Page 1 of 1: Washed-up pendrive

BILLA · Credits: 1650 My Scrapbook

I got My pendrive washed-up in soap-water.Computer is not even acknowldging it now .Is it gone forever?Or is there a way out?

Akil · Credits: 27737 My Scrapbook

Try drying the pen drive in shade. Clean/wipe the pen drive with clean dry cloth or squeeze dried wet cloth and then dry again. You might have to use a clean solvent like acetone/isopropyl alcohol preferably as a spray on the usb end of the pen drive and then wipe dry and let it dry.

If you can open the pen drive, you can open it to clean it using isopropyl alcohol/acetone. Most will open if you pry them away and you can just fix them back by pressing them together.

I don't guarantee that it will work, but it might work later. If the water has damaged the internal architecture, it is doubtful that it will recover. We can only hope... But remember that pen drives are made to be robust and some have had their pen drives pass through washing machine and it has worked later for them. In short, if it works, it works

Opening and cleaning definitely has better chance if only you can, atleast just once until you can get the data out safely.

If you already have a backup or know where the data in it were saved from, try to go back to the source at once lest it gets deleted in the source too before you try retrieving the same from

Akil · Credits: 27737 My Scrapbook

Do not reuse it again and again until you are sure it is completely dry....

Though it does not have any electronic parts inside, usb does pass a small current into it (atleast to access the drive and to light up the indicator lights etc;) and when wet this can cause the board/drive to short circuit making the chance of losing data/pen drive integrity more!

BILLA · Credits: 1650 My Scrapbook

Thanks for all the helpful replies.
But fortunately it has started working on its own.All the data is there as well.

Thanks again

Akil · Credits: 27737 My Scrapbook

Good for you.

That is what usually happens....it works once it gets dried.

Pen drives are usually robust enough to withstand the usual assaults and get well without much intervention.

BGM · Credits: 104599 My Scrapbook

That was a detailed explanation Akil.

Another thing anyone can do while handling soaked phone or pen drive is,

Open it and keep it directly under and near to a 100W lamp for 12 hours. (saw this at a mobile service centre) They keep the phone some 15cms away from the bulb.
The heat will dry up all the water and Switch it on only after it has dried to max.

Akil · Credits: 27737 My Scrapbook

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