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Chat => Entertainment & Technology => Topic started by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 01:45:35 AM

Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 01:45:35 AM
Ive got a 32Gb Sandisk flash drive Ive been given as "broken" by a mate, however it seems to have some kind of write-protection on it that I cant get round.  

Does anyone have any suggestions?  Ive done the first 4 pages of google results, and none of the solutions work that I can find.  Many different little apps, none of them do a damned thing!


edit :: Data doesnt matter, its all backed up elewhere.
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: knighty on February 18, 2010, 08:56:44 AM
have you tried a low level format program ?

one fixed a 1gig usb drive for me before when nothing else would work....

tho i guess that doesent help if yours is write prtected..... doesent it have a switch on it somewhere ?  maybe its broken ?
Title: Re:trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 11:07:28 AM
The Switch has been tried both ways, it still comes up write protected.  It wont format, just says I can get stuffed.  Im wondering if booting up from an install disk then formatting the drive that way might work?  Its obviously a software setting, so that should sort it?

doesnt format in Linux either :\
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: knighty on February 18, 2010, 13:36:57 PM
isnt the write protect of flash drives a hardware thing ?

Im pretty sure I remember reading something like that...
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 15:36:57 PM
Quote from: knightyisnt the write protect of flash drives a hardware thing ?

Im pretty sure I remember reading something like that...

up to a point, but according to the guy I got it from it works on his laptop, but not on anything else.  Thats no good to him, so he gave it me!  Its a £70 drive, so I want to try and get it back working.  He tried talking to corsair, and they said the stick tests out all ok as well, so were assuming its a software setting.  
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: bear on February 18, 2010, 16:59:51 PM
A setting he can revert from the laptop only perhaps ?
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 17:33:06 PM
Quote from: bearA setting he can revert from the laptop only perhaps ?

possibly, except his laptop is now in Calgary with his soon-to-be ex-wife.  
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: bear on February 18, 2010, 19:24:26 PM
well, does he know what application was used to lock the drive ? maybe you can install the same app and try to get in that way ?
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: Beaker on February 18, 2010, 21:51:27 PM
Quote from: bearwell, does he know what application was used to lock the drive ? maybe you can install the same app and try to get in that way ?

I asked him this, and he doesnt think he used anything.  His lappy was on XP Home, so its not even like the advanced security options are there.  :\

Im going to try the booting up from a Windows install disk, and format it I think.  I cant think of any other way thats brute force enough!
Title: trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: bear on February 18, 2010, 22:20:39 PM
You could try Hirens bootCD (http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd) it has password crackers etc.

http://www.hirensbootcd.net/

Title: Re:trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: XEntity on February 18, 2010, 22:38:17 PM
Or is it just a bad connection on the switch? does it just need a bit of soldering or de soldering?
Title: Re:trying to rescue a flash drive...
Post by: bear on February 19, 2010, 08:00:59 AM
Quote from: XEntityOr is it just a bad connection on the switch? does it just need a bit of soldering or de soldering?

Yes, I thought of that as a possibility as well.