[Squashman]

Got a non functioning USB stick from my mother the other day. She had been using it for a few years. I used to have that stick setup with SyncToy as her backup but when she got a new laptop she just started using it as her primary storage for her students school work and of course wasn't backing up the USB stick on a regular basis.

So when you plug in the stick nothing happens. I lifted the stick up vertically and sure enough it made contact and Windows started installing the device on my computer. A few seconds later Windows said it failed to install the device driver.

So I am thinking the 4 connectors on the stick are just so worn out that they can't make enough contact for Windows to know what device driver it needs to install.

Anyone see any caveats to soldering on a new connector? Just looks like 4 contacts. My only thought was their any difference in the USB 1.1 to USB 2 connectors. I know they both work if you plug them into either type but wasn't sure. I don't know if this was orginally a USB 2 device or not. On the logic board I can see USB1 but not sure if that means it is identifying PIN 1 of the connector or if it really is a USB 1 device.

[Squashman]

Well it was worth a shot but I screwed the pooch on pin 3. I soldered the connector pad right off the logic board. I got pins 1 and 4 which are the power so I thought for sure it would at least power up with the new connector on it but the system didn't do anything when I plugged it in. Must burned it out. There was small transistor sitting next to pin 4 and I think I touched it. Oh well.