I happened on this free download which claims to diagnose flash drives:
http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=13
This or something like it might be useful to a lot of people. (ie I happened on reviews for TrueCrypt, found two warring groups- like they were from different planets: 'it ate my data grrr!' & 'works wonderful for me, you idjit!'
(I don't know enough about hardware issues, but it seemed many had pulled the drives while still writing.)
Anyroads, Happy 2009, (just in time!)
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there is a number of such software around and I remember to have run such one on a new stick claimed to be 16gb, but this was just faked by the controller inside and the chip was in fact 4gb only. The software did no recognize this, since it attempted to write patterns, all the same, and if the controller tells the cells is number so and so , the software has to believe it.
The problem might be that we and so most software except the low level setup tool of the manufacturer can not see what is going on behind the controller in fact.
If it tells you it does write to 'cell' 125, who knows this is doing so in fact.
The controller should be more or less able to replace bad cells with the spare once, similar to a controller of hard drive.
Since the controllers inside the sticks do not work on some common known procedures, it is very much impossible to interpret results of such tools.
The following
http://www.heise.de/software/download/o0g0s1l11k233?T=h2testw
also claims to recognise problems and manipulated controllers, but I have 3 sticks allready which have such fake controller setting in it and the software did not find anything wrong with it.
I think therefore that this is not possible unless you have access to the low level software tool from the manufacturer.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
i agree. i have what is suppose to be a 16GB drive but when i looked up the chip in it it came up as a 4GB chip. even then it turns out that model chip only holds 2GB stable. I also had a fake 2GB drive that turned out to be a 128MB drive by looking up the samsung chip in it. i also have a Faux fake ipod clone which seems to be a legit 1GB one. I have used all the software that was avalible at the time to check these drives and they showed up nothing. i had to take them apart to find the problem (them being fake).
Perhaps you should switch to purchasing from legitimate retailers.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
all the fake ones where given to me by friends who thought "everything sold on ebay and amazon is real." the 16gb drive was obvious when the person who got it bragged how they paid only 10 dollars for it when drives that size where around 160 dollars. my current legit 16gb kingston cost 23 on sale but was bought at a legit online store . the faux ipod fake was a gift -_- the controls are hidious to it will be a flash drive rather than a MP4 player.
any brands that you know that makes these kind of fake flash drives?
mostly the stuff you buy from ebay really :/
your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau
>any brands that you know that makes these kind of fake flash drives?
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
What about Lexar? I think they make ok cards.