Question How to use a Kingston Data Traveler as a normal USB Stick?

[pnartg]

I have a bunch of Kingston Data Traveler USB sticks ranging in size from 16GB to 64 GB. These have a "read only" (Diskpart shows it as a CDROM) partition and a data partition, and access to the data partition is only through software in the "read only" partition, where it gets encrypted with a password you supply. In my last job I needed the extra security but I don't anymore so I want to use these as normal USB sticks. But it won't let me format the "read only" partition.

Someone posted a thread about this here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...ection-from-kingston-64gb-flash-drive.649811/
... but none of the ideas worked. If I just try formatting it from the command line or Windows File Explorer it does nothing - not even an error message. How do I turn these things into normal, non-encrypted USB sticks?

Thanks in advance!

PS - Windows 10 Pro 64 bit

 

[TerryLaze]

If you have tried a low level format and it didn't work and you are really desperate then you can read and try this, it's how to read out what controller the USB has and re flashing it with a clean firmware.
This could completely kill your USB flash drive...or any USB device you have connected so be very careful if you are going to try any of that.
https://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/repair-your-usb-flash-drive

 

[pnartg]

"This could completely kill your USB flash drive...or any USB device you have connected so be very careful if you are going to try any of that.
https://www.rmprepusb.com/tutorials/repair-your-usb-flash-drive "

No that sounds too risky and too much work. And anyway, everything on my PC - mouse, keyboard, sound, printers, scanner, bluetooth interface, MIDI keyboard, etc, etc, is a USB device - I have 14 USB devices attached as I write this.

USB memory sticks are cheap so it's just the environmentalist in me that doesn't want me to add these to the waste stream if they can be easily recycled into normal USB memory sticks. But the key word is "easily" - I can't justify putting a lot of work and time into experimenting with low-probability solutions. Many people across the web have asked the same question I'm asking and it looks like Kingston has that "CDROM" partition locked up really tight. It sounds like the trash barrel is their next destination.

I'll wait a few day to see if anyone else has any other ideas, since trash pickup at my house isn't for a week.