# [SOLVED] flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device



## hermanpotgieter

Hi guys

Recently got my self a strontium 32gb flash drive it was working fine till this morning when no matter in how many different machines i plug it it only picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device i have checked other online solutions but non of them work. Please can you advise on this asap as it is my work memory stick and i use it to install windows and boot onto hirens boot cd on customers computers


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## JimE

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

It's done. If it's not properly recognized in multiple computers, it's faulty.

You may be able to deletion the partition, create a new partition and then format. But I wouldn't trust it any longer.

USB sticks are cheap, disposable media. Get a new one and move on. 

Just as an FYI, after you get the new stick created and loaded with your software/tools, store a copy or image on your PC. Then if/when it fails, you can simply copy the files to the new drive and be up and running quickly.


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## spunk.funk

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

This is caused by a failure or malfunction in the USB controller chip on the Flash Drive memory chip. It causes the Memory chip to not be read by the operating system as a storage space, appearing only as an empty "removable disk" like a floppy drive with no disk in it. 
Generally no fix for this, return under warranty.


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## hermanpotgieter

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

Thanks guys hoped there was a fix for this but i guess not


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## hermanpotgieter

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

oky i got it to work again, went to strontium's home page and ran a firmware update on it and it's working now


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## spunk.funk

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

Great to hear! Please do not use USB Flash drives as permanent storage, they should only be used to move files from one computer to another. USB flash drives are known to fail. 
Please mark this thread Solved in the Thread Tools at the top.


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## JohnS3003

*Re: flash drive picks up as SMI USB MEMORY BAR USB Device*

Jim,
I see you're advocating that a USB drive ought to be backed up on the user's hard drive; I suppose that extends to doing so for each USB drive...
Trouble is, many of us cannot afford to buy PC's that size, large enough to act as backup for USB drives, or don't have time to tinker and to cobble together a bunch of "pieces" as a feature-rich but dirt-poor computing platform. Indeed, before reading your warning, I was using four USB drives as archival or backup storage for the contents of the PC!
I have access to cloud storage, as in Norton... MS OneDrive... plus some other one for use, at the university only. What is your take on using cloud storage for backing up PC's, or for sharing files with myself at either home or work?
Thanks,
John0603


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## spunk.funk

Any files that you want to keep and can't live without should be on more then one Drive (eg) original file on the C: drive, and a backup on USB HDD, DVD or Cloud storage. if you really need these files, and they are critical, we suggest you backup to a third drive. 
USB Flash drives tend to fail and we do not suggest using these as storage devices, they should only be used as temporary storage, as in to transfer files from one PC to another. We _do_ suggest having a USB HDD, if you can afford it.
Cloud storage is a great idea as you can store your files off site (eg) in case of fire, electrical storm etc, and not have to _Tinker_, or _Cobble _anything together. Most cloud services give you up to 25GB's of _Free _storage. And you can pay for extra storage space if you need it.


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