Suspect that you have a counterfeit (fake) MP Player, USB Flash drive or Memory Card that has been digitally altered to report a larger capacity than it really is? Known as “Fakes” you will find them for sale on eBay, on wholesaler internet sites and even in small retail stores around the world.
Real flash chips from genuine manufacturers have been are upgraded (reprogrammed) to lie about their real size to operating systems.
SpecTekNand Flash chips have been targeted by those who engage in this devious activity. Only when one exceeds the real capacity of the chip, does data loss begin. Buyers trying to find why the devices fail frequently take them apart to find out why they don’t hold the advertised capacity.
The first step is to try and decode the chip being used. If the brand is SpecTek you need to write down the information on the chip so you can find out what the real size is is.
The black market is busy changing the sizes of Flash nand chips with capacity of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB to report sizes from 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 260GB, 320GB, 360GB, 500GB, 512GB. So how can you find out the real size of the chip in your MP Player, USB Flash Drive or Memory Card?
SpecTek uses use coding, where each position in the chip’s serial identification has special meaning. The decoding chart is found at SpecTek.
For capacity storage sizing, Gb is Gigabits. 8 bits make a byte. So if you see 32Gb it is 32/8 = 4GB. Always divide by 8. GB is Gigabytes. Usually advertised sizes for storage use GB – Gigabytes. This is what consumers understand best for storage. It is very important to understand this difference when you consult a manufacturers decoder. If the ‘b’ is in lowercase they are referring to bits, not bytes as most everyone expects.
If you confirm that you have a fake – a digitally altered storage chip, please report it to SpecTek and let them know that one of their chips has been reprogrammed into Frankenflash. The more information the genuine manufacturers receive the more it will help them to track and investigate.
If you have a digital camera, photograph the chip close up if you can so people can easily read the serial and also do one of the whole device. This is evidence you can submit in a legal claim or as additional information in a PayPal dispute issued for an eBay purchase.
H2testw is the software tool most used by eBay victims of fake mp players to test and find the true capacity of MP Players that are fake. Finding the right software to repair an MP Player can be challenging. Some times it helps to have a look inside to see what the flash drive storage chip is and what the controller chip is. This is the first article to help you learn more about fake MP Players and what they look like inside.
This article is reprinted from SOSFakeFlash and uses a documented fake MP Player as an example.
SOSFakeFlash publishs a lot of consumer alerts on fake flash sellers prowling ebay for buyer victims. Evidence is collected and stored in a database. eBayer id’s, eBay item numbers, the model sold by the seller along with other important information.
It leads to alerts being issued on the internet and sellers being added to the famous eBay Fake Flash Sellers List. As time goes by the counts against sellers increase. Some times a victim will report in months after the fact, long after the ebay listings have disappeared. The project works hard to preserve information. Alerts are issued after the information has been collected, not before! Necessary given eBay’s recent behavior of shutting fake flash sellers down quickly to be able to remove all traces of lising information.
SOSFakeFlash, in this article will take you inside of a fake MP Player purchased on eBay and show you how it is possible to prove it is a false capacity, confirming what the program H2testw 1.4 reports in capacity testing.
Paypal likes to demand that victims return fake flash usb drives or mp players or memory cards to get a refund. “Return the crime to the criminal!” they order. On other occasions they will dismiss the test results of H2testw 1.4 and demand you find somebody at Southby’s to certify that you received a counterfeit.
The FrankenFlash Project has been in operation for over 14 months, they know something about fake mp players, usb flash drives and memory cards. The simple fact is, when the devices are taken apart – the truth is revealed. It only confirms what the program H2testw 1.4 reports. The secret? It lies in the actual flash drive nand memory chips in the device!
For most victims, taking apart a fake MP Player is not a task they feel up to. The latest contributor, Niko is up to the task and is presenting his findings for everyone to see! He has two fake MP Players to reveal to you, this is the first one sold by hitech2day. You will quickly see there is nothing “defective” here! It is clear deception on the part of fake flash sellers.
To PayPal and eBay, do pay attention! To fake flash sellers, watch out! We do our homework “dears “.
Listed on eBay hitech2day offered this model. Is it 16GB?
When Niko opened the drive this is what he saw:
So what did the flash drive chip for storage show?
This is good practise for anyone with a samsung nand flash drive chip to try out!
There is no “m” available for the last character.
So click on search.
So here we see the real chip size. It is 32G bit. 8 bits is a byte so we need to divide by 8. That makes 32Gb /8 = 4GB.
So eBay seller hitech2day has lied about the true capacity! hitech2day was not selling a 16GB MP Player but a 4GB MP Player. eBay, PayPal are you still with us? Can you do the math and follow the evidence? Do you really think ebay buyers are complaining without cause? If ebay members can do their homework, why can’t you? It’s not rocket science, you know.
Now the controller chip for the MP Player difficult to read in the photo:
It is:
AK2025
8L014BA 1LP
We can’t tell you much about it at the moment.
eBay members are not imagining things about the fake mp players being sold on eBay.
The problem is very real! Both eBay and PayPal are very much aware of it. Only they prefer to show a blind eye. After all, the money is good! The FrankenFlash project has observed that eBay and PayPal do not intend to put a stop to the traffic in fake mp players being sold.
Just how far back in time does it go? If you are a victim of a fake flash MP Player, make sure that you register there. You can also register for other fake flash items too! Let it grow! And grow! The FrankenFlash Project collects information too, so do not forget SOSFakeFlash or to report in! Every item matters and counts.
SOSFakeFlash issue’s alerts on the internet to warn and assist victims. They can not and will not issue an alert without evidence. It is very powerful! It is a record and it stays forever. They also will NOT remove an alert! If a seller on eBay is caught, the alert stays!
Niko is currently searching for a solution to repair this fake MP Player. If one is found he will present it to everyone.
Keep an eye out for Niko’s other fake flash MP seller and his repair solution coming soon.
Suspect that you have a counterfeit (fake) MP Player, USB Flash drive or Memory Card that has been digitally altered to report a larger capacity than it really is? Known as “Fakes” you will find them for sale on eBay, on wholesaler internet sites and even in small retail stores around the world.
Real flash chips from genuine manufacturers have been are upgraded (reprogrammed) to lie about their real size to operating systems. Samsung Nand Flash chips have been targeted by those who engage in this devious activity. Only when one exceeds the real capacity of the chip, does data loss begin. Buyers trying to find why the devices fail frequently take them apart to find out why they don’t hold the advertised capacity.
The first step is to try and decode the chip being used. If the brand is Samsung you need to write down the information on the chip so you can find out what the real size is is for the chip.
The black market is busy changing the sizes of Flash nand chips with capacity of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB to report sizes from 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 260GB, 320GB, 360GB, 500GB, 512GB. So how can you find out the real size of the chip in your MP Player, USB Flash Drive or Memory Card?
Samsung use coding, where each position in the chip’s serial identification has special meaning. You can use the chart to check the real size. The decoding chart is found at Samsung under Nand Flash. They also publish catalogues of the chips they make that you can download and consult.
For capacity storage sizing, Gb is Gigabits. 8 bits make a byte. So if you see 32Gb it is 32/8 = 4GB. Always divide by 8. GB is Gigabytes. Usually advertised sizes for storage use GB – Gigabytes. This is what consumers understand best for storage. It is very important to understand this difference when you consult a manufacturers decoder. If the ‘b’ is in lowercase they are referring to bits, not bytes as most everyone expects.
Samsung also offers Product Catalogues (Memory and Storage Selection Guide) in pdf file format that list all the flash drive storage chips they have made.
FixFakeFlash suggests you visit Samsung’s site get the most current information and download their pdf files:
You will find their decoder easy to use. Make sure that when you open your fake flash item that you copy all the information about the chip down correctly.
If you confirm that you have a fake – a digitally alterned storage chip, please report it to Samsung and let them know that one of their chips has been reprogrammed into frankenflash. The more information the genuine manufacturers receive the more it will help them to track and investigate.
If you have a digital camera, photograph the chip close up if you can so people can easily read the serial and also do one of the whole device. This is evidence you can submit in a legal claim or as additional information in a PayPal dispute issued for an eBay purchase.
Suspect that you have a counterfeit (fake) MP Player, USB Flash drive or Memory Card that has been digitally altered to report a larger capacity than it really is? Known as “Fakes” you will find them for sale on eBay, on wholesaler internet sites and even in small retail stores around the world.
Real flash chips from genuine manufacturers have been are upgraded (reprogrammed) to lie about their real size to operating systems. Hynix Nand Flash chips have been targeted by those who engage in this devious activity. Only when one exceeds the real capacity of the chip, does data loss begin. Buyers trying to find why the devices fail frequently take them apart to find out why they don’t hold the advertised capacity.
The first step is to try and decode the chip being used. If the brand is Hynix you need to write down the information on the chip so you can find out what the real size is is for the chip.
The black market is busy changing the sizes of Flash nand chips with capacity of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB to report sizes from 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 260GB, 320GB, 360GB, 500GB, 512GB. So how can you find out the real size of the chip in your MP Player, USB Flash Drive or Memory Card?
Hynix use coding, where each position in the chip’s serial identification has special meaning. You can use the chart to check the real size. The decoding chart is found at Hynix Nand Flash. They also publish catalogues of the chips they make that you can download and consult. They have an excellent site, it is up to date and well maintained.
For capacity storage sizing, Gb is Gigabits. 8 bits make a byte. So if you see 32Gb it is 32/8 = 4GB. Always divide by 8. GB is Gigabytes. Usually advertised sizes for storage use GB – Gigabytes. This is what consumers understand best for storage. It is very important to understand this difference when you consult a manufacturers decoder. If the ‘b’ is in lowercase they are referring to bits, not bytes as most everyone expects.
Hynix also offers Data Books in pdf file format that list all the flash drive storage chips they have made. FixFakeFlash suggests you visit Hynix’s site get the most current information and download their pdf files:
You will find their decoder easy to use. Make sure that when you open your fake flash item that you copy all the information about the chip down correctly.
If you confirm that you have a fake – a digitally altered storage chip, please report it to Hynix and let them know that one of their chips has been reprogrammed into Frankenflash. The more information the genuine manufacturers receive the more it will help them to track and investigate.
If you have a digital camera, photograph the chip close up if you can so people can easily read the serial and also do one of the whole device. This is evidence you can submit in a legal claim or as additional information in a PayPal dispute issued for an eBay purchase.
Suspect that you have a counterfeit (fake) MP Player, USB Flash drive or Memory Card that has been digitally altered to report a larger capacity than it really is? Known as “Fakes” you will find them for sale on eBay, on wholesaler internet sites and even in small retail stores around the world.
Real flash chips from genuine manufacturers have been are upgraded (reprogrammed) to lie about their real size to operating systems. Micron Nand Flash chips have been targeted by those who engage in this devious activity. Only when one exceeds the real capacity of the chip, does data loss begin. Buyers trying to find why the devices fail frequently take them apart to find out why they don’t hold the advertised capacity.
The first step is to try and decode the chip being used. If the brand is Micron you need to write down the information on the chip so you can find out what the real size is is for the chip.
The black market is busy changing the sizes of Flash nand chips with capacity of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB to report sizes from 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 260GB, 320GB, 360GB, 500GB, 512GB. How can you find out the real size of the chip in your MP Player, USB Flash Drive or Memory Card?
For capacity storage sizing, Gb is Gigabits. 8 bits make a byte. So if you see 32Gb it is 32/8 = 4GB. Always divide by 8. GB is Gigabytes. Usually advertised sizes for storage use GB – Gigabytes. This is what consumers understand best for storage. It is very important to understand this difference when you consult a manufacturers decoder. If the ‘b’ is in lowercase they are referring to bits, not bytes as most everyone expects.
Micron’s website provides searches for the flash chips. Make sure that when you open your fake flash item that you copy all the information about the chip down correctly.
FixFakeFlash suggests you visit Micron’s site get the most current information using the links below:
If you confirm that you have a fake – a digitally altered storage chip, please report it to Micron and let them know that one of their chips has been reprogrammed into Frankenflash. The more information the genuine manufacturers receive the more it will help them to track and investigate.
If you have a digital camera, photograph the chip close up if you can so people can easily read the serial chip information and also photograph the whole device. This is evidence you can submit in a legal claim or as additional information in a PayPal dispute issued for an eBay purchase.
Suspect that you have a counterfeit (fake) MP Player, USB Flash drive or Memory Card that has been digitally altered to report a larger capacity than it really is? Known as “Fakes” you will find them for sale on eBay, on wholesaler internet sites and even in small retail stores around the world.
Real flash chips from genuine manufacturers have been are upgraded (reprogrammed) to lie about their real size to operating systems. Toshiba Nand Flash chips have been targeted by those who engage in this devious activity, though not has often as for other manufacturers. Only when one exceeds the real capacity of the chip, does data loss begin. Buyers trying to find why the devices fail frequently take them apart to find out why they don’t hold the advertised capacity.
The first step is to try and decode the chip being used. If the brand is Toshiba you need to write down the information on the chip so you can find out what the real size is is for the chip.
The black market is busy changing the sizes of Flash nand chips with capacity of 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB to report sizes from 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 260GB, 320GB, 360GB, 500GB, 512GB. So how can you find out the real size of the chip in your MP Player, USB Flash Drive or Memory Card?
Toshiba use coding, but this information is not available to the public. You can visit their site to match your chip.
For capacity storage sizing, Gb is Gigabits. 8 bits make a byte. So if you see 32Gb it is 32/8 = 4GB. Always divide by 8. GB is Gigabytes. Usually advertised sizes for storage use GB – Gigabytes. This is what consumers understand best for storage. It is very important to understand this difference when you consult a manufacturers decoder. If the ‘b’ is in lowercase they are referring to bits, not bytes as most everyone expects.
FixFakeFlash suggests you visit Toshiba’s site get the most current information using the link below.
If you confirm that you have a fake – a digitally altered storage chip, please report it to Toshiba and let them know that one of their chips has been reprogrammed into Frankenflash. The more information the genuine manufacturers receive the more it will help them to track and investigate.
If you have a digital camera, photograph the chip close up if you can so people can easily read the serial and also do one of the whole device. This is evidence you can submit in a legal claim or as additional information in a PayPal dispute issued for an eBay purchase.
SOSFakeFlash has been asked by victims of fake and counterfeit MP Players purchases – how can I restore to the real capacity?MP-Archer has provided some very useful information to help you begin your journey to return your MP Player back to it’s orignal Capacity.
One of eBay’s Fake Flash victims created a neat visual guide after reporting his fake to SOSFakeFlash. It is a wonderful example for anyone interested in repairing a fake flash drive and seeing how the tools work before trying to carry out a repair. Even if you don’t have an AMECO or Micov based controller chip on your fake flash drive, it can help you prepare. Many reflashing tools are similar in their interface and the general principals to operate.
The fixfakeflash.wordpress.com site has some known solutions available. The most important information is the controller chip vendor for the flash item, known as the “Chip Part-Number” with ChipGenius.
If you don’t find a solution that works visit the main site for incoming information repair solutions. sosfakeflash.wordpress.com
FixFakeFlash from SOSFakeFlash, explains steps to rescue a fake flash (counterfeit) drive. How you can try to return it to its true size. Wrestling with FrankenFlash drives to make them useful is a mystery to most victims of fake flash drive purchases. The information FixFakeFlash has for you comes from the efforts of fake flash victims who succeeded in repairing their drives.
To repair counterfeit (fake) flash drives you need the VID and the PID for a flash drive. This will help you determine the software tool required to perform a low level reformatting (commonly known as reflashing). Reformatting in an operating system is “high level” and can not repair the drive. The controller on the flash drive has been reprogrammed to lie – this is why you normally need a special software tool. They exist and are available, but you need to know which one you must use for your drive.
The VID is the Vendor information, the PID is the flash chip controller information. The PID is supposed to identify the chip set family for a software reprogramming tool. How to find this information? The easiest way is to download a program called chipgenius – it will read the drive for you. Only if chipgenius does not find any useful information or the information does not match anything known on the internet should you consider taking your USB flash drive apart. Some drives do not come apart easily so avoid this unless you have no other choice. In most cases you will not have to consider doing this.
Update 20091023: Please consult the new FAQ at FixFakeFlash Inspectortech for important information on repairing fake flash memory items before you attempt to repair.
Follow these steps to begin the journey to fix and repair your fake USB flash drive to its real size:
FixFakeFlash Inspectortech 