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?
1 Answer
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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