Can files be recovered from a USB flash drive with a broken memory chip?
Asked by
MellowCedar47
My dual USB/USB-C flash drive suddenly stopped working. Neither my computer, TV, nor phone recognizes it, and both connectors became loose and shifted inside the case. After removing the plastic shell, I found that the main chip appears to be physically split in two. The drive was mostly stored safely or left plugged in, so I'm not sure how it happened. Is there any realistic way to recover the files from the memory, or would this require a professional data-recovery service?
Answers
If the actual NAND flash memory package is cracked or broken, recovery is usually impossible because the memory cells and internal connections are physically damaged. If only the connector, solder joints, or circuit board traces broke, a specialist might be able to repair or read it directly, but that requires microsoldering and data-recovery equipment. Avoid repeatedly plugging it in, since that could cause more damage. Hopefully you have a backup.
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A clear close-up photo would be needed to tell whether the memory chip itself is split or whether the USB board simply fractured. If the chip is truly broken in half, normal software recovery won’t help; only a professional lab could assess it, and even then the chances may be poor. If the board is intact and just detached from the connectors, the outlook is much better.
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