Did You Manage to Reprogramme a Fake Flash Drive Bought on eBay?
Posted by KittyFireFlash on October 23, 2008
Are you a person who bought a fake flash drive on eBay and were able to find a way to programme it? Make it return to it’s real capacity size? If you have successfully managed to de-FrankenFlash a counterfeit drive on eBay, we want to hear from you! Why?
You have no idea how often we are asked at SOSFakeFlash if there is a way to return a counterfeit drive back to it’s real size!
The problem is…how! There is not one method that will do the job. There are a few programs that are pretty good, but in restoring the drive (when possible) they overwrite information that change the drive from a dynamic plug and play into a static drive. Or programs like Acronis Disk Director or Partition Magic will refuse to see it once it has been been restored.
So the only true way appears to identify the controller chip of the drive and then the flash drive chip. Depending on the controller, a different program has to be used to do a low level format to fix things. Usually the only way to identify the controller is to take the drive apart. Some fake drives can be taken apart easily, some not. In some cases the flash drive is secured with a jelly epoxy and so wiggles about after the taking apart.
Sadly there is no magic solution. One solution for all drives.
We would like to hear from anybody who has been able to return a drive back to it’s original size. We will publish your receipy.
To ensure safety for those who might like to follow your steps, and info to the download software you used, please review our mug shot report. We will need the following from you:
- eBay Item number of the drive you bought
- eBay Seller id
- Any information you have on the controller the drive has
- Any information on the flash drive (chip,real size)
- Steps you used to fix it.
- The software you used and any links you have to it.
please sent your receipy to sosfakeflashdrive@gmail.com
We will try to examine the ebay item listing, and then write up a post for everyone on what they need to do. You can also chose a nom de plume, that is the name you would like to be called on this site. We don’t use our real names and we discourage disclosure of our ebay id’s too. Privacy is important at SOSFakeFlash and we respect this.
Figuring out how to fix a drive is not easy. I am kittyfireflash and it was not easy for me to fix some of the fakes I got. I killed a lot of them in my rescue attempts and as I probed for solutions. This is why I know there is no one recipey for all fakes. I experimented to find one for everybody and learned the hard way there isn’t one. I did successfully repair the classic fake. But that was a long time ago.
We already have one person submitting a solution and hope to publish it soon for a drive. We would like to post by seller and the drive model listed. This would be a fabulous way to help fellow eBayers who would settle for the true size of the drive.
Frankly SOSFakeFlash is against trying to restore a drive as it is risky. It should only be done if the seller refuses to refund or has settled and a person wants to be adventurous.
If you found a solution for a fake flash drive, please share with your fellow eBayers
Update 20091023: Please consult the new FAQ at FixFakeFlash Inspectortech for important information on repairing fake flash memory items before you attempt to repair.
SOSFakeFlash 
Stephen said
Used ALL of the tools referenced on the site (plus more) and successfully managed to create 32 MB flash drives out of advertised 64 GB flash drives AND THAT WAS MAX CAPACITY. For those of you who (bitterly) will attempt to get some value out of your investment the HP format Utility, Chip Genius and PD.exe appear to be the best of the bunch of tools that can do “something”. Good luck and save a bullet for the joker that sold junk.
ITGuy said
In reponse to Stephen.
Your comments reinforce the points make in this article
Repairing fake / flash drives can involve significant effort and what do you get for your effort? A small flash drive that your cannot trust!
TechChips said
ITGuy & Stephen:
There was a time when the quality of flash chips used in fakes was pretty good. Now it is mostly junk. If H2testw reports a real sizing ending in x.9 a person does have a shot at repairing. Unfortunately these days most tests reveal x.8 or x.7.
So if you have 1.8GB or 1.7Gb for a 2GB flash chip you have very bad quality, Grade D. Best thing? A hammer to the chip and a lessoned learned.
You are correct, ITGuy that article is something everyone should read before trying to repair a fake.
The other thing, if a person gets 32MB or even 8MB after a repair – the wrong low level software tool was used. Depending on the tool version, if it does not have the flash chip in it’s database it may choose what it thinks the chip is similar to. If it’s decision is wrong, you will get a tiny size.
The best inspection is to open the item, decode the usb controller family and flash storage chip. HP Tools does not deal with the real problem, it does not remove the hack. You need the right software.
So, is it worth it? Read the article ITGuy mentions and think it over carefully.
If you decide you will try, read InspectorTech’s FAQ at fixfakeflash so you are better prepared.
One thing everyone finds disturbing…
Many people assume in repairing a fake, even with good results…it is “Good as new”.
Don’t make that mistake. It is not. It should never be used to archive information. You can use it for temporary storage if you have a backup of the files.
In using low level reformating software to repair you have reduced it’s life span with the correction (wear leveling).
I had an 8MB result quite a few times. It took 9 months to find the right software and get a 1.9GB flash drive (the chip was 2GB real size). I don’t use the flash drives for archiving, not after all the repair attempts I made.
marineman215 said
I bought 16gb fake mp3/mp4 player from amust2009.
I ran the h2testw v1.4
PnP Device ID: VID = 10D6 PID = 1101
Serial Number: 5&&308A5C96&&0&&1
Revision: 0100/0100
Product Vendor: samsung
Product Model: Flash disk
Device Type: Standard USB device – USB2.0 Full-Speed (USB1.1)
Chip Vendor: Actions
Chip Part-Number: ATJ209X/ACU75XX
Product Vendor: (N/A)
Product Model: (N/A)
Tools on Web: (N/A)
It can store 3.5gb but how do I change it to say 3.5 instead of 16gb without destorying the firmware (or how to back up the firmware).
ITGuy said
To marineman215
You will need to open up your player to determine what type of player you have and then you can start looking on the internet for tools to backup the firmware and potential repair techniques. When you have the player open you will see the memory chip and another large chip – the model number of this chip will indicate the player type and this is what you will need to start your internet search.
One popular player type is http://wiki.s1mp3.org/Identify_your_player_as_S1mp3
For a player based on the ATJ2237 chip a possible repair technique is to format the player to the real memory size, in your case 3.5GB. This could be done via partioning tools or reformatting the the player. This is relatively simple on Linux but not so simple on windows.
Gregory said
HELLPPPPP….
I have some flash disk bought from china and i found its fake capacity. I try to follow the step, but stuck at using the UDTool. I have downloaded the UDTool based on the vendor, VID, PID.
Device Name: +[D:]+USB Mass Storage Device(USB2.0 Flash Disk USB Device)
PnP Device ID: VID = 1221 PID = 3234
Serial Number: 1000000000000983
Revision: 2.60
Device Type: Standard USB device – USB2.0 High-Speed
Chip Vendor: Ameco(???)
Chip Part-Number: MXT8208
Product Vendor: USB2.0
Product Model: Flash Disk
Tools on Web: http://bbs.mydigit.cn/read.php?tid=39918
I got stuck on the UDTool which seems doesnt detected my USB flash. So I can do the Fix, how does UDTool work? Am I missing something?
please helpppppp…. thanks a bunch.
ismaeel said
thanks, the hp boot thing worked and turned a 16gb memory stick into a 3.61 working one!
amazing website…very helpful
InspectorTech said
We need more solutions to fix fakes at http://fixfakeflash.wordpress.com/ help out.
New info for linux now exists. Developer considering Mac OS Platform to detect fakes.
Derek said
Hi. I am an Ebay seller and I didn’t know there were such things as fake drives. You can imagine how happy I was when I found the cheap drives in a wholesale site in China. Basically I am an agent who finds merchandise for the wholesalers. I was like hey wow these are nice deals, I can sell them on Ebay!
If no one has told you guys, let me start. I am so sorry for all those that have been scammed on Ebay. I hate being scammed. And now it looks I got scammed too. I have 30 of useless “256GB DT310” USB drives.
Thanks to Superman and Linnet’s advice, I used the HP Tool to finally figure out what’s going on.
The issue was that I was testing these drives and they all read “256” on the computer. I formatted them over and over again, even in Ubuntu, and they still claimed to be 256. I was very happy! I thought hey even though it’s not Kingston, at least it’s still 256. So I listed them on Ebay and I sold about 8 of them. I offered the buyers to open the packages and re-check the drive just so we can be double sure. Well, what happened is, I put some files on the drives, ejected the drive and then plugged it in again. The files were GONE…that’s why I started my research all over again and found you all.
Thank you for being here. You have no idea how much you have helped me. I was really going to punch myself in the face if someone had thought I tried to scam them. By the way, I have already refunded all of my buyers and sent them personal apologies.
Inspector Tech, I was wondering if you can e-mail me some advice about how to get rid of these 2GB flash drives? I’ve been able to format them into NTFS and FAT32. It seems that H2testw still says these drives might be defective even though it says 2GB…am I doing something wrong? I tested the drives but putting pictures in them and rejecting the drive. When I plugged it back in, the pictures are still there!
I just would like to get what I can back out of these drives. 30 of them was a bit of money…
Thank you for everything.
InspectorTech said
@Derek
Most important thing for you to know Derek, SOSFakeFlash was founded by eBay sellers who accidentally sold fake flash memory and by eBay buyers. The sellers set the rules by which eBay sellers would be measured. It was not the buyers of fake memory on eBay.
Can you go after your supplier to get your money back?
In warning your buyers and refunding, Kudos to you! That is the sign of a true eBay seller! Yeah, we know it hurts, but it is the true path. Suggest you contact SOSFakeFlashDrive@gmail.com to advice, so you don’t get an alert published against you. Do it quick!
Some think SOSFakeFlash is heartless, but that is not true. They do care about eBay sellers. You got scammed. Buyers get scammed.
Derek please visit my site fixflakeFlash. Your best option is to open one of the fakes, decode the usb flash drive chip (little chip) and the flash memory chip (big chip), then search the internet. The russian site is the best to find the tools you might need to fix them , restore them to the real size.
You need to find the right low level software tool to restore them. Then to test the results with H2testw 1.4 to make sure they pass. Then you could resell them at the real capacity.
Since you are doing the right thing in refunding and warning your buyers you need to contact sosfakeflash fast! Tell them the truth and they will make sure you don’t get a *%%%#@ alert against your id.
It might be hard for people to belive but if fake flash ebsy sellers do the right thing, – refund and warn buyers, they will not end up being published at this site.
Steve said
@Derek I am suprised at InspectorTech’s reply! These fake drives are made from reject memory found in the dustbins at the back of the factory or bought as ‘seconds’ and meant for use in cheap toys, etc. Often the controller chip is not programmed properly and does not perform error correction properly.
You could test them with H2TESTW and they may pass (you must test at least twice with an unplug in between), however it is VERY likely they will develop faults in the near future. So if I were you, I would sell these as 2GB sticks but warn buyers that the memory may develop faults over time. I am the author of RMPrepUSB (which also contains H2TESTW) which can quickly test and reformat these pens (after you have re-programmed them), and I personally have had at least 6 fake USB pens from China where the memory itself has developed faults and most of them were completely unusable after a few months.
InspectorTech said
@Steve,
At this point it is unclear what kind of “fakes” Derek has. Testing with H2testw was advised.
Also advised he open one or more of the units to decode the usb controller chip and the flash memory storage chip. He would need it for a “repair”. Not only that, it will help him find out what kind of flash memory storage chips were used.
NOT ALL flash memory storage chips used in fakes are grade C or D. Perhaps less common now, but many are genuine chips from brand name manufacturers, but low capacity. 1GB 2GB or 4GB. Chips no one wants to buy. Not in high demand anymore, except for making fakes most of the time.
The results from H2testw can tell a lot about a chip. If the real capacity is 2GB and the output indicates 1.7 GB or 1.8 GB then the chip is definately a reject. If the results are 1.9 GB there is a possibility of a decent chip. Note: “possibility”. So Derek needs to test and to open some of them to find out. Based on the results he can decide whether to hammer them.
When creating fake capacity, it is usually done once, not repeatly to a chip. As Derek’s inventory has not been in use to store data over a period of time (read, write, read, write), the damage might be small. It depends on what method was used to create the fake size. There is not one method, there are many different ones. Some very damaging, some not. Wear leveling occurs on any flash memory chip over time.
For brand names, the quality of flash memory chips is easily seen in the length of guarantee the company offers. 1 year? 2 years? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? or lifetime (hard one to interpret). It goes without saying that the price increases as the guarantee does.
One last thing Steve, H2testw is free to use. It is not open source, but copyrighted. If you did not contact Harald Bögeholz for permission to distribute, advise you do so immediately.
Project sites refer to the authorized download site. The copyright needs to be respected. Harald’s contribution in creating this software to detect fake flash memory is amazing and has helped people on a global scale. Without H2testw, the fake memory problem would be even bigger than it is now. Make sure you received permission and include it in your compilation.
steve said
@InspectorTech – I agree with everything you say. I was trying to point out that Derek was intending to sell these re-programmed sticks on eBay, and that he should be careful to say where they came from and that they may not be very reliable – otherwise his reputation may be destroyed if he gets -ve feedback.
KittyFireFlash said
To Steve and InspectorTech,
You are both right!
eBay seller Derek is better off trying to get his money back from his wholesaler. If he funded with a credit card, he should contact to cancel the transaction.
Agree with Steve about seller reputation on eBay, better to keep it and accept the loss then lose a good reputation. We hate having to publish on a lot of western sellers, but we have to and will. There is no distinction or favoritism. Call it fake flash equality, strange as this may sound.
Derek,
The time you might spend to try and repair the items, then to list on eBay… Is it really worth it? Use your energy to try and get your money back. If you can’t, then consider using your personal web space to document and blow the whistle on your acquisition source. ITGuy would wrestle your arm to smash them to bits!
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Jostoga said
Hi! I would like to fix my 8Gb drive.
I´ve tried HP Drive Key Boot Utility -> after it showed the real size, but when I start formatting via Windows it ->now shows fake size
I also tried TESTDISK->now it shows no partial…
I found out:
PnP Device ID: VID = 115E PID = 0003
Serial Number: 200605091234
Revision:
Device Type: Standard USB device – USB2.0 Full-Speed (USB1.1)
Chip Vendor: Anyka
Chip Part-Number: AK3221~AK3225
Product Vendor: (N/A)
Product Model: Audio Player
Tools on Web: (N/A)
Thank you very much for further help
Jostoga said
also when I tried formatting process through disc management I choosed The TRUE size but it says PROCESS OF FORMATTING FAILED
TechChips said
@Jostoga,
Go visit http://fixfakeflash.wordpress.com/
Read up on info, check out FAQ. You might be able to repair if you read and learn. HP Drive Key Boot Utility is useless IMHO. You will need a low level software program from Anyka. Check out the russian site for downloads.
Jostoga said
I looked over the website you suggested, I also checked the russian site. But didn´t find solution. I also tried Hard Disk Low Level Format Tool-how was written on this site: http://fake-memory.com/forum/index.php?topic=567.0
I found out Azuki had the same problem-> but there wasn´t solution. If i knew his mail I could contact him if He could manage to fix it.
Akuzi said
September 26, 2009 at 12:49 https://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/xprodeal-ebay-fake-flash-seller-alert-china/comment-page-1/#comment-4067
I would appreciate if somebody could help me.
My fake 8Gb USB Pen camera->
PnP Device ID: VID = 115E PID = 0003
Serial Number: 200605091234
Revision:
Device Type: Standard USB device – USB2.0 Full-Speed (USB1.1)
Chip Vendor: Anyka
Chip Part-Number: AK3221~AK3225
Product Vendor: (N/A)
Product Model: Audio Player
Tools on Web: (N/A)
Thanks
Jostoga said
What else can I try? Thanks
ITGuy said
to Jostaga
Someone reported that a potential spy camera repair solution was to to bring the spy cam up in systems mode. With the cams you usually just keep the power button pressed while connecting the USB cable to bring up the system partiton.
Once you’re in system mode and you see a file named akresdata.bin, you know the device is ANYKA-based and possibly vulnerable. You can also try to bring up the ‘format’ dialog for the data partition (without actually formatting it) and check what kind of memory size the OS sees. In my case (ANYKA-based cam with 8GB advertised capacity, 4GB actual, Windows XP), Windows sees the true size in service mode and offers to reformat it to 4GB.
Another option is to reload the firmware. Have a look at this site.
http://www.chucklohr.com/808/#LinksFirmware
Jostoga said
Hi thanks for helping ideas.
I checked that website: http://www.chucklohr.com/808/#LinksFirmware
BUT: I downloaded firmware, which asks password-> there is no password on that side instead of :files are password protected. User: vault, Password: 741055 BUT this doesn´t work.So I couldn´t reload firmware.
————————————————————————————————
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU eplain me how to run SYSTEM MODE- I don´t understand it very well-how to run/start it? I tried to google it-“system mode” but couldn´t find STEPS.
THanks for answer
Jostoga said
How can I run SYSTEM MODE?
ITGuy said
To Jostoga
Look at these posts.
http://www.chucklohr.com/808/C1/
http://www.chucklohr.com/808/C1/#SystemMode
Jostoga said
I moved forward, BUT I am not able to install M3USB driver.I downloaded it:there are files: m3usb.sys and m3usb – text. I read I should unpack/instal this drive somehow/somewhere, but don´t know where and how. CAN YOU HELP ME? IT didn´t ask me automatically to choose to install a driver,but windows INSTALL some DRIVER AUTOMATICALLY-but not m3usb…?
I own Windows XP.
Thankd for solving my problem
Jostoga said
How can I instal m3usb driver?
Jostoga said
Please,Can anyone tell me how to instal this driver?
Thanks
Jostoga said
Ach, I must be totally stupid?
I still don´t know how to install m3usb driver?
If you know, write me.
Thanks
jack said
why are you guys trying to scare the whole market? not all flash drives are fakes! You guys have everyone that uses this software calling people scammers. If their is a problem with a card and it is not a fake card this software will say it is fake. If people are not willing to give you a refund than it is most likely to be fake. legit people like me are being called scammers when their is a card with a bad sector ir just a plain bad card. Post this software with a warning saying doesnt mean you were scammed.
thank you
jack said
this software is doing more harm then good on the market!
Seth said
WTF, Jack. 😦 Brains up your ass? Off topic. Don’t confuse people. This post is about repairing fakes. Want to bitch about H2testw 1.4? Duh….. Then comment on that one.
Use your fucking brains dim wit. Read about H2testw 1.4 before you shit all over the place. You really think the software is crap? Shows how stupid you are.
Sorry sosfakeflash this is a real dumb ass. Knows sweet fuck all. Who gives a shit about a refund. H2testw 1.4 will tell you what you bought!
H2testw 1.4 is doing more good than harm you little two shit!
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Wizzdome said
I had a 32gb micro sd card that was fake not sure about brand or anything as the logo and writing on it faded off as if though it were cheaply airbrushed on anyhow I tried that hp tool with the micro in a usb adapter and i didnt think it worked as when i ran the tool it froze and stopped responding so after the second attempt i looked at the size listed on my computer and it said zero so i right clicked the drive and selected format an lo and behold the original file size was restored 3.23 gb not a real big sd card but atleast it works and has the real size on it thank you so much for posting that i now have an install micro sd card for windows xp!!!
Seth said
SOSFakeFlash are you going to post about Techchips for memory cards?
KittyFireFlash said
Hi Seth,
We are including Techchips information on alerts for fake memory cards.
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