Optima USB Flash Drive

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garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Optima USB Flash Drive

Post by garibaldired » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:24 am

I bought an 8gb Optima flash drive. When I inserted it in my laptop the message came up that it was installing the device. After a few moments a new message came up saying that the installation had failed and to contact the manufacturer.
Does this mean it is faulty or is there another explanation?

Best wishes,
Meg

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Optima USB Flash Drive

Post by Currie » Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:23 pm

Hello Meg,

I’ve bought or been given nine USB thumb drives over the years. Of those two didn’t work properly, in all sorts of mysterious ways, when I got them home. The other one failed within weeks. The rest of them have been soldiering on. That’s a pretty high failure rate.

Have you ever had similar problems with any of your other thumb drives using the same USB ports? Have you tried it in different USB ports and not using a hub?

If it continues to behave strangely it’s probably best to take it back to the shop. Nobody wants a USB thumb drive that has to be fiddled with and that can’t be trusted with their data.

If you can’t get a refund you could try a few things such as seeing if it will work in another computer. If it will you could try formatting it. Right click the USB drives icon in “My computer” and you’ll see the format option. Be careful you don’t format the wrong drive. Maybe that will help but probably not.

If you have the same trouble with a replacement drive, especially of a different brand, or with any other “new” USB devices, then the problem may be with the computer.

Hope that makes sense,
Alan

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: Optima USB Flash Drive

Post by garibaldired » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:54 pm

Many thanks for responding so quickly, Alan.

Yes I've tried every which way and having had that message it doesn't register when I insert it now.
As you say it's probably best to take it back whence it came!
My children don't seem to have any failures with flash drives......... but I do :(
I've lost a lot of data on one so this was meant to be another back up for my other 2!
I'm not filled with confidence with flash drives anymore.

Best wishes,
Meg

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