Do flash drives...

[gerisullivan]

...really survive trips through washing machines?

It appears one of my 8gig Maxell flash drives survived a trip through the wash. Not what I expected, not what I'm counting on.

It started out in a pocket. It was out of the pocket and in the bottom of the wash tub by the time I put the clothes in the dryer. I let it air dry for a couple of days. It's files appear intact this morning and it takes new files copied to it with ease.

Curious.

Comments

Si!

[lsanderson.livejournal.com]

No moving parts.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I haven't managed to find out personally, but on various photo forums I've heard multiple reports from people for whom they have, and I don't recall any cases where they did not.

Conservatives do tend to take them out of service after such an event, after recovering whatever was on them at the time. But I don't recall any reports from somebody who kept using a laundered card and had it fail later.

[madfilkentist]

The main hazard to flash drives is electrical discharge. The storage chip must be well-sealed enough that the water didn't discharge it.

[marsgov.livejournal.com]

Electronics are in fact washed in water before you get them to remove chemical manufacturing residue. I have run keyboards thru my dishwasher in order to revive them (that attempt failed). Floppy disks are another dishwaher-safe item.

As long as the drive is completely dried prior to using it again, you should be fine.

[fgherman.livejournal.com]

lucky

[kaffy_r]

It sounds as if your geek-fu was with you, my dear!

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

They definitely can.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Are the files cleaner than they were to start?