Brand new flash drive (Samsung 64GB 3.0) refuses to copy files properly

[Aurora-Storm]

Just purchased a 64GB Samsung flash drive, as listed here: https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147453&cm_re=samsung_64gb_flash_drive-_-20-147-453-_-Product.

Purchased it to store about 36 GB of sensitive information (photos, short videos, documents, etc) and have been fighting with it for over a week to copy down files from an external drive. It keeps stumbling on the photo folders by copying only parts of them, or sometimes nothing at all. Folders are often empty, or the photos are corrupted. Each time this happens I have to format the drive because either it shows the incorrect capacity (acts as though it did copy over GBs of files), or refuses to delete the empty folders at all.

I have tried:
- Copying to exFAT format
- Copying to NTFS format
- Copying after closing unnecessary processes and leaving the computer until it finishes
- Copying only a few folders at a time (starting with the folders I find consistently copy incorrectly)
- Copying after a fresh Quick Format
- Copying after a fresh regular format
- Copying after shutting down/restarting
- Checking the flash drive for bad sectors
- Unplugging and reinserting the flash drive to make sure it's secure

External drive is a 2TB Western Digital in NTFS format. OS is Windows 10.
I'm not sure which ports are USB 2.0 and which are 3.0 on my tower; I have 2 of each (Phantom 410 case, I contacted support with the question). It could be that one is in a 2.0 slot and the other in a 3.0 slot, though I'm not sure if that would cause any issues.

I am at my wits end; formatting the drive every time I copy over a few folders or opening them to see corrupted files completely defeats the purpose of storing sensitive information on the drive. There are thousands upon thousands of files and there is no way I can copy each one separately. Does the drive need to be replaced, or is there something else I should be doing to get my files to copy over?

 

[photonboy]

It seems clear to me it's a DEFECTIVE drive.

You can try the free version of this tool: https://macrorit.com/disk-surface-test/disk-surface-test.html

When a drive is formatted with successful copying of files there is no need to try multiple other formats if it fails to copy properly. It should either work properly or not at all. Partial success is a full failure.

Other:
There's also a small chance it's a fake drive.

 

[photonboy]

Probably not fake based on comments, though I should also add you should try it on a DIFFERENT COMPUTER just to be thorough.

*I also use the free version of this product to do a LOW LEVEL FORMAT of USB sticks. That's solved odd issues including for reasons I don't understand the inability of my computer to allow it to FORMAT a drive after I put Linux or other images on it.

I still think it's a defective drive but perhaps do THIS:
1) download and install this: http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
2) do a low level format (not partial) which may take an hour or so. Not sure.
3) open Macrorit DST and run a test if possible (not sure if it can "see" the drive right now though)

4) open Disk Management (right-click Start) to see the drive so you can format it (use NTFS)
5) use Macrorit DST
6) if Macrorit DST passes try using the drive

7) if still have problems try a different PC (may need to do low level format all over if your PC is somehow screwing up the NTFS or other format)

Other:
USB3.0 connections are usually BLUE but not always. Macrorit DST shows the SPEED->

USB2 devices usually max out at 32MBps but your USB stick WRITES don't seem to be faster than this. Your READS however are but I forget what Macrorit DST shows though there are other ways to check the speed of your drive.https://www.pcworld.com/article/2455205/test-the-speed-of-your-usb-drives.html

To exceed 32MBps you need:
1) both drives to be on USB3.0 connections with proper USB cable
2) files are large enough (especially for hard drives). Pretty sure 2MB file sizes are big enough.

 

[Aurora-Storm]

Probably not fake based on comments, though I should also add you should try it on a DIFFERENT COMPUTER just to be thorough.

...

Thanks for your detailed answer Photonboy. I downloaded and attempted to copy files over after running a low level format and running a successful pass with Macroit DST. The drive exhibited the same problems as usual.

It's definitely defective, and may be fake (I purchased it from a 3rd party seller through NewEgg, who had a better price at the time). At any rate I'm starting the exchange process - pretty annoyed I took so long to try and get it working I missed the window for a full refund. Not confident the next drive I get from them will be any better.