[dlalonde]

Hello

I need to have my BlackBerry Playbook mounted as a real USB drive and not just a network drive. When you plug in with the USB cable, it mounts the content of the tablet but as a network drive with an IP address (and I'm not talking about Wifi sharing).

Some files were lost and I need to get them back. But to use Tools such as Recuva and other undelete apps, it needs to be a real USB drive and not a network drive.

Is that possible? How?

Thank you!

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Mine only shows up as a USB drive. Did you at some point map a drive to your network connected PlayBook??

I assume you have enable USB Storage?

[annon91221]

In order to see it as an IP address, I believe you need to have the USB storage mode off..

Posted via CB10

[dlalonde]

I did map it but on another computer. Does the machine itself remember that?

I will check tonight but I think I do have USB Storage on. I can only see the drive when the USB cable is connected.

And I'm a proper newbie so sorry if there are things I don't know

[pacoman03]

This issue has been discussed a number of times before, and, as far as I know, what you want to do is just not possible.

[dlalonde]

So you're saying that there are no ways for me to recover those files? Like if I delete files on a USB drive, a hard drive, an SSD, an SD card or an Android device I can undelete them. But on my PlayBook it's gone forever?

[Gooseberry Falls]

So you're saying that there are no ways for me to recover those files? Like if I delete files on a USB drive, a hard drive, an SSD, an SD card or an Android device I can undelete them. But on my PlayBook it's gone forever?

I've never heard of anyone getting files back and always thought it was because of BBRY security. So you have to back up. I did see this app that claims it can get files back from ANY tablet and it lists BBRY. Unfortunately, a lot of these software manufacturers believe PB has an SD card. So I'd ask them first.
BYclouder � Tablet Computer Data Recovery - Recover lost data and files from any Tablet Computer.

[dlalonde]

The sad thing is that I was trying to back things up. Here's what happened:

Tried to connect USB using Windows 8.1 but it would mount. So I downloaded the latest Blackberry Manager on my system and opened it up. It said that it could not find a Blackberry and asked me if I want to repair. So I clicked Yes. I didn't see, at the bottom of the message, that it said it would wipe my whole tablet which it did. So I lost everything, including footage from last Christmas, before I could even back it up

[Gooseberry Falls]

The sad thing is that I was trying to back things up. Here's what happened:

Tried to connect USB using Windows 8.1 but it would mount. So I downloaded the latest Blackberry Manager on my system and opened it up. It said that it could not find a Blackberry and asked me if I want to repair. So I clicked Yes. I didn't see, at the bottom of the message, that it said it would wipe my whole tablet which it did. So I lost everything, including footage from last Christmas, before I could even back it up

Ahhh. Bummer. Other options would have been to back up the videos to cloud storage (Box, Skydrive) or transfer them to PC via wifi network. USB connections are so iffy and driver dependent, I hardly ever use them. I know, hindsight 20/20...

[dlalonde]

Yeah I'll have to be more cautious with backups (and I'll be connecting only with Windows 7 from now on).

Thanks everyone

[blueberrymerry]

The PlayBook always connects as a SMB network share in the 169.254.x.x address range over USB, no matter what desktop OS you're using. You can find the address by going into Settings/About/Network. For some reason copying a file to the PlayBook over USB takes 3x as long as over mass storage or MTP.

Stupid? Yes. Secure? That's BlackBerry's excuse for it, I guess.

[dlalonde]

I really don't see how it's more secure. Well any way I'll have to put up with it.

[pacoman03]

It's more secure precisely because it prevents anyone from doing what you're trying to do. So, if you wipe your Playbook and then sell it or give it away, files deleted during the wipe will not be recoverable by the new owner. Also, if your Playbook is lost or stolen, and assuming that it is password protected, the thief/finder will not be able to recover your files since the Playbbok will wipe itself after 10 incorrect password attempts. If these files were easily recoverable, how secure would that be?

[SEAWARRIOR]

sometimes restarting pc then plugging in playbook will reinstall drivers for use as usb,,, it should show up as Z: drive,,, i also have mine mapped & it shows up as both Z: & P: (my chosen map assignment) when plugged in w/ the leash...