usb memory stick write protected

[koos]

I have a 1gb usb flash memory stick (deonet) with a lot of useless data on it. Is it possible to delete or format and put new data on it as it is write protected.?

 

[HavocXphere]

If its a physical write protect switch then you'll need to do something about that first.

 

[UnDeR±tAkEr]

Yip it might just be the little switch on the memory stick that has flipped to the write-protection side. Just flip it to the other side and see if it works.

 

[koos]

thanks but there is no switch

 

[milomak]

when ws the last time you wrote to it? what is it formatted as currently? If it is FAT32 or NTFS, try doing a chkdsk <drive>: /f on the drive. I assume of course you use Windows.

 

[nocilah]

thanks but there is no switch

not read only files or files or folders set to read only?

could be poked. can you write anything onto it?

 

[koos]

No cant write anything to it. Got it at a congress with all the academic stuff on it. I printed the papers I want and just want to use it for mp3 files etc. Dont want to throw a 1gig memory stick away...

 

[Fudzy]

Have you tried deleting the file system? Right click on your My Computer Icon, goto Manage then goto Disk Management under storage. Find the flash drive on the list on the right

** WARNING : MAKE DAMN SURE YOU HAVE SELECTED THE FLASH DRIVE HERE ***

Then right click on it and select Delete partition... once thats done then create it again through the same context menu. Choose FAT32 and format it.

 

[milomak]

ah wait. you say you got it from a conference with stuff on it. that i think probably changes things.

I haven't used Windows in some time. I suspect though Disk Management has a setting that can allow it to be formatted. My suspicion is that there is a software setting to make it read only. And if that is the case, then there is very likely a case to do otherwise.

I remember my wife once brought back a USB like that which caused issues in XP, but whas readable in Linux as any other USB stick. Of course we never tried to format it, but I suspect I could have if I wanted to.

 

[koos]

Then right click on it and select Delete partition...

No does not work in XP. Not possible to delete or format. I get the same message everytime "media is write protected".
No wait...I created a new volume and is now possible to write to disk, just cant delete the congress data . Still a lot of memory left on disk, so it is OK.
Thanks for your help

 

[milomak]

Was what you last posted through Disk Management?

 

[koos]

yes