Insert the faulty USB drive into a native on your computer. Launch ChipGenius as an Administrator.
Modifying firmware to report a false capacity can permanently corrupt the original file structure.
where the Alcor controller cannot correctly identify the NAND flash memory chip. Specifically, "FA00" is typically a generic placeholder or error state for the AU6989SN-TA controller when it fails to read the Flash ID (FID). To attempt a recovery, follow these steps using the Recovery Steps Open AlcorMP : Run the appropriate version of the AlcorMP recovery tool for your specific controller. Configure Driver of your drive (default is often Add VID/PID Save InstallDrive : Plug in the USB stick. If it is not detected, use the Refresh (R) Test Mode (Hardware Fix)
Extract the downloaded AlcorMP archive and run AlcorMP.exe with Administrator privileges. alcor micro unknown fa00 f w fa04 top
Thus, the command executed was: .
The Controller Part-Number: Unknown label that ChipGenius shows for these FA00 drives is a quirk of the detection process. The software relies on a database of known controller signatures. While it recognizes the chip as an Alcor Micro, it's flagging that its signature—often a combination of the VID/PID ( VID = 058F PID = 1234 ) and the firmware revision—isn't an exact match for a specific, pre-listed model.
You need a version of the Alcor MPTool that supports the FA04 firmware. Look for Alcor AU6989SN-TA AU6989SN-GT Insert the faulty USB drive into a native on your computer
The string "alcor micro unknown fa00 f w fa04 top" is not random noise. It is a showing an attempt to write 0x0F to an Alcor Micro vendor register at 0xFA00 , followed by a read of 0xFA04 , ending with a stack/buffer pointer at "top" . This is most consistent with a debug routine, a driver incompatibility, or a firmware crash on a USB card reader.
When a flash drive displays an "Unknown [FA00]" status code alongside a generic firmware mask like "F/W FA04" or "FA05", it means the hardware is trapped in a boot ROM loop. Why This Happens
Before attempting to flash new firmware, you must accurately identify the chip. where the Alcor controller cannot correctly identify the
Seeing can be alarming, but it does not mean a flash drive is permanently dead. This log indicates a classic firmware mismatch or corruption state within an Alcor Micro microcontroller.
Not all AlcorMP versions support all controllers. You must use a tool that supports FA00 or AU6989SN . Check the usbdev.ru Alcor forum to find the latest tools.
With the drive , place your tool across two data pins on the NAND flash chip (typically pins 29 and 30, or alternative adjacent data I/O pins) to form a brief electrical short circuit.
Even after finding a tool, problems can arise. The most common issues reported by users with FA00 controllers are:
Optional Dual-Channel Fix: If the tool returns a channel compatibility error, toggle the channel mode from Dual Channel to . While this may reduce the final reported storage size of the flash drive by half, it safely bypasses physical trace breaks on complex multi-channel boards. Step 5: Execute the Flash Memory Overwrite