Who posts to a USB Flash Drive forum? I just registered to join in the fun. How many of these do people get through? Anyway it’s loquacious & erudite, so.
I think luckaduck’s right for the wrong reason. Fat32, Dell, Vista, forget it. The drive will store the data it says, less a small amount for who knows why. Here it is: the drive has two write caching policies : (a) pull it out quick; (b) ask Windows to let you pull it out. Default is “Ask Windows” - see that little green tick thing in the System Tray? (If you don’t believe me, go Computer>F-drive>Properties>Hardware>Sandisk Cruzer Blade Device>Properties>Policies). So, that’s how it is, you forget to ask permissionle, pull it out (you might as well marry the thing), no green tick, it says"No way" and uses write protect to stop your barbarity.
Try this: Computer>F-drive (or whatever - call it Mabel if you want)>Properties>Sharing>Advanced Sharing>Share this folder>Permissions>Everyone>Full Control>Apply>OK>Apply>OK (it’s a different box)>Close. Then ask Windows to let you take it out. Then: in Windows run a mega-destructor data erasure program like East Tec or Cyber Scrub (hint: 15 day free trial). When you’re done, leave it for a while, then stick the drive back in, and - yes? No? If the mofo can remember it’s write- protected after your whole system’s been East Tec-ed, it’s more human than I am.
I can’t promise it’ll work, but I’ve done it, and it’s worth a go.
The weird stuff people want you to do - I’m surprised nobody wants to stick a needle in the hole and get at the little write protect man.
Don’t format, don’t mess about with drive recovery programs, and DON’T BLAME THE PRODUCT!
Good luck
Alan
