The cap to my PortableApps.com Companion has become very loose. This flash drive has been my favorite since I received it and I use it daily.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can pick up some replacement flash drive caps? I have looked and apparently they aren't easy to find. You would think there would be a market for replacement caps with all the loose and lost caps in the flash drive world.
Thanks,
Al ... 
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Take off the cap, and squeeze the part where the opening is. Hold down for about 15 seconds, being careful not to break it, and then try fitting it on your flash drive again and... presto! It'll last a couple days or so, depending on how much you use it so you'll have to do it again every now and then.
I keep mine in the tin, though, so I never loose it.
I found a web site that shows how you can make a replacement cap out of a ps/2 - usb converter.
http://www.instructables.com/id/USB-replacement-cap/
Has anyone done this? My concern is potential wear on the usb connector.
Any thoughts,
Al .....
Don't be a pin-head!
I've never used them, and this is not meant as an endorsement, just info - it's a company called Rookaps. Google them, it might be what you are looking for.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I've been to the Rookaps site and liked what I saw. I even went so far as to start ordering some items, but found out that the site does not use https: (SSL) when ordering and submitting personal information.
Unless I hear some positive remarks regarding the Rookaps site and their ordering process I think I will avoid ordering from them for the time being.
Thanks again,
Al ....
EDIT: I just ordered from Rookaps.com and was forwarded to https: . It appears they are a secure site to do business with.
Don't be a pin-head!
rookaps.com is phenomenal!! Not only for replacement USB caps but caps that solve carrying problems also.
I never knew replacements were available. Thanks for the tip.
Ed
Many thanks for this hint! I just ordered a bunch of different caps to try them. They look very promising. I may start using my PA.c companion regularily from now on without the fear of losing the flimsy cap.
(btw. I would perhaps consider another one if there someday was a retractable version).
We considered doing a retractable version and tried out a few different styles. But they all had a part inside that would wear over time and wind up in the position that most regularly-used retractables do, they retract when you try to insert them into the USB port without you pushing the button. Which gets really annoying.
It is possible to design one that will last, but it will require higher-quality parts and we'll likely have to have it custom-built ourselves which will require much larger orders.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks for the information.
It's a pity that there are no robust retractables on the reseller market. I mostly use a four year old cheap transcend jetflash v10 16gb (luckily bought before they downgraded its controller and flash to a low speed variant). And while its case was not the most reassuring part - I had to glue the case together with superglue once after I sat on it too often - the rickety mechanism is still usable. Ok, I have to keep my thumb on the slider while plugging but then it locks enough to easily plug in. My other two retractables just slide the front part back so the rear part is the grip and reliably plug in forever.
But I must admit, I am kind of flash drive junkie and have not found aftermarket retractable drives that fitted my mechanical needs either.
I am very happy with the PA.c companion but don't dare to use this valuable gem in my daily work atm.
"they all had a part inside that would wear over time"
Yeah, but the caps will wear out in less time, and/or are lost in less time. I've glued fish line to my sticks with caps to help keep them around but have found buying sticks with no caps to be the better choice.
Ed
The difference is that when you lose a cap, the drive plug is a bit less protected but no less functional or easy to lose. A retractable USB stick the end of plug always gets dust and dirt in it (even when retracted) and, once that little part breaks, the drive collapses as you try to insert it into a USB port, making it much more difficult to use.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
a possible idea is yes a flip cap as someone mentioned or maybe a cap on a string so that when you pull it off it's there kind of hanging off to the side or behind the drive like on the spot where you normally attach a key ring to the end etc
your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau
flip caps like Maxell uses
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seuss
I just received my order from rookaps. I ordered the tethered caps and I am very pleased with them. The caps fit snugly and since they are tethered I am confident there will me no lost caps in my future.
Very nice products - I would definitely recommend them as a replacement cap for any flash drive. Thanks go to Solanus for the suggestion.
best regards,
Al .....
Don't be a pin-head!
I tried bringing up the rookaps.com site at two different places. One of my clients runs Trend Micro and there I got a warning about a the site being a bad place to visit. I tried later at home where I am running Avast and got a similar warning. One warning I can believe to be a false positive, but two?
Avast found js:Redirector-PA [Trj]
I've sent them an e-mail - likely they don't even know they're infected.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
They are infected with this: http://sucuri.net/malware/malware-entry-mwjs160
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Like, if I just visited the site, is the computer (and possibly my flash drive) also infected? Or do I have to click on a phony message box first? Or has this issue already been protected against by using the latest browser?
That's pretty serious.
By using a current browser, you should be fine. These types of exploits generally only work on existing vulnerabilities which have already been patched. This is one reason you should NEVER EVER use an outdated browser online, because any site you visit could wind up compromised at some point. A whole slew of government sites here in the US were recently compromised using an exploit similar to the one that they used here.
Regarding rookaps.com, it took Google (and thus Firefox's malware warning system) over 48 hours to detect and blacklist the site. Opera's malware warning system and Norton Safe Web still list the site as safe as of right now despite the fact that it is still infected.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Good browser exploits do damage without user intervention, such as with the very recent security bug in Firefox 10 (now fixed).
Browsing scriptless and with constrained plugins takes care of about 95% of browser exploits (rough estimate). Such browsing takes some getting used to, but is far less of a hindrance than most people make of it. Problem is, there's the other 5% of exploits which can target practically any vulnerability in your browser or operating system. You're probably safe though. Just check your flash drive for any new executables or odd files. I'm guessing you already scanned with an AV...
My posts are old and likely no longer relevant.
I was able to get into rookaps.com this morning without any nastygrams popping up.
We are the folks at RooKaps.com.
First of all, as USB lovers, we have been fans of PortableApps.com for a long time!
In response to the conversation regarding our USB Cap products and website--
1. We've worked hard to develop products that fit most USB Flash drives and other USB devices snugly. (We do know there are other options, but are ecstatic at the positive feedback we get).
2. In fact, as someone on this forum noted, there was a malware on our website... grrrrr! Fortunately we caught it almost immediately and rectified it.... no more "nastygrams".
3. Our site is, and always has been, SSL protected. However, as a result of reading the comments here (yep, we were listening)... we have started the SSL protection earlier in the shopping cart process.
We appreciate the comments & suggestions.
Thanks,
RooKaps.Com Team
RooKaps Team
Are you going toplesss? Visit Us for USB Caps
Know your manners
It's good to see a company like yours working hard to get it right.
Unfortunately Sophos was late to the party and is redirecting to a message saying this ugly fella is still on your site, when I tried checking it out just now.
And, I'm not trying to be a matchmaker or anything, but what if PortableApps.com and RooKaps teamed up for some sexy PortableApps.com Flash drive cap. It could be called "World's Best Flash Drive Cap: The PortableApps.com Companion's Companion"
Eh?
I've been using the tethered caps for several weeks now and I think they are great. No lost caps here, and they stay on better than most caps.
Don't be a pin-head!