USB not found

Using:
1.7 GHz Intel Core i5
macOS Sierra Version 10.12.3

I bought an ADATA UV128/128GB USB 3.0. I assumed it would work but at a slower speed due to the USB 2.0 port on my laptop. I used it successfully a few times over a few months. I have been using it more frequently this past week. Error messages began to pop up stating that I had removed it without ejecting but I hadn't touched it at all. I would just remove it and plug it back in and it would continue to work for a bit.

Now my laptop will not recognize it at all.

I downloaded software to try and recover the data but the USB isn't recognized by the software either.

Have I lost the data for good?

Thanks!

Welcome to our forums.

Glad to see we have you registered OK.

Most of us will tell you that it's not a good idea to store data that you depend on or need on a USB flash drive. Especially the larger ones which seem to be more prone to failure than the smaller ones. If Data Recovery software does not "see" or recognize the drive, it might be a total loss. There is also "DiskWarrior" which might work but it costs around $100 and there is no trial version as far as I know.

If you have access to a Windows computer (family or friend) you might try using the Windows Disk Manager to see if it will recognize the drive.

Would help if you supplied which Mac we are talking here. E.G. the 1.7GHz i5MB Air has USB3 connections. That removing it and plugging it back in is precisely what the error message is referring to, and doing this you can corrupt the contents and the drive itself. It is strictly necessary to either right click and use 'Eject' or simply drag the desktop icon to the Trash, and then when the icon vanishes from the desktop, remove it.

Help more if you provide more information on your Mac. This is a Mac we are talking about?

Thanks chscag! I finally clicked on the latest email lol!

I have all the original documents saved elsewhere (precisely because I'm terrified of this exact situation) that I can access. It was just the few updates I had made in the past few days. More annoying to redo them than anything. And also the cost of the drive. Thanks for the tips on larger USB flash drives, I wish someone had told me that when I purchased it, considering it was from a computer store and not a big box store. Never had issue with smaller ones.

I'll try it in a Windows computer but I won't hold my breath!

Thanks again for your response

harryb2448, yes, it is a Mac. It is a MacBook Air from 2011.

Sorry if I wasn't explaining the situation. I do eject or drag to the trash but in this case, I would be editing a document and the error message would pop up and the icon disappear from the desktop not allowing me to properly eject the USB.