USB Flash Drive Dead: How to Test with H2testw

Your understanding is absolutely correct - based on the H2testw results, your USB flash drive is indeed defective. The test showed critical data loss of 14.5 GB out of the claimed 15 GB capacity, indicating serious issues with the memory chip or device controller. The flash drive is not suitable for reliable use, especially for critical tasks like creating bootable media.

Table of Contents

• Understanding H2testw Results
• Decoding Specific Errors
• Possible Causes of Failure
• Data Recovery Options
• Recommendations for Next Steps

Understanding H2testw Results

Your H2testw results clearly indicate serious problems with the flash drive. According to H2testw reliability research, this program is the “gold standard” for detecting defective and fake USB drives.

Key indicators pointing to failure:

• Incomplete check warning: only 14,982 of 14,983 MB tested
• Defective media message: “Media is likely defective”
• Massive data loss: 14.5 GB out of 15 GB (97% of capacity)
• Damaged sectors: 30,462,536 sectors corrupted

As explained by FlashChipDirector, when a test shows significant data loss and damaged sectors, it almost always means the device is either counterfeit or has serious memory defects.

Decoding Specific Errors

Your results contain several important details that need interpretation:

First error at offset

First error at offset: 0x0000000006bb7000
Expected: 0x0000000006bb7000
Found: 0x0000000000000000

This type of error is particularly telling. As can be seen on the XDA forum, when the program expects certain data at a specific offset but finds zeros (0x0000000000000000), it indicates that the flash drive either lacks physical memory in that address range or the memory is completely non-functional.

Good vs bad sectors ratio

• Good sectors: 220,600 (107.7 MB)
• Bad sectors: 30,462,536 (14.5 GB)

According to RMPrepUSB, such a large number of damaged sectors usually means the flash drive is either:

1. A counterfeit with a reprogrammed controller
2. Has physical damage to the memory chip
3. Uses low-quality “rejected” memory chips

Possible Causes of Failure

Based on your results, several likely causes can be identified:

1. Fake capacity (most likely cause)

As explained by TechLogon, when the actual capacity of a flash drive is significantly less than claimed (107.7 MB instead of 15 GB), this is a classic sign of counterfeiting. The controller tricks the operating system into showing a larger volume than actually exists.

2. Physical damage

If it’s not a counterfeit, physical damage to the memory chip is possible. Such issues often result from:

• Overheating
• Moisture
• Physical damage
• Natural wear and tear

3. Controller issues

Sometimes the memory chip itself may be functional, but the controller that manages access to memory is faulty. In this case, data may only be readable in certain address ranges.

Data Recovery Options

Although the situation appears critical, several approaches can be attempted:

1. Attempt low-level formatting

According to the official H2testw guide, sometimes low-level formatting using specialized utilities helps. However, in your case, the chances are slim since 97% of the memory is damaged.

2. Recover accessible data

From the 107.7 MB of working sectors, you can try to extract data using:

• File recovery from the working area
• Copying important files before complete device failure

3. Professional recovery

If the flash drive contains critically important data, you can contact data recovery services. However, considering the extent of the damage, this may not be cost-effective.

Recommendations for Next Steps

1. Don’t use this flash drive for important tasks - it has already proven unreliable when installing Ventoy

2. Demand a refund - if you recently purchased the device, contact the store with a complaint about selling a low-quality product

3. Purchase verified brands - for critical tasks, use products from well-known manufacturers (Kingston, SanDisk, Samsung, etc.)

4. Regularly test new flash drives - always test new important devices using H2testw before use

5. Create backups - even working flash drives should be periodically tested, and important data should be stored in multiple locations

Your case is a classic example of why H2testw is so important for testing new USB drives. The flash drive is essentially “dead” in the sense that it cannot perform its stated functions and is not suitable for reliable use.

Sources

1. H2testw English Windows | Fake Flash Memory Information - FlashChipDirector
2. H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives
3. Test A USB Flash Drive For Errors Or Fake Size - TechLogon
4. 007 – All about ‘fake’ SD Flash cards/drives – RMPrepUSB
5. How to Check Your USB Drive for Errors and Recover Data - h2testw
6. H2testw: Test for Fake Flash Drives ✅ Check USB for errors