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ADATA UV150 256GB shows No Media 0 bytes in Disk Management

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User question

I have an ADATA UV150/256GB. It shows up in my computer (trought Partdrive command or windows disk manager) as no media 0 bytes. How to recover itd data?

Artificial Intelligence ResponseLABEL_AI_GENERATED

Direct answer to the question

If your ADATA UV150 256 GB USB flash drive appears as “No Media” and “0 bytes” in Windows Disk Management, DiskPart, or another partition tool, then the data is not accessible by normal recovery software.

This symptom usually means:

  • The computer can still detect the USB controller inside the flash drive.
  • But the controller cannot access the NAND flash memory where your files are stored.
  • Therefore Windows sees the USB device, but it sees no readable storage media behind it.

So the practical answer is:

  • Do not format it.
  • Do not initialize it.
  • Do not use ADATA repair tools or USB mass-production tools if you need the data.
  • Do not run CHKDSK, Recuva, EaseUS, TestDisk, R-Studio, etc. yet — they cannot recover from a true 0-byte “No Media” state.
  • If the data is important, the realistic solution is a professional flash data recovery lab, often using chip-off NAND recovery or controller-level recovery.

Detailed problem analysis

1. What “No Media, 0 bytes” means

A normal USB flash drive has several layers:

Layer Function
USB connector Physical connection to the computer
USB flash controller Translates USB storage commands into NAND flash operations
NAND flash memory Stores the actual data
Firmware/translation layer Maps logical sectors to physical NAND pages and blocks
Partition/filesystem FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, etc.

When a drive has a simple filesystem problem, Windows may show:

  • Correct size, for example 238 GB or 256 GB
  • RAW filesystem
  • “You need to format this disk”
  • Damaged partition table

In those cases, software recovery may work.

Your case is different. If the drive shows:

No Media
0 bytes
0 MB
No usable space

then Windows is not receiving any valid logical sectors from the device. The USB controller is probably still alive, but it cannot present the NAND memory as a usable disk.

That usually points to one of these failures:

  1. NAND flash failure

    • The memory chip is damaged, degraded, or unreadable.

  2. Controller failure

    • The USB flash controller is damaged or has corrupted firmware.

  3. Firmware/translator corruption

    • The controller lost the internal mapping table that translates logical sectors into physical NAND locations.

  4. Broken solder joint or PCB fault

    • The controller may be powered, but the NAND chip may not be connected or powered correctly.

  5. Power rail failure

    • The controller may receive power, but the NAND flash may not receive its required voltage, commonly 3.3 V and sometimes 1.8 V depending on design.

In all of these cases, the problem is below the filesystem level. That is why normal file recovery programs cannot help.

2. Why Recuva, TestDisk, CHKDSK, EaseUS, R-Studio, etc. will not work

Software recovery tools require access to readable sectors. For example, they need to scan logical block addresses such as:

LBA 0
LBA 1
LBA 2
...

But with a true “No Media, 0 bytes” fault, the operating system sees no valid LBA range at all.

So recovery software has nothing to scan.

This is different from a damaged partition table. If the USB stick still reported its real capacity, for example around 238 GiB usable capacity for a 256 GB drive, then tools like R-Studio, UFS Explorer, DMDE, GetDataBack, or TestDisk might have a chance.

But if the drive reports 0 bytes, the failure is usually at controller/NAND level, not partition level.

What you should do immediately

Step 1: Stop using the drive

Unplug it and do not keep trying random repair commands. Repeated power cycling can make a marginal NAND or controller failure worse.

Avoid:

format
chkdsk
diskpart clean
diskpart create partition
initialize disk
repair USB drive
ADATA recovery/repair utility
SMI MPTool / Phison MPALL / AlcorMP / other mass-production tools

Especially avoid mass-production tools. They are designed to reinitialize the flash drive for reuse, not to preserve user data. They may erase the NAND, rebuild bad-block tables, overwrite firmware parameters, or destroy the original translation layout.

If you need the files, do not use them.

Step 2: Confirm the symptom on another machine

Try only non-destructive checks:

  1. Plug the USB stick into another computer.
  2. Try both USB 2.0 and USB 3.x ports.
  3. If available, try Linux and check:
lsusb
dmesg
lsblk
sudo fdisk -l

On Windows, check:

diskpart
list disk
list volume

If every system shows 0 bytes / No Media, then the diagnosis is almost certainly hardware/controller/NAND failure.

Step 3: Use ChipGenius or Flash Drive Information Extractor only for identification

You may use a read-only diagnostic tool such as:

  • ChipGenius
  • Flash Drive Information Extractor

These tools may show:

  • VID/PID
  • Controller vendor
  • Controller model
  • Flash ID
  • Firmware state

Useful signs:

Diagnostic result Meaning
Controller detected, NAND not detected Controller is alive but cannot communicate with flash
Flash ID reads as 000000, FFFF, or blank NAND communication failure
Generic name instead of ADATA Controller may be in fallback/ROM mode
Correct NAND ID visible There may still be a controller/firmware issue, but recovery may be more feasible

ADATA UV150 drives may use different controllers depending on production batch. Some may use Silicon Motion, Phison, Alcor, or other controllers. Do not assume one exact controller unless your diagnostic tool confirms it.

Important: identification is safe; reprogramming is not.

Professional recovery options

1. Controller-level recovery

If the controller is still partially functional, a professional lab may attempt to access the drive through vendor-specific commands or recovery modes.

This requires specialized tools and knowledge of the specific controller family.

2. Chip-off NAND recovery

If the controller cannot access the NAND, the lab may remove the NAND flash chip from the USB drive and read it directly.

The process is approximately:

  1. Open the USB drive.
  2. Identify controller and NAND package.
  3. Desolder NAND flash memory using hot air or infrared rework equipment.
  4. Read the NAND chip using a specialized NAND reader.
  5. Correct bit errors using ECC algorithms.
  6. Reconstruct page/block layout.
  7. Undo scrambling/xor patterns if used.
  8. Rebuild wear-leveling translation.
  9. Reassemble logical filesystem and extract files.

This is not the same as reading a normal disk image. Raw NAND data is not stored in simple sequential file order. It contains:

  • Pages
  • Blocks
  • Spare/OOB areas
  • ECC metadata
  • Bad block markers
  • Wear-leveling layout
  • Possibly interleaving
  • Possibly scrambling/encryption-like transformation
  • Controller-specific translation tables

That is why chip-off recovery needs professional flash recovery equipment and experience.

DIY hardware checks — only if the data is not valuable enough for a lab

If the files are important, do not open or heat the device yourself. Send it to a proper flash recovery lab.

If the data is not worth professional cost, and you have electronics repair experience, you can inspect the PCB.

Possible checks:

1. Visual inspection

Look for:

  • Cracked USB connector solder joints
  • Bent connector pins
  • Corrosion
  • Broken PCB traces
  • Burn marks
  • Missing capacitors or resistors
  • Mechanical damage near the controller or NAND

A cracked USB connector can sometimes cause unstable detection. However, if the device consistently identifies as a USB storage controller but reports No Media, the connector is not the only suspect.

2. Check power rails

With a multimeter, check whether the NAND receives power.

Typical rails may include:

  • 5 V from USB input
  • 3.3 V for controller/NAND
  • Sometimes 1.8 V for NAND I/O or controller core

If the controller receives power but NAND power is missing, the drive may enumerate as a USB device but report no media.

Possible failed parts:

  • LDO regulator
  • Small fuse or zero-ohm resistor
  • Decoupling capacitor short
  • Damaged PCB trace

3. Reflow risk

Some people try reflowing the NAND or controller. This can occasionally restore a cracked solder joint temporarily, but it is risky.

Risks include:

  • Overheating NAND
  • Warping PCB
  • Damaging bond wires or BGA joints
  • Making professional recovery harder
  • Permanently destroying marginal flash memory

If the data matters, do not reflow it.

What not to do

Avoid these if you need the data:

Action Why it is dangerous
Format the drive Destroys filesystem structures if the drive becomes accessible
Initialize in Disk Management Writes new partition metadata
diskpart clean Removes partition information
CHKDSK Can modify filesystem structures destructively
USB mass-production tool Can erase/reinitialize NAND and destroy translation data
Firmware flashing May overwrite controller parameters needed for recovery
Random YouTube “0 bytes fix” methods Usually intended to make the drive reusable, not recover data
Freezing/heating the USB stick Unreliable and can worsen physical damage

Practical decision path

Use this decision tree:

Is the data important?
|
+-- Yes
| |
| +-- Stop using the drive.
| +-- Do not format, repair, flash, or reinitialize.
| +-- Contact a professional flash recovery lab.
| +-- Tell them: ADATA UV150 256GB, shows No Media / 0 bytes.
|
+-- No
|
+-- Try another PC/USB port/Linux.
+-- Use ChipGenius only to identify controller.
+-- If still 0 bytes, data is effectively not recoverable by DIY software.
+-- You may try controller MPTool only if you accept total data loss.

What to tell a recovery lab

When contacting a lab, give them clear information:

Device: ADATA UV150 256GB USB flash drive
Symptom: Detected by Windows but shows No Media, 0 bytes
Tools checked: Disk Management / DiskPart / partition tool
Important: Data recovery required; do not repair or reformat
Question: Can you perform controller-level or chip-off NAND recovery?

Ask whether they have experience with:

  • USB flash recovery
  • NAND chip-off recovery
  • ADATA UV-series drives
  • Silicon Motion / Phison / Alcor / similar USB flash controllers
  • Monolithic or TSOP/BGA NAND recovery, depending on the actual construction

Also ask if they offer a free or low-cost diagnosis before full recovery.

Current information and trends

Modern USB flash drives have become harder to recover than older ones because:

  • NAND densities are higher.
  • TLC/QLC NAND has lower endurance than older SLC/MLC.
  • Controllers use more complex wear-leveling.
  • ECC requirements are stronger.
  • Some devices use monolithic construction, where the controller and NAND are integrated into one package or epoxy-covered module.
  • Some controllers use scrambling, interleaving, and non-obvious mapping algorithms.

For a 256 GB USB flash drive, professional recovery is possible in many cases, but success depends heavily on the physical condition of the NAND and whether the controller’s translation parameters can be reconstructed.

Possible outcomes

Situation Recovery chance
Bad USB connector only Good, if repaired carefully
Failed power rail to NAND Good to moderate, if repaired without damaging NAND
Controller firmware corruption Moderate, lab tools may help
Controller dead but NAND healthy Moderate to good with chip-off
NAND severely degraded Poor to moderate
NAND internally shorted or physically damaged Poor
MPTool already used / low-level reinitialized Much worse
Drive formatted after becoming accessible Worse, but sometimes partial recovery possible

Brief summary

Your ADATA UV150 showing “No Media, 0 bytes” is almost certainly not a normal partition or filesystem problem. It usually means the USB controller cannot access the NAND flash memory. Because the operating system sees no readable sectors, normal data recovery software cannot recover the files.

If the data is important:

  1. Stop using the USB drive.
  2. Do not format, initialize, run CHKDSK, or use MPTool/firmware repair tools.
  3. Contact a professional flash data recovery lab and ask about chip-off or controller-level recovery.

If the data is not important, you may experiment with controller identification and repair tools, but assume that such tools will destroy the existing data.

User question

Where can I find ADATA repair tools?

Follow-up question was generated by AI

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

You can find official ADATA tools on the ADATA Support website, under your product’s support/download section. ADATA’s current support page lets you select your device and find downloads, FAQs, and warranty information. (adata.com)

What you need depends on the device type:

  • ADATA SSD / XPG SSD: use ADATA SSD Toolbox from ADATA’s support/download area.
  • ADATA USB flash drive: ADATA does not currently appear to provide a public generic USB repair tool. Older ADATA USB online recovery tools existed, but the old usbdiy path currently returns 404 Not Found. ([]())
  • Warranty/RMA repair: use ADATA’s support, warranty check, contact, or repair-status pages. ADATA has a warranty check page that asks for the product serial number, and a repair-status page for existing cases. (adata.com)

Detailed problem analysis

1. If you have an ADATA SSD

Look for ADATA SSD Toolbox.

It is the official ADATA utility for SSDs. According to ADATA’s own SSD Toolbox guide, it is intended for ADATA SSD products and provides drive information, SMART status, diagnostics, firmware-update access, TRIM/optimization, and security erase functions. ADATA also warns to back up data before firmware updates or erasing the SSD. (adata.com)

Use it for:

  • Checking SSD health
  • Reading SMART attributes
  • Checking firmware version
  • Accessing firmware-update options
  • Running diagnostics
  • Secure erase, if supported

Important: SSD Toolbox is not for normal USB flash drives. It usually will not repair an ADATA UV128, UV150, C008, S102, etc. USB stick.

2. If you have an ADATA USB flash drive

This is more complicated.

ADATA USB flash drives often use controllers from companies such as:

  • Silicon Motion / SMI
  • Phison
  • Innostor
  • Alcor
  • Chipsbank
  • Other USB flash controller vendors

There is usually no one universal ADATA USB repair tool. Old ADATA USB “online recovery” tools reportedly generated a controller-specific formatter/reflash tool after entering the drive serial number. An AnandTech forum thread from 2019 describes an ADATA online flash-drive recovery/format program that provided an SMI High-Level Format Tool for an ADATA UV128 drive, but this appears to have been a legacy solution rather than a normal current download. (forums.anandtech.com)

As of my check, the old ADATA USB DIY recovery path is not available and returns 404 Not Found. ([]())

So for USB flash drives, your realistic options are:

Goal Where to go Risk
Keep/recover data Professional data recovery Expensive but safest
Make drive usable again, data not important Controller-specific MPTool / formatter Usually destroys all data
Warranty replacement ADATA support/RMA Device may be replaced, data not recovered

Current information and trends

Currently, ADATA’s public support flow is centered around:

  • Device-specific support pages
  • SSD Toolbox for SSDs
  • Warranty check and RMA/service
  • Professional data recovery referral

ADATA also promotes DriveSavers as a professional data recovery partner. ADATA’s data recovery page states that ADATA customers can use DriveSavers for professional recovery services, with free evaluation and a “no data, no charge” policy. (adata.com)

This is important because many “repair” tools for flash drives are actually mass-production tools. They may reinitialize the NAND and controller firmware, but they are not data-recovery tools.

Practical guidelines

If you want official ADATA software

  1. Go to the ADATA Support page.
  2. Select your product type/model.
  3. Look under Downloads, Software, or Firmware.
  4. For SSDs, download ADATA SSD Toolbox if available. (adata.com)

If you want warranty repair or replacement

Use:

  • ADATA warranty check if you have the serial number. (adata.com)
  • ADATA support/contact page for technical support or warranty service inquiries. (adata.com)
  • ADATA repair-status page if you already have a case number. (adata.com)

If you want to repair a USB flash drive yourself

Only do this if the data is not important.

  1. Identify the USB controller using a tool such as ChipGenius, Flash Drive Information Extractor, or similar.
  2. Note:
    • VID/PID
    • Controller vendor
    • Controller model
    • NAND flash ID
  3. Search for the matching controller MPTool, not just “ADATA repair tool.”
  4. Expect a full wipe/reinitialization.

Examples of search terms:

  • ADATA UV150 SMI MPTool
  • ADATA UV128 Phison repair tool
  • ADATA USB no media controller tool
  • SMI High Level Format Tool ADATA

Be careful: third-party MPTools are often distributed on enthusiast/repair sites and may contain unsafe files. Run them only on a disposable Windows system if you understand the risk.

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

  • If the drive shows “No Media”, 0 bytes, or no capacity in Disk Management, normal recovery software will usually not help.
  • If you need the data, do not run MPTool, format tools, firmware flashers, CHKDSK, or secure erase.
  • ADATA SSD Toolbox can help with ADATA SSD diagnostics and firmware access, but it is not a general-purpose repair utility.
  • USB flash-drive “repair” usually means wiping/rebuilding the controller/NAND mapping, not recovering files.

Brief summary

  • For ADATA SSDs, get ADATA SSD Toolbox from ADATA Support.
  • For ADATA USB flash drives, there is no current generic official public repair tool; old ADATA USB online recovery tools appear to be legacy/unavailable.
  • For warranty repair, use ADATA’s support/warranty/RMA pages.
  • For data recovery, use a professional lab before trying any repair or MPTool.
  • For reuse only, identify the USB controller and look for the matching controller-specific MPTool, but expect total data loss.

User question

Where can I find ADATA repair tools for my ADATA UV150/256GB. Flash Drive?

Follow-up question was generated by AI

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

For an ADATA UV150 256GB USB flash drive, start with ADATA’s official Support / Warranty / Data Recovery pages, but do not expect a current public “one-click ADATA repair tool” to be listed there. ADATA’s current support page mainly directs users to product downloads, FAQs, and warranty information, while the UV150 support/product page exists for that model. (adata.com)

If you want to make the flash drive usable again and you do not need the files, the practical tools are usually controller-specific mass-production tools, not model-specific ADATA tools. For UV150 drives, you first need to identify the internal USB controller, then look for the matching tool on sites such as:

  • ADATA official support — safest first stop for warranty/replacement.
  • ADATA Data Recovery — use this route if the data matters. (adata.com)
  • USBDev.ru — large archive of USB controller repair / MPTool utilities.
  • FlashBoot.ru — another archive with SMI, Phison, Alcor, and other USB flash production tools.
  • Search terms after identifying the controller:
    “SMI MPTool SM3267”, “SMI MPTool SM3281”, “Dyna Mass Storage Production Tool SM3281”, etc.

Detailed problem analysis

ADATA does not necessarily use one fixed controller in every UV150 batch. The outside label says ADATA UV150 256GB, but the internal controller may be from Silicon Motion / SMI, Phison, Alcor, Chipsbank, or another vendor depending on production batch. Therefore, searching only for “ADATA UV150 repair tool” is often ineffective.

The old ADATA USB Flash Drive Online Recovery utility did exist. It was described as a tool that could restore drive function by rebuilding firmware and formatting the drive, and it was intended for cases such as drives that could not be formatted or could be detected but not read. (hexus.net) However, that old ADATA online-recovery path is not reliably available from ADATA’s current public support pages, so the realistic repair route is usually to identify the controller and use the matching factory tool.

The important distinction is:

Goal Recommended path
Recover files Do not run MPTool or “online recovery.” Use ADATA data recovery or a professional lab.
Make the USB usable again, data not important Identify controller, then use the correct mass-production tool.
Warranty replacement Contact ADATA support/warranty.
Drive shows “No Media” / “0 bytes” Usually requires controller-specific MPTool; success is not guaranteed.

Practical way to find the correct tool

1. Identify the controller first

Use a diagnostic utility such as:

  • ChipGenius
  • Flash Drive Information Extractor
  • USBDeview / USB Device Tree Viewer for VID/PID information

Look for these fields:

  • VID / PID
  • Controller Vendor
  • Controller Part Number
  • Flash ID
  • Reported capacity
  • Firmware / ISP version

For many ADATA USB drives, the VID is often 125F, but the VID/PID alone is not enough. You need the controller number.

Example controller names you might see:

  • SM3267AE
  • SM3281AB
  • SM3281BB
  • SM3269
  • Phison PS2251-xx
  • Alcor AU69xx
  • Chipsbank CBMxxxx

2. If it is Silicon Motion / SMI

Many UV150-family drives reported in repair databases use SMI / Silicon Motion controllers. FlashBoot’s iFlash database, for example, lists an ADATA UV150 entry with VID 125F, PID DC1A, and an SMI SM3281AB controller, though that specific database entry is for a 32GB model, not necessarily your 256GB unit. (flashboot.ru)

For SMI-based drives, look for:

  • SMI MPTool
  • Dyna Mass Storage Production Tool
  • SM32X / SM3281 / SM3267 tools

USBDev has SMI packages covering controllers such as SM3267AB, SM3267AE, SM3281AB, SM3281BA, SM3281BB, and related chips. (usbdev.ru) FlashBoot also hosts SMI MPTool versions; one example lists support for controllers including SM3267AB and notes the common settings password 320. (flashboot.ru)

For newer SMI controllers, especially SM3271 / SM3281-family devices, Dyna Mass Storage Production Tool may be relevant. FlashBoot lists Dyna versions supporting controller families including SM3267AC, SM3267AE, SM3268, SM3269, and SM3271. (flashboot.ru) USBDev also references Dyna tools for SM3281AB / SM3281BB in discussion of SMI repair tools. (usbdev.ru)

3. If it is not SMI

Use the controller name from ChipGenius / FDIE and search the same archives by controller family:

Controller vendor Search for
Phison Phison MPALL PS2251
Alcor AlcorMP AU698x
Chipsbank CBM2099 / CBM2199 MPTool
SMI / Silicon Motion SMI MPTool, Dyna Mass Storage Production Tool
FirstChip FirstChip MPTool

Important warning

Most “repair” or “MPTool” utilities perform a low-level reinitialization of the USB flash controller and NAND. That normally means:

  • existing files are destroyed;
  • the NAND translation table is rebuilt;
  • bad blocks may be remapped;
  • the VID/PID, serial number, and product name may change;
  • wrong tool selection can make the drive worse.

So, if there is any important data on the UV150, do not run these tools first. Contact ADATA or a data recovery lab.

Practical guidelines

  1. Plug the UV150 directly into a rear motherboard USB port if using a desktop PC. Avoid hubs.
  2. Run ChipGenius or Flash Drive Information Extractor.
  3. Record:
    • VID/PID
    • controller vendor
    • controller part number
    • flash ID
  4. Search USBDev.ru or FlashBoot.ru using the controller part number, not only the ADATA model name.
  5. Download only the tool matching the controller family.
  6. Use a Windows PC, preferably Windows 7/10/11.
  7. Remove other USB flash drives before running MPTool.
  8. Expect full data loss.
  9. After repair, test the drive with a full-capacity write/read test such as H2testw or F3 before trusting it.

Brief summary

You probably will not find a current official ADATA UV150 repair utility on ADATA’s public support pages. Use ADATA support or data recovery if the files matter. If your goal is only to make the flash drive usable again, identify the internal controller with ChipGenius or Flash Drive Information Extractor, then look for the matching SMI MPTool, Dyna Mass Storage Production Tool, Phison MPALL, AlcorMP, or equivalent tool on USBDev.ru or FlashBoot.ru.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.
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