This is topic Technophobe Begging (Ouch! How'd my USB Drive get there?) in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
*hangs head

I don't know if there is an easy fix to this or not. If not, please don't waste your time on it -- I'll figure something else out.

I somehow set my portable USB drive to "read only." Now I cannot write onto it from any computer. Also, some of the computers I use will recognize it's there when I plug it in, and others are all "Removable drive? What drive? I don' see no drive."

(I did make sure I was plugging it in at the right place and the right way, so far as I can tell.)

Ideas? Comments? Laughter coupled with pointing fingers?


 

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Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
 
What brand/model is it? Have you tried the manufacturer's website, knowledge base and/or documentation?
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
Uh, there are different brands? And "documentation?" *sheepish

Okay. I can do this. I will go hunt. It will be ... an adventure! Yeah! Just think of all the exciting things I can learn. Here we go.

It's fun, it's magic, it's technology!

*morose
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
Any idea what did you do that set it to "read only"?
 

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Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
 
If you're running a PC, plug the drive in, open windows explorer, right click any of your drives (your hard drive or CD drive will work, too), click "properties," click the Hardware tab, and let me know what your flash drive is labeled - that will usually give you a clue as to the manufacturer, as well as the model number.

Alternately, if you remember where you bought it (online hopefully!) and/or have the receipt, that can also help a ton.
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
I always, hmmm ... disengage? ... the drive before pulling it out. This time, I did the usual clicks to get to the "X is now safe to remove" prompt, but it never came up. I kept trying to get it to tell me it was safe to eject, but the computer wouldn't say it. So I rebooted the computer, and now my lil guy is a ghost.

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Thanks, erosomniac! I will do that tomorrow. (I have to give the laptop to my spouse now.) I've also bookmarked this thread, accessed via Googlefu, which may be of help.

Summary/Translation:

quote:

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I have a GXT Mobile Disk USB 2.0 2gig flash drive (aka USB Key, Memory Stick, etc.)

It has begun to act rather odd. It will only mount with the read/write switch in "read only" mode. Plugging it in with the switch in Read/Write mode results in no mounted disk, although the Disk Utility does see it, but can't eject it. The System Profiler does see it.

Other USB flash drives are recognized instantly (tried two others, different brands).
...

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quote:

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FIXED

Sometimes perseverence pays off...

Found this HP Drive Key Boot Utility (http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/serveroptions/us/download/23839.html) (45 megs, Windows program). Hooked my "dead" USB stick to my roommate's old Windows machine, and I was able to reformat it on the first shot.

NOTE that although the utility is for HP-branded memory sticks, it apparently works with several kinds of USB flash drives. So - if you have a dead drive laying around, give it a shot!

Glad to get these 2 gigs of space back....

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