Flash drive annoyance

[Shnorkiller]

Hi All,

So I recently bought an 8gb SanDisk flash to use as a bootable drive off which I could install windows from. The problem is that in my computer it is displayed as a "hard disk drive" and not a "device with removable storage" this means that i am unable to create a bootable drive via the windows tool/unetbootin etc.

I have been trying to see if there is a way I can convert the flash back to a device with removable storage, but from everything I have read online, it seems SanDisk are purposefully doing this to comply with microsoft demands (or something like that. http://aussiestorageblog.wordpress....no-longer-removable-and-its-microsofts-fault/

Is there anyone who could advise if there is any way to change the flash drive? Alternatively, would I be able to create a bootable windows flash off my Mac? How would I go about doing that?

Would really appreciate any advice

 

[Crowley]

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...using-the-windows-7-usbdvd-download-tool.aspx

You can use the software to write any ISO and make any flash drive bootable.

 

[Shnorkiller]

Thanks, as mentioned I have already tried that tool. It says "no compatible USB device detected"

 

[agentrfr]

Thanks, as mentioned I have already tried that tool. It says "no compatible USB device detected"

Use RMprepUSB. Works on anything and is not bloatware. Get the portable version.

Check box 5 and select the .iso you want to make bootable. If you cant see your flash drive, hit Ctrl+Z and if that doesnt work try Ctrl+F5

http://www.rmprepusb.com/documents/release-2-0/RMPrepUSB_Portable_v2.1.716.zip?attredirects=0&d=1

 

[dualmeister]

Maybe see if this one also complains.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

Thanks for the heads up though.

 

[GreGorGy]

Interesting link - there must be more to it. /heads off to check sandisk drives...

 

[Shnorkiller]

Use RMprepUSB. Works on anything and is not bloatware. Get the portable version.

Check box 5 and select the .iso you want to make bootable. If you cant see your flash drive, hit Ctrl+Z and if that doesnt work try Ctrl+F5

http://www.rmprepusb.com/documents/release-2-0/RMPrepUSB_Portable_v2.1.716.zip?attredirects=0&d=1

Thanks, I'll have a try this evening and report back.

Will be really surprised if it works, everywhere I have looks online has come up short of solutions.

STAY AWAY FROM SANDISK

 

[agentrfr]

Thanks, I'll have a try this evening and report back.

Will be really surprised if it works, everywhere I have looks online has come up short of solutions.

STAY AWAY FROM SANDISK

The program works on "hard drives" as well as flash drives.

I routinely use my external USB3 3.5" HDD dock to reinstall from as it is muuuuuuuch faster than USB.

 

[Shnorkiller]

The program works on "hard drives" as well as flash drives.

I routinely use my external USB3 3.5" HDD dock to reinstall from as it is muuuuuuuch faster than USB.

Awesome! Will report back

 

[mercurial]

Throw it away. Just don't throw it on a plane.

 

[Centronix]

Maybe format it first...

 

[Syphonx]

Makes note to never buy sandisk again.

 

[hellfire]

Makes note to never buy sandisk again.

you can show your frustration by leaving your flashdisk in the bathroom of an aeroplane

 

[Syphonx]

you can show your frustration by leaving your flashdisk in the bathroom of an aeroplane

Problem is my flash drive doesn't have a camera in it

 

[mintydroid]

If I remember correctly I had to format as bootable disk first when I used windows 7 usb tool. Also disable antivirus when using the app. For some reason they seem to interfere with it's workings.

 

[NomNom]

All I can add is that my ADATA 32GB N005 USB 3.0 flash drive is also registered as a hard drive and not a flash drive.

Under Defraggler and other various hard drive programs it's registered as a SSD.

I was never able to find out how to convert it to a flash drive as I really wanted to test out the speed of installing Windows off of it.

I then decided to just buy a ADATA C103 8GB USB 3.0 flash drive to use as a bootable Windows install disk, it only has about 5MB/sec write but reads at around 70MB/sec which is still pretty fast.

 

[Shnorkiller]

Hi all, have still had no luck, tried everything that has been recommended.

 

[Dion Disco]

According to the Australian article at the beginning of this thread, it is not possible to change from Disk to Removable Disk
The commands are hardcoded in the firmware

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Hi all, have still had no luck, tried everything that has been recommended.

Load it full of goatse pixxx, leave it taped to a wall in the bathroom of an aeroplane....


Alternatively, load it full of scamra/coj sensitive documentation and leave in a public place....

 

[The_Unbeliever]

FWIW I also have a sandisk cruzer 2Gb stick. Installed Hiren's.

When booting up, I get two Sandisk entries, one for its own software, and the partition which I installed Hiren on.

Selecting the correct partition (the hiren one) starts the boot process.

Do you perhaps have two sandisk USB entries in your boot menu?