Weird actions from SanDisk Flash Drive

[Morad Tamer]

So I was just about to make a bootable Win 10 on a SanDisk drive then I noticed that the iso extractor I am using does not recognize or detect the drive
After a while I discovered that for some reason the drive is now marked as a Fixed/Basic in the disk management console
This was extremely weird for me considering that the USB drive isn't new at all in fact I had it for quite a lot of time more over a couple of minutes ago it was a removable drive
So thinking that my front panel connectors are just buged or something I put it in a windows 7 laptop and they worked just fine so I returned to investigate my front panel connectors and they also work just fine every other USB dive I have is detected as Removable even another SanDisk drive is just fine and correctly detected
It is just the SanDisk Cruzer Blade that malfunctioned
I have 2 drives and I can no longer plug them in simultaneously the computer would just work with the one plugged in the last

I have read about this problem all over the internet after I searched for it
Funny enough the first link that appeared to me was in the SanDisk forums so yeah the problem is only with SanDisk
So How can I fix this
Currently I am trying a suggestion by someone to make a full format as this has to do with some active and inactive drive markings
I don't know exactly
Thanks a lot

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello...Typically I delete all files on the USB2.0 stick... and do a "format fat 32" and check mark the box "make bootable" or "add ??-Dos file system" to the stick... you now have a 'bootable" USB2 stick, then you are ready for the ISO to be added to it.

But you can not use a USB3 version stick or USB 3 communications port for BIO's/DOS/installs... because USB3 is a software communications mode that needs a driver for the chips.

There are APPs to 'slip stream" the USB3 driver onto the USB stick during the ISO transfer for MB/systems with just USB3 ports... typically they will be found on the MB makers 'utility" downloads.

 

[Solandri]

After a while I discovered that for some reason the drive is now marked as a Fixed/Basic in the disk management console
This was extremely weird for me considering that the USB drive isn't new at all in fact I had it for quite a lot of time more over a couple of minutes ago it was a removable drive

That setting is hard-coded into the flash drive when it's manufactured. It did not change a couple minutes ago. You probably just never noticed it until now. Sandisk switched from marking their flash drives as removable to fixed for a while after Windows 8 came out, then switched back after customers complained.

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/USB-Flash-Drive-showing-up-as-LOCAL-DISK/m-p/316915/highlight/true#M8258

Technically the fault lies not with SanDisk, but with the ISO extractor program for insisting on a removable drive when it's not necessary. But regardless of who is at fault, the bottom line is you can't use this flash drive with that program.

Edit: If you complain loudly enough, you may be able to get Sandisk to exchange that flash drive for a new one that identifies itself as removable.

 

[Morad Tamer]

After a while I discovered that for some reason the drive is now marked as a Fixed/Basic in the disk management console
This was extremely weird for me considering that the USB drive isn't new at all in fact I had it for quite a lot of time more over a couple of minutes ago it was a removable drive

That setting is hard-coded into the flash drive when it's manufactured. It did not change a couple minutes ago. You probably just never noticed it until now. Sandisk switched from marking their flash drives as removable to fixed for a while after Windows 8 came out, then switched back after customers complained.

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/USB-Flash-Drive-showing-up-as-LOCAL-DISK/m-p/316915/highlight/true#M8258

Technically the fault lies not with SanDisk, but with the ISO extractor program for insisting on a removable drive when it's not necessary. But regardless of who is at fault, the bottom line is you can't use this flash drive with that program.

Edit: If you complain loudly enough, you may be able to get Sandisk to exchange that flash drive for a new one that identifies itself as removable.

This is really weird
because I have used it a lot and I think it is even from the era before windows 8
I am sure that it worked just fine for the last while
Further more this USB Drive has worked before with that program without any problem
I am really confused

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... Do you have "protection" switch on the drive?

 

[Morad Tamer]

Hello... Do you have "protection" switch on the drive?

Nope
🙁

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... do a "fat 32" format to it... does the staus change?

 

[Morad Tamer]

An Update
I have put it in another windows 10 PC and it is detected as removable
So how can I delete the drivers or the other files that are installed with the first insetion

 

[Morad Tamer]

Hello... do a "fat 32" format to it... does the staus change?

No Unfortunately

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... You should complete your "work" then on the machine that allows it then... what happens sometimes is the OS will create a profile of that drive in the registry... and it needs to be cleaned out every now and then... that 'OS" has determined/recorded from some past action that that stick ID should be labeled "Fixed".

Typically this can happen if external drives/sticks are not properly 'removed-disconnected" after use OR the last use was as a FIX drive... it's amazing to see the registry file/area, because any drive ID plugged into the OS over time was recorded B D.

 

[Morad Tamer]

Hello... You should complete your "work" then on the machine that allows it then... what happens sometimes is the OS will create a profile of that drive in the registry... and it needs to be cleaned out every now and then... that 'OS" has determined/recorded from some past action that that stick ID should be labeled "Fixed".

Typically this can happen if external drives/sticks are not properly 'removed-disconnected" after use OR the last use was as a FIX drive... it's amazing to see the registry file/area, because any drive ID plugged into the OS over time was recorded B D.

OK that really make a lot of sense so can you guide me on where can i find those registry keys
Thank you so much

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... I have WIN7 experience there... what is your OS? and I will see what I can google for you B /

I found my Win 7 registry location for the portable device list.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Portable Devices\Devices

type Regedit to start the app.

Look them all over and determine which ones apply to that "SanDisk" stick ID... there maybe more than instance of them too B / ...just delete the '"Yellow folder" icon for that device... re-boot for changes to become effective.

 

[Morad Tamer]

Hello... I have WIN7 experience there... what is your OS? and I will see what I can google for you B /

I found my Win 7 registry location for the portable device list.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Portable Devices\Devices

type Regedit to start the app.

Look them all over and determine which ones apply to that "SanDisk" stick ID... there maybe more than instance of them too B / ...just delete the '"Yellow folder" icon for that device... re-boot for changes to become effective.

Thank you so much
I am really grateful
Trying it now and will tell you how it turned

 

[Morad Tamer]

Hello... I have WIN7 experience there... what is your OS? and I will see what I can google for you B /

I found my Win 7 registry location for the portable device list.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Portable Devices\Devices

type Regedit to start the app.

Look them all over and determine which ones apply to that "SanDisk" stick ID... there maybe more than instance of them too B / ...just delete the '"Yellow folder" icon for that device... re-boot for changes to become effective.

Thank you so much
I am really grateful
Trying it now and will tell you how it turned

So I deleted the keys you mentioned plus others that I found under

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum

Annnd.......
No it didn't work unfortunately
Anyway thank you so much

 

[Morad Tamer]

***Another Update***
I now noticed that the Read&Write speeds of the mentioned USB Drive has now decreased by almost 10 times
Previously while coping a movie the speeds were about 32 MB/s now they max out at 3-ISH MB/s
Soooooo......
A hardware failure maybe ??

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... If there is any de-compression or files sizes over 1 GB that pretty typical for a USB2 device... it is not bi-directional communication protocol... thus USB3 was created to try and improve on this. B /