Fake memory stick keeps removing files

Ok guys, so more than anything, I hope this topic would be a good warning to other users but I’d also like some help please. Basically I did a silly thing and purchased a USB flash drive from Ebay that does indeed appear to be far too good to be true!.. A 512GB Flash Drive. For about �30! Now I just had to have that to show off to everyone, and it seemed convincing because you could only buy one at once.
What’s more the flash drive shows up in Windows as 512 GB and I don’t get any errors at all transferring files across to it. However, sometimes when I ask other people to put files and the flash drive, they disappear, even after safely removing the device! Surprise, surprise though I can’t seem to find it on ebay anymore, but this looks like a similar story.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-Benz-Car-Key-512GB-USB-Flash-Drive-/360724123090?pt=UK_Computing_FlashDrives_SM&hash=item53fcd54dd2
Only mine is a nice gold colour that comes off in your hand
So does this sound familiar to anyone? Have I completely wasted my money or will I have some sort of usable flash drive hidden away in there – if so, how do I stop it from being so dodgy.
Thanks in advance
Answer #1
Remember reading stories like this a few years ago when even a 16gb stick was fairly expensive nearly always sold on ebay and never the stated capacity this link may help youhttp://www.passmark.com/support/bit_fake_USB_detection.htm
Answer #2
Thank you for the link, I’m running BurnInTest now but it’s only done one cycle and there is already a “Data verify error”. I will post what happens when the test completes though (probably going to be tomorrow now).
If anyone has any more information I’d appreciate it. Particularly interesting in how they actual manage this!?
EDIT: I just got “FAIL” in big bold letters from BurnInTest, and a Data verify error. I don’t think the test actually completed.
Answer #3
Clearly, You’ve been scammed!
When something looks too good to be true, It usually is.
Fortunately, You only lost �30, It could’ve been worse!
Next time you come across something like that, Better think twice and do price comparisons.
And also, Avoid purchasing flash drives of unknown brands, That’s certainly one way to reduce the odds of being scammed. As far as the how is concerned, My best guess is some kind of firmware hack! (Which would also explain the instability)
If you wanna know what’s really in there, Open it up and see if there’s any text on the PCB or memory chips, There’s simply no way that there’s actually 512GB in there!
Edit: Just to prove my point:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FL-122-KS
Flash memory is still very expensive, No way you’d get 512GB for merely �30.
Answer #4
The trick to achieving this is modifying the controller to dupe it in to believing that there’s 512GB worth of storage available, while the actual flash capacity might only be a fraction of the stated amount. When you write data, there’s most probably a loop back where once the storage capacity has been exhausted, it overwrites the flash from the start and keeps going until the entire data has been ‘copied’.
You could use the thumb drive it for small files, but with the reliability of data retention hovering close to nil, you might as well give up on it.
As mentions, go for reputed brands which have good silicon in their products, and even then, check online reviews to check for transfer speed, reliability, build quality, etc.
Hope you don’t fall for the same deception again. Thank your luck that you didn’t lose any more than 30 quids. As the saying goes, ‘fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me’.
Cheers.
Answer #5
It still might be possible to salvage your drive and see how much usable space there really is. You could take a look at this, hopefully you can reflash it to what it’s supposed to be
http://www.tech-tweak.com/how-to-make-fake-penusbflash-drive-genuinereset-to-original-capacity/
Answer #6

As the saying goes, 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me'.
Cheers.
Or as Bush said ” fool me once, shame on � shame on you. Fool me � you can’t get fooled again.”
Answer #7
I remembered my friend USB, he got the same problem. You’ve been scammed
Answer #8
Thanks for the confirmation that I’ve been scammed guys… Not the best thing to hear but I guess I deserved it. I certainly won’t be buying any cheap memory again, especially from an unknown brand. I really don’t know what I was thinking and, on reflection, I should have pressed the report button rather than the buy one!
It still might be possible to salvage your drive and see how much usable space there really is. You could take a look at this, hopefully you can reflash it to what it's supposed to be
http://www.tech-tweak.com/how-to-make-fake-penusbflash-drive-genuinereset-to-original-capacity/
Thank you for the link. I downloaded H2testw as the post said and at 1052 MByte I got “The media is write protected. Code 19” and when I verify the test data written, it says there is 1032 MByte. So is that really the size of my drive? I’ve reliably stored 15 GB of data on it without it being deleted.
Is the only real way to confirm that taking it apart like Roberto says?