Program Write Protects some of my Flash Drives when syncing

Posts: 3 · BowDoc1 15 Sep 2023, 12:48

I have had 4 instances where FreeFileSync has locked up/write-protected my flash drives while trying to update the drives to newer file versions. It appears to be linked to the FFS_LOCK Files & FFS_TMP Files used by the program.

They are still on the flash drives and have effectively write-protected them.
Is there a way to UNLOCK these files and regain full read/write access to these drives?
I have not been able to fix the problem.

Posts: 944 · therube 15 Sep 2023, 15:22

I'm more apt to think it is drive failure.
And that the drives "shut down", disallowing any further writes, but still allow reads, such that you may (possibly) be able to retrieve data off of the drive.

(I had a Kingston flash drive that did that. [The Kingston] replacement drive, while the same drive model, same size & all of that, was different internally. This was a 2-month old drive.)

4 instances

Same drive? Different drives? Same model of drives or different?
What brand/model?

Posts: 3 · BowDoc1 15 Sep 2023, 15:41

The drives are SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drives - SDCZ48-032G-GAM46. I had ordered 30 of them and was updating the video versions on the drives. The drives did this at various times while FFS synced them to the updated versions on my HD. I too had a Kingston Flash drive fail once that I called about and they determined it had indeed failed (hardly used). This could be similar I suppose. I have a call into SanDisk. I thought it may be linked to the FFS though, since it happened while being synced on each one of these. I have used a lot of these SanDisk drives for the past year and synced them often without problems until this occurred.

Posts: 3611 · xCSxXenon 15 Sep 2023, 17:40

therube is correct, file transfers can't directly cause a storage device to go into read-only mode. Counterfeit flash drives are super common also. If those 30 drives didn't cost you ~$150+, they might not be real. Even if they are, flash drives use the cheapest, lowest quality NAND chips and are basically the least reliable storage out there.

Posts: 3 · BowDoc1 15 Sep 2023, 17:56

Thanks to both of you for the input. I am in the process of getting them replaced by SanDisk. They cost about $150 and were bought from SanDisk. I probably have had an overconfidence in the durability (and quality) of the drives. They serve my purpose but I have noticed a significant variance in the speed of both the read and the write speeds from one to the next. I appreciate the quick responses from both of you.

Posts: 1 · MarkSM 7 Dec 2023, 18:53

I've been using FreeFileSync for years and years, and never had these problems .., until recently. I experience the same thing now on my Seagate 5tb external portable drives. Until I resolve the issue, I simply enable autoretry and that carries my file transfers through to completion.

Your issue may be heat related.
Good luck ...

Posts: 3611 · xCSxXenon 7 Dec 2023, 23:34

I've been using FreeFileSync for years and years, and never had these problems .., until recently. I experience the same thing now on my Seagate 5tb external portable drives. Until I resolve the issue, I simply enable autoretry and that carries my file transfers through to completion.

Your issue may be heat related.
Good luck ... MarkSM, 07 Dec 2023, 18:53

That sounds more like a failing drive than anything else