USB Flash Drives

Sang · 16th January 2009, 09:57

Hi All,

Yesterday couple of guys came in front of our office CSC in Noida and they were selling Kingston 32GB pen drives for Rs. 300/-. We have taken couple of pendrives from them and tested it on our laptops before paying any amount. On testing, it was showing capacity as 32 GB and allowed us to copy 4 GB data in it. However, when we tried to access the copied data it gave us junk data error. After it we searched on google and found this KINGSTON 32 GB PEN DRIVE Complaints - ITS A FAKE PEN DRIVE.. This shows its a fraud...This posting is to make sure fellow tbhpians are aware about it.

Thanks !

HellwratH · 16th January 2009, 10:13

Well Sang,

There was a similar situation with one of the T-BHPians earlier and I had read that one. So made me stay away from all these "Fake 32gb" pendrives.

Eddy · 16th January 2009, 10:22

Yep, thats a con job going on... and with bigger denominations too

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...ash-drive.html

WanderNomad · 16th January 2009, 11:42

Oh man! You got conned here. There is a long thread on a forum about this.

In Delhi every damn shopkeeper in Ghaffar and Palika is selling these fakes.

Look at the guts of these guys, they have even started visiting offices for selling.

condor · 16th January 2009, 12:05

Quote:

Sang

: On testing, it was showing capacity as 32 GB and allowed us to copy 4 GB data in it. However, when we tried to access the copied data it gave us junk data error.

Pretty normal con process. And not limited to Kingston. Happens with all brands.

Such pieces have enough technology to show that the data has been copied into it. Will also show a directory listing when you check it. But try copy the copied data data .. you'll know.

Always stick to a dealer you know & trust. If it is a Sony, pls get it from a Sony World. With B&W.

yatinchoubal · 16th January 2009, 12:05

Yeah the same thing happened, near my company. There was this guy, who came from no where, and started selling 32 GB pen drives for 300 rs.
Ppl started buying like crazy, and when they got to know, that when connected to computer, it was actually showing 32 GB. But the real fun was when the ppl started copying data into it. It allowed to copy only 4 GB data in it.

Till that time, the person was gone. Beware ppl, it better to pay some amount, than getting day robbed.

DCEite · 16th January 2009, 12:57

About 6-7 years ago, when Pen drives were not that common, shops in Nehru Place (Delhi) used to sell fake pen drives of various makes. I too had bought a "Siemens" pen drive. It was around 400 bucks for 256 mb.
Unfortunately, while the drive used to show up in their own laptops, when i brought it home, it refused to be even detected !
Ofcourse, i came to know later that Siemens does not make pen drives.

bigman · 16th January 2009, 14:07

Yes this is quite a common thing acorss the world. You also get fake Sony Duo cards, Kingston SD/micro SD cards, Sandisk SD/micro cards. Its best sticking to someone you can rely on when buying these devices unless you are ok with losing data.

benbsb29 · 16th January 2009, 14:11

But look on the bright side.. a 4GB pendrive still costs about Rs.400/-, right?

Now you have a magical 4GB pendrive which shows 32GB, but at Rs.300/-.

sonirohit · 16th January 2009, 14:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sang

Hi All,

Yesterday couple of guys came in front of our office CSC in Noida and they were selling Kingston 32GB pen drives for Rs. 300/-. We have taken couple of pendrives from them and tested it on our laptops before paying any amount. On testing, it was showing capacity as 32 GB and allowed us to copy 4 GB data in it. However, when we tried to access the copied data it gave us junk data error. After it we searched on google and found this KINGSTON 32 GB PEN DRIVE Complaints - ITS A FAKE PEN DRIVE.. This shows its a fraud...This posting is to make sure fellow tbhpians are aware about it.

Thanks !

There are a couple of softwares which can actually reclaim atleast the 4GIG space on the drive...

anujmishra · 16th January 2009, 14:50

Somebody gifted me 1 GB pen drive 1 year back, it was actually pen drive cum MP3-MP4 player. I knew it was chinese. Upon format it remained 70 - 80 mb.

If you want your data to be safe always buy from a decent shop, with B&W. Nowdays 4GB pen drive comes around 300-350 bucks.

Tejas@perioimpl · 16th January 2009, 14:52

Thank god for this thread. I was gonna order one for 1500 bucks! I'll make do with my 8GB transcend for now. Imagine if i had bought it and then seen this thread?!

Sang · 16th January 2009, 14:56

Thankfully I have not paid him any money before checking. I just returned it back saying that its a duplicate and I don't want it.

pranavt · 16th January 2009, 19:45

It's very easy to allocate the 'reserved' sectors so that they show up as free space. While you can theoretically store that much data, flash storage generally has this habit of getting a few corrupted sectors every once in a while.

On a normal good pen-drive, the sectors will be remapped to the reserve area and you won't notice it. On these fake ones, they've already used up those reserved sectors, so one corrupted sector will surely be noticed and you will start losing data very very frequently.

abhi1309 · 16th January 2009, 20:32

Good information actually and hard to believe how they made these. Might happen with other sized drives as well so be careful and go to the dealer you already know to buy these.

16th January 2009, 09:57	#1
Sang BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 108 Thanked: 10 Times	USB Flash Drives Hi All, Yesterday couple of guys came in front of our office CSC in Noida and they were selling Kingston 32GB pen drives for Rs. 300/-. We have taken couple of pendrives from them and tested it on our laptops before paying any amount. On testing, it was showing capacity as 32 GB and allowed us to copy 4 GB data in it. However, when we tried to access the copied data it gave us junk data error. After it we searched on google and found this KINGSTON 32 GB PEN DRIVE Complaints - ITS A FAKE PEN DRIVE.. This shows its a fraud...This posting is to make sure fellow tbhpians are aware about it. Thanks !
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 10:13	#2
HellwratH BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 115 Thanked: 57 Times	Well Sang, There was a similar situation with one of the T-BHPians earlier and I had read that one. So made me stay away from all these "Fake 32gb" pendrives.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 10:22	#3
Eddy Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 9,387 Thanked: 13,301 Times	Yep, thats a con job going on... and with bigger denominations too http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...ash-drive.html
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 11:42	#4
WanderNomad BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 271 Thanked: 11 Times	Oh man! You got conned here. There is a long thread on a forum about this. In Delhi every damn shopkeeper in Ghaffar and Palika is selling these fakes. Look at the guts of these guys, they have even started visiting offices for selling.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 12:05	#6
yatinchoubal BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Texas / Pune Posts: 144 Thanked: Once View My Garage	Yeah the same thing happened, near my company. There was this guy, who came from no where, and started selling 32 GB pen drives for 300 rs. Ppl started buying like crazy, and when they got to know, that when connected to computer, it was actually showing 32 GB. But the real fun was when the ppl started copying data into it. It allowed to copy only 4 GB data in it. Till that time, the person was gone. Beware ppl, it better to pay some amount, than getting day robbed.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 12:57	#7
DCEite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NCR Posts: 3,417 Thanked: 2,550 Times	About 6-7 years ago, when Pen drives were not that common, shops in Nehru Place (Delhi) used to sell fake pen drives of various makes. I too had bought a "Siemens" pen drive. It was around 400 bucks for 256 mb. Unfortunately, while the drive used to show up in their own laptops, when i brought it home, it refused to be even detected ! Ofcourse, i came to know later that Siemens does not make pen drives.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:07	#8
bigman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NA Posts: 1,224 Thanked: 93 Times	Yes this is quite a common thing acorss the world. You also get fake Sony Duo cards, Kingston SD/micro SD cards, Sandisk SD/micro cards. Its best sticking to someone you can rely on when buying these devices unless you are ok with losing data.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:11	#9
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,218 Times View My Garage	But look on the bright side.. a 4GB pendrive still costs about Rs.400/-, right? Now you have a magical 4GB pendrive which shows 32GB, but at Rs.300/-.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:50	#11
anujmishra Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,290 Thanked: 492 Times View My Garage	Somebody gifted me 1 GB pen drive 1 year back, it was actually pen drive cum MP3-MP4 player. I knew it was chinese. Upon format it remained 70 - 80 mb. If you want your data to be safe always buy from a decent shop, with B&W. Nowdays 4GB pen drive comes around 300-350 bucks.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:52	#12
Tejas@perioimpl Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bombay Posts: 4,423 Thanked: 9,581 Times View My Garage	Thank god for this thread. I was gonna order one for 1500 bucks! I'll make do with my 8GB transcend for now. Imagine if i had bought it and then seen this thread?!
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:56	#13
Sang BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 108 Thanked: 10 Times	Thankfully I have not paid him any money before checking. I just returned it back saying that its a duplicate and I don't want it.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 19:45	#14
pranavt Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,682 Thanked: 641 Times View My Garage	It's very easy to allocate the 'reserved' sectors so that they show up as free space. While you can theoretically store that much data, flash storage generally has this habit of getting a few corrupted sectors every once in a while. On a normal good pen-drive, the sectors will be remapped to the reserve area and you won't notice it. On these fake ones, they've already used up those reserved sectors, so one corrupted sector will surely be noticed and you will start losing data very very frequently.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 20:32	#15
abhi1309 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 446 Thanked: 68 Times View My Garage	Good information actually and hard to believe how they made these. Might happen with other sized drives as well so be careful and go to the dealer you already know to buy these.
	() Thanks