How to fix an USB disk showing wrong capacity?

[Deleted]

Ok heres the problem. I bought a 64gb USB off E-bay (it was really cheap) and turns out it was fake and does not in fact hold 64gb at all. It's probably either 16 or 32 as writing more on it corrupts the data. Well, I managed to get my money back but I also got to keep the fake USB so is there a way to fix it somehow and to make it show its real size?

Formatting doesnt work, I've also tried diskpart and a few formatting programs I downloaded but they still formatted it to 64GB.

[Cyrops]

What's the file system?

[Deleted]

What's the file system?

It was originally fat 32 but I tried NTFS too.. I think the problem is way more complex than that as its "hacked"

[Cyrops]

Yea, probably a hardware issue.
I doubt it will be useable.

[Deleted]

Yea, probably a hardware issue.
I doubt it will be useable.

It is useable even now as long as I dont put over 28gb? on it.. more than that and it corrupts everything. It's just one of those "hacked" Chinese USBs and I think if they hacked it to show bigger capacity than it really is, it can be "hacked" back to show the correct one but I have no idea how to do it.

[chazus]

Is it possible it's just a broken card?

Either way, it's been modified in an unknown way. if they're registering as 64gb, there's not much any of us can do that will make it work properly. I would just junk it.

[Deleted]

Is it possible it's just a broken card?

Either way, it's been modified in an unknown way. if they're registering as 64gb, there's not much any of us can do that will make it work properly. I would just junk it.

Nah it's not broken, they hack them to make them look larger than they really are, then sell them cheap on E-bay. They're real USB sticks, just smaller capacity. Im running the test now but Im sure mine is 32GB. It's just "flashed"? to make it look like its 64gb and it's slower than in the sellers description as well. There is lots of information on how to do it on Google but most of it is dated, the programs aren't available and they all say there is risk involved.. so I made this thread to see if anyone has experience in recovering a fake USB.

Besides, it was free so there is no harm in trying, right? If it works, 32GB is still nice.

[Cyrops]

Found this rather quickly:

Most likely it is just a partitioning problem.
First try using windows Disk manager to show partitions and to delete/repartition and reformat the usb drive.

Unfortanutly this may not work and you will need
A) a third partitioning disk utility, or
B) What I use. use windows cmd line diskpart cmd to remove it (what I had to do for a thumbdrive used on a Mac)
.. If diskpart is what you want to use, be cautious and make SURE it is pointing to the USB drive.
Basically (read this first):
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...(v=ws.10).aspx

.. You open a dos command window WITH run with admistrator privlage. then type the following cmds.
- Diskpart Starts program Do Not type the - (ie diskpart> List disk then enter key)
- LIST DISK (shows all disk, look for Disk Number of the Drive (Your USB drive)
- SELECT DISK X (For X insert USB drive Number)
- DETAIL DISK (Detailed information of the disk that has the focus This will show if you have selected the correct drive.)
- CLEAN (One of the most practical and most dangerous: it removes at once all the partitions on the selected disk.)
Note for the next two do NOT use the size=n)
- CREATE PARTITION EXTENDED (Creates an extended partition on the current drive. After the partition has been created, the focus automatically shifts to the new partition.)
- CREATE PARTITION LOGICAL (Creates a logical drive in the extended partition. After the partition has been created, the focus automatically shifts to the new logical drive.)
- EXIT (Quits DISKPART and returns to the command prompt classic)

You should now be able to format the drive (WITH the correct space) using windows
Ref http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1172499.htm

From http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...32-flash-drive

[Deleted]

Found this rather quickly:



From http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...32-flash-drive

Well, thanks But you didn't read my original post, I think. I already tried diskpart. It didn't fix the problem

I found this though

http://www.flashdrive-repair.com/201...-in-three.html

Trying to figure it out now but I don't understand Russian (the site in the link is in English but it leads to Russian sites if you click on the links there) and even after translating it, I still didn't manage to find a program called CBM2098_APToolV6005(2013-08-27).. another dead end, I guess.

Oh and I ran the program they suggested there.. it gave me this

----------------------------------------------------------------

Description: [G:]USB Mass Storage Device(General UDisk)
Device Type: Mass Storage Device

Protocal Version: USB 2.00
Current Speed: High Speed
Max Current: 100mA

USB Device ID: VID = ABCD PID = 1234
Serial Number: 1311121549411661387515

Device Vendor: General
Device Name: UDisk
Device Revision: 0100

Manufacturer: General
Product Model: UDisk
Product Revision: 5.00

Controller Vendor: ChipsBank
Controller Part-Number: CBM2198A - [2012-12-20]
Flash ID code: A5965A69 - 4CE/Single Channel [TLC]

Tools on web: http://dl.mydigit.net/special/up/chipsbank.html

-----------------------------------------------------------

Not really sure what to do with it though

[Cyrops]

Alright, so this is your chips info:



FLASH VENDOR: Chipsbnk

MODEL: CBM2198A

VID: ABCD

PID: 1234

CHIP VENDOR: Chipsbank

CONTROLLER: UDISK

MEMORY CHIP:

MEMORY SIZE: 64

UTILS:

Description:

Added: 21 декабря 2013


Digging around the only program capable of repair is on this site:
http://www.upantool.com/plus/tooldown_3501_3.html
click one of the two blue buttons with arrow pointing down, the file is setup_2955.exe
the program is all in chinese

The website in russian only says 'download the software from the link' but your chip has no link :/



I think if you open it up it should show some info.

[Deleted]

Just wonderful..

I got another idea though, since not going over the USB sticks real capacity does not corrupt the data. More of a bandaid fix really but after the test program has finished and I know the real capacity, can't I just limit it to that and call it a day?

[Cyrops]

Just wonderful..

I got another idea though, since not going over the USB sticks real capacity does not corrupt the data. More of a bandaid fix really but after the test program has finished and I know the real capacity, can't I just limit it to that and call it a day?

I told you the 'real' capacity :P
MEMORY SIZE: 64
from my previous post

[Deleted]

I told you the 'real' capacity :P
MEMORY SIZE: 64
from my previous post

Well it's not. I think its 32GB since I could put 28GB on it and it worked fine, then I put another movie there and everything got corrupted. Im running a test now to find out the exact capacity now but it takes like 10+ hours. Only 13 GB checked now so it will take a while. If you check, there are a bunch of models with the same vid and pid, manufacturer an vendor. You shouldnt check the other stuff according to that page because it's fake. It's supposed to be 64gb but its not..

So it's probaby this



FLASH VENDOR: General

MODEL: UDisk

VID: ABCD

PID: 1234

CHIP VENDOR: Chipsbank

CONTROLLER: CBMENERAL

MEMORY CHIP:

MEMORY SIZE: 32

UTILS: CBM2098_APToolV6005(2013-08-27)

Description:

Added: 26 декабря 2013

But the "util" isn't clickable and doesn't seem to exist.

[Cyrops]

Well it's not. I think its 32GB since I could put 28GB on it and it worked fine, then I put another movie there and everything got corrupted. Im running a test now to find out the exact capacity now but it takes like 10+ hours. Only 13 GB checked now so it will take a while. If you check, there are a bunch of models with the same vid and pid, manufacturer an vendor. You shouldnt check the other stuff according to that page because it's fake. It's supposed to be 64gb but its not..

So it's probaby this



FLASH VENDOR: General

MODEL: UDisk

VID: ABCD

PID: 1234

CHIP VENDOR: Chipsbank

CONTROLLER: CBMENERAL

MEMORY CHIP:

MEMORY SIZE: 32

UTILS: CBM2098_APToolV6005(2013-08-27)

Description:

Added: 26 декабря 2013

But the "util" isn't clickable and doesn't seem to exist.

Actually I checked with Controller Part-Number: CBM2198A

[Deleted]

Actually I checked with Controller Part-Number: CBM2198A

Yea but you shouldnt I think. At least the instructions tell you only to check vid, pid, manufacturer and vendor. Im assuming the rest is part of that "fake" driver then. Still only this one matches as I know for a fact that it isn't 64gb.

[Cyrops]

So, logically, you think it's 32 because it corupts when you write more than 28? Yea following that it can be 64, it's 50/50.

High chance you can try this:
Chipsbnk UDisk ABCD 1234 Chipsbank CBM2198A - [2012-12-20] CBM2198A 64 p://dl.mydigit.net/special/up/chipsbank.html

And you seriously think that :abcd 1234: is real but the chip model is fake? from that screenshot I can see you can enter any vid/pid you want as well as manufacturer/model.
So logically chips model is the only 'real' information you have.

[Deleted]

So, logically, you think it's 32 because it corupts when you write more than 28? Yea following that it can be 64, it's 50/50.

High chance you can try this:
Chipsbnk UDisk ABCD 1234 Chipsbank CBM2198A - [2012-12-20] CBM2198A 64 p://dl.mydigit.net/special/up/chipsbank.html

And you seriously think that :abcd 1234: is real but the chip model is fake? from that screenshot I can see you can enter any vid/pid you want as well as manufacturer/model.
So logically chips model is the only 'real' information you have.

http://www.flashdrive-repair.com/201...-in-three.html

I was just following the instructions there. They tell you to mark down PID, VID, vendor and manufacturer so Im just assuming the rest is unimportant or doesnt matter. They also tell you to run the test to find out its real capacity which im doing now. Im not sure yet if it is 32GB as its still running but Im pretty sure it is as it's not the USB I ordered, the read and write speeds are much slower as well.

[chazus]

That... just kinda sounds like its a malfunctioning 64gb. Honestly. With all these issues.

[Deleted]

Could you try and GENTLY open the flash drive casing and see if it looks like this?

http://i.stack.imgur.com/sS9Uu.jpg (link because the image is far too big)

could be that it's a hoax drive.

[Deleted]

Could you try and GENTLY open the flash drive casing and see if it looks like this?

http://i.stack.imgur.com/sS9Uu.jpg (link because the image is far too big)

could be that it's a hoax drive.

Yes its a "hoax drive", I know that. Its a smaller capacity USB flashed with wrong drivers to make it look bigger. By guess is its a 32gb one and a lot slower too.. but since I already got a refund and 32gb ones arent exactly free either, it's better to recover it.

I cant open it though, its a solid piece of metal with the USB plug welded into it.