This is the scenario...You click My Computer to access your flash drive just like you always do. This time, your flash drive isn't showing up in Windows Explorer. You unplug/plug/unplug/plug it, but nothing, NOTHING! What happened? More importantly, what do you do about it? FlashDrivePros.com can recover your files in most cases no matter what happened. But you might also be able to do it and save yourself the time and money of having us do it. Here's how:

First, the Preflight Checklist:

a) The flash drive doesn't appear to be physically damaged. (i.e., the tip isn't loose and the device isn't overheating, etc.)

b) You've tried it on a few different computers.

c) Your flash drive is plugged into a working USB port.

Ok, here it goes:

1. Hit the Windows key (between the Alt and Ctrl keys) and E key simultaneously to open a new Explorer window.

2. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.

3. Under Storage, select Disk Management.

4. (This is the critical step that will tell you if this is going to work or not) At the bottom of the window you should see a list drives associated with your computer. If your flash drive is listed, good news! This procedure should fix your problem. Go to step 5. If not, this solution won’t work and you might want to consider hiring a data recovery shop like FlashDrivePros.com. We charge a flat rate of $147 and charge you only if we're successful. We have a 94% success rate and will make your files available for download right to your hard drive or a new flash drive.

5. Right click on the drive listed in that window which will bring up a menu. Select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

6. Another window will appear showing your missing drive. Select Change.

7. Another window will appear with a drop down menu on the right. Select the letter W.

8. When the message Changing The Drive Letter of a Volume Might Cause Programs No Longer To Run. appears, click Yes.

9. Your flash drive should now appear under My Computer.

If not, or if you have any comments or questions, send us an email (support@flashdrivepros.com), give us a call (1-888-806-6567)

If you do a Google search for, say, "fix a broken flash drive," you will find a plethora of promising advice, software, soldering instructions and lots of other information that just might convince you to dust off the 'ol soldering iron and try to recover your files yourself. Or maybe your neighbor or coworker has offered to solder it back together for you.

-- WARNING -- WARNING -- WARNING--

We at FlashDrivePros.com receive flash drives almost every day that have undergone botched attempts at DIY data recovery. While we always do our best to undo the damage, it's often just too severe and the customer's files are lost.

Don't be fooled into thinking data recovery is as easy as reattaching the connector by soldering the four pins back on to the circuit board. More often than not, the copper traces that connect the various components on the circuit board have become severed, or the solder pads on which the pins of the connector were attached have separated from the circuit board. What does all that mean? Soldering the pins is probably not going to fix it, and will likely only cause more damage.

Why risk your important files? The skilled data recovery engineers at FlashDrivePros.com will recover your files in 2-5 day for just $99, or in 24 hours for $299.

www.FlashDrivePros.com