Extreme USB Memory Stick! - SV650.org

Skip · 07-09-11, 08:47 AM

Summer 2010 I lost my faithful old Sandisk 4Gb USB stick - was a bit gutted but it didn't have too much personal stuff on it so no real problem.

Fast forward to August Bank Holiday 2011 and I am standing in my parents front driveway and something catches my eye in the gravel - couldn't believe it - my old USB stick!

It still had the rubberised cover on it and even the cap - but as you can see lots of rusty looking deposits inside. It also has a nice dent in it - presumably from a car driving over it and pressing it hard into the gravel (which is larger stones not the pea-shingle type)

It has been through a pretty harsh winter too - lots of snow and ice etc - rained on goodness knows how many times and probably driven over more than once. But the question is - does it still work? I decided to only try it in our old laptop at home rather than our nice new one - due to the amount of rust etc on the pins - but as soon as I plugged it in the familiar orange LED lit up and the laptop started loading the drivers - then the folder view appeared - all the data was still there too

Anyone else have any stories like that? I have heard of them going through washing machines plenty of times - but nothing as "extreme" as what this has been through!

Mr Speirs · 07-09-11, 09:21 AM

As long as there is no electricity going thorugh stuff like that to cause shorts then they will be fine, just dry them off and they will work.

My wife put my only car key through the wash twice now. Blast it with a hair dryer for a few minutes and it starts working again.

MisterTommyH · 07-09-11, 09:27 AM

And everyone says we live in a throw away society....

07-09-11, 10:24 AM

4Gb on those bitty things, 20 years ago that would be called alien technology. Hard drives are amazing too, doubling the storage every year or so but never getting physically bigger.

07-09-11, 10:35 AM

Too right - 25 years ago you could kill someone with a 10 Meg disk, they were HUGE! You'd now struggle to squash ants with an 8Gb micro SD card....

07-09-11, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LankyIanB

Too right - 25 years ago you could kill someone with a 10 Meg disk, they were HUGE!

25 years ago you needed a security firm to protect your 10meg disc from robbers, they were horrifically expensive.

07-09-11, 11:14 AM

07-09-11, 12:04 PM

Amazing!

A bit of a contrast to my 8GB stick that just stopped working for no reason. It could learn a thing or two from yours!

Kenzie · 07-09-11, 05:44 PM

Had a 4gb PNY stick go through the wash with no problems after. Just as long as they aren't powered on when the get wet.

Stuuk1 · 07-09-11, 07:30 PM

My 8gb stick got stolen from my van 2 weeks ago, haven't got it back yet...

07-09-11, 08:47 AM	#1
Skip Member Mega Poster Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Norfolk Posts: 3,151	Extreme USB Memory Stick! Summer 2010 I lost my faithful old Sandisk 4Gb USB stick - was a bit gutted but it didn't have too much personal stuff on it so no real problem. Fast forward to August Bank Holiday 2011 and I am standing in my parents front driveway and something catches my eye in the gravel - couldn't believe it - my old USB stick! It still had the rubberised cover on it and even the cap - but as you can see lots of rusty looking deposits inside. It also has a nice dent in it - presumably from a car driving over it and pressing it hard into the gravel (which is larger stones not the pea-shingle type) It has been through a pretty harsh winter too - lots of snow and ice etc - rained on goodness knows how many times and probably driven over more than once. But the question is - does it still work? I decided to only try it in our old laptop at home rather than our nice new one - due to the amount of rust etc on the pins - but as soon as I plugged it in the familiar orange LED lit up and the laptop started loading the drivers - then the folder view appeared - all the data was still there too Anyone else have any stories like that? I have heard of them going through washing machines plenty of times - but nothing as "extreme" as what this has been through! __________________ '81 Honda H100A '18 Honda MSX125 (Grom)

07-09-11, 09:21 AM	#2
Mr Speirs Member Mega Poster Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northampton Posts: 2,218	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! As long as there is no electricity going thorugh stuff like that to cause shorts then they will be fine, just dry them off and they will work. My wife put my only car key through the wash twice now. Blast it with a hair dryer for a few minutes and it starts working again. __________________ Smokey Black Burnty 02 - Racetech Smoulderlators + .90kg BBQ Springs, zx10r shockingly toasted, Conti Road Attacks heat up very nicely, R&G Crash Bungs but what f**king use are they, No Colour Matched Hugger, Flame Extenda, Beowulf Titainium Oval Flame Thrower.

07-09-11, 09:27 AM	#3
MisterTommyH Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: West Mids Posts: 854	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! And everyone says we live in a throw away society....

07-09-11, 10:24 AM	#4
arenalife Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! 4Gb on those bitty things, 20 years ago that would be called alien technology. Hard drives are amazing too, doubling the storage every year or so but never getting physically bigger.

07-09-11, 10:35 AM	#5
LankyIanB Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! Too right - 25 years ago you could kill someone with a 10 Meg disk, they were HUGE! You'd now struggle to squash ants with an 8Gb micro SD card....

07-09-11, 11:14 AM	#7
Reeder Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick!

07-09-11, 12:04 PM	#8
lx_online Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! Amazing! A bit of a contrast to my 8GB stick that just stopped working for no reason. It could learn a thing or two from yours!

07-09-11, 05:44 PM	#9
Kenzie Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Posts: 818	Re: Extreme USB Memory Stick! Had a 4gb PNY stick go through the wash with no problems after. Just as long as they aren't powered on when the get wet. __________________ Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/39887875@N06/

07-09-11, 07:30 PM	#10
Stuuk1 Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tunbridge Wells Posts: 494	My 8gb stick got stolen from my van 2 weeks ago, haven't got it back yet... __________________ RIP Reeder 20/07/1988 - 21/03/2012

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