Read-Only USB Drive, Win7/WinXP

[5-90]

I have no idea how I did this. I didn't do it on purpose, and I don't see how it happened...

I have a 32GB thumb drive that I use as a transfer drive between a WinXP Home machine and a Win7Pro64-bit for moving files back & forth.

Somehow, this has suddenly decided it wanted to be read-only. Can't format it, and I've been pillaging around in context menus - can't even find a global switch option for the drive as a whole, and the files & folders don't show as "Read-Only" in properties.

This is driving me batty - because it cuts down on moving files & backups around. Pain in the arse!

Help, please...

 

[SleeperXJ]

I'm guessing your getting the infamous "you don't have required permissions" error.
Go to the start menu, find the command prompt icon, right click and select "Run as Administrator". That should allow you to format.

 

[5-90]

I are an admin - on both machines. When I go to do anything that involves writing, I simply get "The disk is write protected."

 

[kastein]

Is there a switch on the drive like on a microsd card? Might have accidentally hit it.

 

[5-90]

Is there a switch on the drive like on a microsd card? Might have accidentally hit it.

Just checked again - no lock toggle that I can see (it was the first thing I thought of.)

 

[TA2Jeep]

Reformat it - FAT32..

 

[5-90]

Reformat it - FAT32..

Formatted FAT32@16KB.

But, it won't let me do it - it's "write-protected." (The error I posted is from an attempt to reformat...)

 

[cf_collins]

How old is it? Thumb drives are a type of flash media, like an SD card for a camera. They are only good for so many read/write cycles. Solid State Hard drives have the same limitation, but run load balancing software to last longer.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive

 

[cf_collins]

I have no idea how I did this. I didn't do it on purpose, and I don't see how it happened...

I have a 32GB thumb drive that I use as a transfer drive between a WinXP Home machine and a Win7Pro64-bit for moving files back & forth.

Somehow, this has suddenly decided it wanted to be read-only. Can't format it, and I've been pillaging around in context menus - can't even find a global switch option for the drive as a whole, and the files & folders don't show as "Read-Only" in properties.

This is driving me batty - because it cuts down on moving files & backups around. Pain in the arse!

Help, please...

Email the files to your self.

 

[xj_maniac_newb]

Have you tried this?

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_remove_write_protected_error_for_the_flash_drive

 

[5-90]

How old is it? Thumb drives are a type of flash media, like an SD card for a camera. They are only good for so many read/write cycles. Solid State Hard drives have the same limitation, but run load balancing software to last longer.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive

Bought it only a couple of months ago (Patriot Xporter 32GB,) and I'm aware of the quantum limitations on flash drives.

And the files are too big to email back & forth to myself, or I just have to move too many of them at once (moving files around to back up on BD-ROM - 25GB at a time!)

I'll check the link posted after, it's coming up now.

 

[5-90]

Have you tried this?

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_remove_write_protected_error_for_the_flash_drive

Great. Howcumzit nearly any significant error - not of my own creation - involves shutting down? All I want is a simple way to fix problem - especially when I didn't create them!

Bugger. Let's see if it works, I'll do it on the other machine.

 

[xj_maniac_newb]

Great. Howcumzit nearly any significant error - not of my own creation - involves shutting down? All I want is a simple way to fix problem - especially when I didn't create them!

Bugger. Let's see if it works, I'll do it on the other machine.

I understand what you mean.. I used to use my droid's microSD as a flash drive for a short while until i got a phone call while it was synced.. Apparently thats a good way to fry a microSD.

 

[5-90]

Have you tried this?

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_remove_write_protected_error_for_the_flash_drive

Did that, under XP Media Center 22002 SP2.

ERROR - "Windows was unable to complete the format."

Repeated attempt yields repeated error. Next, please...

EDIT - Tried Quick Format and Full Format. Now trying under the Command Prompt, in Safe Mode.

EDIT2 - "Invalid media or Track 0 Bad - Disk Unusable." The thing still reads, but I wonder if something critical blew up? Where'd I leave that LLF utility...?

 

[Mesh]

Patriot has a utility for that.

Low Level Format Tool: Write-Protected USB http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums...ted-USB-(Don-t-forget-to-leave-E-mail-Address!)

 

[5-90]

Patriot has a utility for that.

Low Level Format Tool: Write-Protected USB http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums...ted-USB-(Don-t-forget-to-leave-E-mail-Address!)

Thanks! Requested. Hope it works.

 

[kastein]

Got a linux machine? Try formatting it with that.

If that doesn't work, you might just have a ****ed up flash drive.

 

[cf_collins]

Set up an older, unused computer as a file server. Install massive hard drives. The rest of the home computers become workstations. Side benefit, only one computer will need hard drive upgrades in the future.

 

[5-90]

Set up an older, unused computer as a file server. Install massive hard drives. The rest of the home computers become workstations. Side benefit, only one computer will need hard drive upgrades in the future.

It's on my list - just had other things before me.

Meanwhile, I've gone back & forth with Patriot, and now have an RMA#. Drive will ship this week-end.

(What I need is a big NAS RAID1 array - about 10TB or so.)

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Only 10TB? Ha.