Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jamil]

Nowadays vehicles are moving toward thumb drive support for removeable media, so I have four 32GB SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 flash drives to store four different genres of music.  Everything was fine with this until one day a single thumb drive would no longer allow writing.  This device was locked into a read only mode, and I am seeing that this is due to a hardware failure.  I have not even owned it for very long (perhaps about six months), so I will be avoiding SanDisk in the future.  I have written to it a very small number of times, and it remains in my vehicle the majority of time.

Can anyone suggest a better, more reliable and durable thumb drive?

[JimH]

I've always had good luck with Sandisk.  There are some counterfeit devices out there.
Did you try Sandisk?

[Jamil]

SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive purchased in a 2 pack from my local WalMart is what I have currently that I can no longer write to.  SanDisk forums tells me that this is a common and known issue.  It has a five year warranty, but they want a photo of a receipt for me to get a replacement...

[JimH]

They will probably replace it if you ask.

[BryanC]

SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive purchased in a 2 pack from my local WalMart is what I have currently that I can no longer write to.  SanDisk forums tells me that this is a common and known issue.  It has a five year warranty, but they want a photo of a receipt for me to get a replacement...

Those things get super hot during R/W. Add in a hot car and some direct sunlight and that silicon is taking a beating. If it works aesthetically, I would look into getting something with a little larger heatsink for the NAND or stick to the USB 2.0 fit drives.

[Jamil]

Yes -- these SanDisks do get very very hot.  I do not think it was a great design and these were bound to eventually fail.

These were the three choices I had to replace them:

GorillaDrive 3.0 64GB

Corsair 64GB Survivor USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Patriot 64GB Supersonic Rage Series USB 3.0 Flash Drive

I decided to go with 64GB, because I am running out of storage space for one thumb drive.  The GorillaDrives are protected against extreme temperatures, so I decided to order the four pack of these.  I will have my receipt emailed, so I can easily exchange if one fails within five years.

[syndromeofadown]

I have never used a thumb drive that lasted.
As an alternative I buy cases for old 2.5", MSata, and M.2 Drives.
They have never failed me.

The only issue I have ever had is one SSD required more voltage than the device it was plugged into could provide so I had to add a powered hub.

I have also never had an issue with sdcards which you could use with an adapter.
Maybe I buy good ones or maybe I'v just been lucky with them.

[imugli]

Yeah, I'm increasingly wary of using USB thumb drives... Stick it in one time and it works, next time it doesn't, data lost, start again... Not worth the hassle IMO.

[Jamil]

I just got my 4 Gorillas today.  I am holding the broken SanDisk in one hand, and the Gorilla in another.  It is very obvious just by holding them both which is more durable.  The SanDisk feels cheap with no heft to it.  They are both made in China, but hopefully the Gorilla thumb drive lasts.  Time will tell!