32Gb Flash Drive Problems
Flash drives and USB drives are a great way to transfer data from one computer to another as well as to store data on a short- or long-term basis. Encountering problems with flash drives is rare but can occur; when this happens, it can lead to data corruption or loss.
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Run Checkdisk
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Running Windows Checkdisk on the drive to scan for errors is a good first step to fixing flash drive problems. You can do this by going into "My Computer," finding your flash drive, right-clicking properties and going to the "Tools" tab. Then click "Check Now."
Formatting the Drive
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Formatting will erase all data on the flash drive, so back up all your data first to another computer location or media first. To perform a format, right-click on the flash drive in "My Computer" and click "Format."
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Preventing Problems
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The best prevention you can take is to take good care of your flash drive and don't knock it around, bend it or abuse it. Always buy brand-name flash drives if possible to prevent issues from cropping up. Eject your drive before disconnecting it by using the "Safely Remove Hardware" feature of Windows.
FAT 16 Limitation Problem
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if you format your flash drive using a File Allocation Table, or FAT, 16 file system, you will have a limit to how many files can be stored on the root directory of the flash drive. To overcome this limitation, format with FAT 32 or keep all your files organized into folders instead of dumped together onto the flash drive.
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References
- Photo Credit flash drive image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
