the system, but errors like "Access denied", "USB device not recognized" etc., then check the USB flash drive for errors. For this:

If the errors have not been corrected, then format the drive to FAT32 or NTFS.

First try to format the media under FAT32, if it doesn't help, then use NTFS.

Method 5: Diskmgmt.msc

Sometimes incorrect reading can occur due to assigning the same letters to different drives. To fix this error:

The above steps will allow you to recover your Silicon Power flash drive. To avoid future errors in the operation of the media, try not to interrupt the USB device while recording or deleting information. In addition to proprietary programs from Silicon Power, third-party software can be used to recover media, but it is rarely better than utilities from manufacturers.