Windows 7 not letting me load cruzer

I’m getting the following error:

Windows has allocated a drive letter to the U3 drive that is already taken by another drive on your machine or there are no more drive letters available on this machine.  Try disconnecting any network drives that you have connected to your computer and restart U3 by double-clicking LaunchU3.exe or the U3 System CD-ROM icon.  __Once the U3 Launchpad is running, you can reconnect the network drives


I have seen this show up in topics here before, but I’ve tried everything those topics mention to no avail.  I have no network drives.  This cruzer works fine on the XP laptop and I’ve updated it so it works (or used to) on the Win7 desktop.  I had to do a reformat of the desktop recently and the cruzer hasn’t worked since.

 

I really need this cruzer to work on the desktop and have lots of important stuff on there that I can’t lose in a format.

 

Help, please?

 

Thanks!

 

 

If you are running Windows 7 64-bit set LaunchU3.exe to run in Compatibility mode for Windows Vista SP2.

If I do so, will I be able to switch the drive back and forth between my Win7 machine and my XP machine?

Yes.  No problem.

Thanks!   I’ll try it out and let you know!

Ed, Where is LaunchU3.exe saved? I did a general search of the main (C:) disk through explorer but found nothing. I also downloaded the launcher installation program from Sandisk, but it would not recognise the Cruzer (so I could not progress).

Regards,

Noel.

(Apologies, The smiley face in the previous post was supposed to be “a colon and close brackets” - to give - “open bracket / C / colon / close bracket”!)

LaunchU3 is located on the CD drive of U3 Cruzers.  Unfortunately SanDisk stopped making the U3 devices 3 yrs ago or so.

Thanks Ed.

I hope this helps, below is the link for Cruzer on Windows 7 environment. http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3682/~/u3-launchpad-update-for-windows-7

So I tried this and it didn’t work. :frowning:

Other ideas?

Oh and in the name of disclosure:

  1. I’ve tried setting the compatibilty mode to both VistaS2 and XPS3, since it works fine on my XP laptop. nada.

  2. I’ve tried usbdevew - nada

  3. I have NO network drives connected in the first place, so I can’t disconnect them!

  4. I’ve tried the whole “open disk manager and set the drive letter to something higher” - nada

  5. This USED to work on this machine.  I had some trouble, then updated (on the XP machine) so that it could work on 7 and it did.  Then, a couple months back, I needed to reformat my desktop and I realize that the last time it worked was before the reformat.  Not sure if that’s related or what I could do about it if it is.

1) I’ve tried setting the compatibilty mode to both VistaS2 and XPS3, since it works fine on my XP laptop. nada

.Logical  assumption but wrong.  Vista SP2 works, Windows 7 and Windows 8 even.

2) I’ve tried usbdevew - nada

??  Don’t understand.

3) I have NO network drives connected in the first place, so I can’t disconnect them!”

eh??  Are you sure you don’t mean USB devices rather than network drives?

4) I’ve tried the whole “open disk manager and set the drive letter to something higher” - nada

Ok.  What drive letters do you see for the U3 device?  The CD drive or the writable drive or both?

5) This USED to work on this machine.  I had some trouble, then updated (on the XP machine) so that it could work on 7 and it did.  Then, a couple months back, I needed to reformat my desktop and I realize that the last time it worked was before the reformat.  Not sure if that’s related or what I could do about it if it is.”

Ah!!  What did you use to reinstall Windows 7?  A vendor’s version or a Microsoft version?  Some vendors include apps they add to make things useful and interesting.  And there are several reports of these apps conflicting with USB drives.  Samsung Kies being a common one.  But there are reports of a Sony CD player too if I recall.

What happens when you run LaunchU3 in Vista SP2 compatibility mode?  Do you get eror msgs?

Does your antivirus think LaunchU3 is a malware and have it blocked?.

Ed,

  1. It HAD been on XPS2 so I moved it to Vista SP2 and it still doesn’t work.  Same EXACT error popup message.

  2. I had read on these forums as well as elsewhere that this program, usbdeview, allows you to see all USB drives that the computer is seeing, even ones not connected anymore, and clear those out and that helped some people.  Sadly, I wasn’t one of them.

  3. The error states that I should disconnect any “network” drives, run LaunchU3, then reconnect the network drives.  I don’t have any network drives to disconnect.  This is the main machine on my home network, so other machines have network drives pointing to shared drives/folders on this machine, but this machine itself has none.

  4. Depends where I look.  In Disk Management, it shows (currently, I’ve changed it a couple times, but all letters have same results) Y: for the U3 system drive and R: for the other drive.  Same in Windows Explorer.  In this usbdeview, it shows both letters associated with the Cruzer without more detail.  If I try to open R: in Windows Explorer, it tells me there’s no disk in the drive. Other drives on my machine:

C: obvious

D: Factory Image

E: DVD/CD drive

F, G, H, I: Removable media drives (SD card, etc)

K-Q: Virtual drives on a separate external HD

  1. I used the built in reformatting system using the recovery disks I made when I first got the computer.  That took me to 7 Home.  I then used my official MS Win7Pro code to upgrade it to Pro.  Nothing vendored.  All original MS.

I get the same exact errors when running in VistaSP2 compatibility mode.  When I actually Troubleshoot compatibility" from the right-click menu, it takes me through the process and then ends with some screen telling me that the program is incompatible and then actually, I haven’t been able to get it to run even to error, since then. :frowning:

My AV never says boo about it.

hmmmmmmm

Don’t rule out the AV as playing a part just because you don’t see it pop a msg.  Some AV support a setting to run in quiet mode, doing it’s thing and never telling the user what it has done.  Checking it’s logs can’t hurt.

Not being able to access R is reasonable if LaunchU3 doesn’t work.

Did you say if your Win 7 is 64-bit?  I know with my U3 sticks I only need compatibility mode on the 64-bit machines. On the 32-bit Win 7 it runs fine.

What version of U3 do you have? I have 1.6.3.9. 

There’s a link here to download the last version:  http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/FAQ-How-do-I-reinstall-the-U3-LaunchPad/m-p/156949#M3

I’m using a combination of Windows Firewall and MS Security Essentials.  I can’t find the logs at all, let alone anything about this.

I know I shouldn’t be able to access R:, just figured I’d mention it to be thorough.

I’m running 64-bit Windows 7.

I’m having the issue with two separate cruzers.  One is at 1.6.3.9 and the other is at 1.6.1.7.  I tried to update from within the settings on the XP machine where I can get into them, but (on both actually) I get an error saying that the service can’t be reached and I should check my Internet connection.  I’m going to work on updating using the link in that thread you linked, but I need to back up my data first.

" I can’t find the logs at all, let alone anything about this."

Security Essentials > History > All detected Items

" I tried to update from within the settings on the XP machine where I can get into them, but (on both actually) I get an error saying that the service can’t be reached"

Right.  The U3 support URL is no longer active. (This may help: http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Cruzer-flash-drives-Solid-State/U3-COM-What-s-up-with-U3-Website/td-p/185386 )  But the link I gave you will download the last version.  And yes, backup your files, AND the hidden system folder. 

But the one you have with 1.6.3.9 is current and should work on Win 7 64-bit in compatibility mode for Vista SP2.  Why it should give a “network” error when starting I have no idea.  

hmmmm Do you have the U3 Launchpad settings set to connect to the net when starting?  Automatic Updates on, Quality Improvement on, etc?? 

Have you tried using the U3 stick immediately after booting?

There’s nothing there in Essentials.

Isn’t set to connect to the net, no quality improvement checked.  The 1.6.3.9 one has auto updates on but the other one doesn’t.

I haven’t tried immediately following a boot yet.

I’m going to work on getting the second stick updated then try it again.  However, the one I really need to work is the one that’s already at 1.6.3.9. :frowning:

The 1.6.3.9 one has auto updates on

Turn it off.  a. There are no more updates. b. It looks for them on the 'net.

Don’t know about the other one but this one should work on Win 7 64b.

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

This is under the category of it was so obvious I was missing it!

I have two USB slots in the front of my computer.  One holds the usb stick of my wireless mouse and the other holds a 4 port hub, only one of which is occupied - by a BT adapter.  I just had a thought of what it it’s considering that all one drive and it’s occupied by the BT adapter?

I pulled out the hub and plugged the cruzer directly into the machine.  Both sticks work fine.

Now I just need to figure out the organization of the rest of these usb things!