unlocking USB memory

[Big Les Wade]

I have a memory stick that I picked up free at a conference. It's only got the presentation on it, which I don't want, so I'd like to use the stick for routine purposes. However I can't write to it, although the write protect tab is off. When I try to reformat it I get "Invalid media or track 0 bad - disk unusable".

Obviously locked somehow by the people who distributed it. Any ideas for unlocking it? I don't know the manufacturer. Google is no great help.

[Muddymike]

I have a memory stick that I picked up free at a conference. It's only

I have re used these simply by re formatting them.

Mike

[Bob Minchin]

That does not help the OP, Mike

[Andy Burns]

There are various manufacturer's toolkits out there on random Chinese websites to tinker with the controllers on USB memory sticks, either to "carve-off" a chunk of memory for CD-ROM emulation e.g. in this case the presentation might be on such a read-only area, possibly leaving the rest available as read/write storage

They can also be used by the unscrupulous to make sticks appear to be larger than the total amount of flash they actually have

But unless you know the exact controller and memory chips on the thing, you're more likely to end up bricking it, or losing work stored on it at some future time when a mistake in the re-programming becomes obvious.

[Reentrant]

Unless it's 4GB or more, which seems unlikely, it's hardly worth the effort - they are under £3 (inc postage).

[alan_m]

Try HP USB Disk Storage Format utility which can format USB disks/sticks that have previously been formatted in a propriety way. It works when Windoze format fails.

[Andy Burns]

This look like a handy jumping-off point for plenty of them ...

[BobH]

That is what I use on some USB sticks, and it does the job of showing the full size of the stick

[Bob Minchin]

Thanks for the link to the HP tool. I have a number of old sticks marked 1GB which would only store up to

512m as delivered. Having reformatted one of them, they now take the full 1GB Result!

[Brian Gaff]

He said he could not do that. There is a tool around made by hp that is supposed to format them as often, the operating system cannot get in. Of course I guess it could be some kind of prom and thus not be of much use.

Brian

[Big Les Wade]

Thanks for that suggestion. Looks like a useful utility, but sadly it didn't work on this occasion.

I know these things are cheap now, but I remember when they were expensive ... breaks my heart to waste anything :)

[Andy Burns]

From the messages displayed, it sounds like the flash memory has been presented over USB as though it's a CDROM, therefore you need to reprogram the USB controller first, which might be possible if the O/P can decide which is the correct utility from the dozens on offer at the link I gave.

I've tried that with a similar stick, unsuccessfully; buying another stick is much easier.

[Andy Burns]

Well, waddyaknow? I had another crack at the 2GB stick I'd failed with before, using a loupe and a torch I read the controller chip part number and found a newer version of the SMI reprogramming tool, that detected the flash chip and size, so I let it write to the controller, tested the result with h2test2 to make sure it wasn't "lying" to the OS about the size, and it worked, give it a go Les ...

[Big Les Wade]

Fell at the first fence - I couldn't make the Chipgenius download work. You know, I don't think I'm cut out for this game.

[Gordon Freeman]

Unfortunately the download is hosted on the Mediafire file-sharing site, I've never been able to get that site to work for me.

[Weatherlawyer]

I still save old Stanley knife blades. What a prick!

What gets me is that I have a diamond hone that could sort them in situ but I don't have to temperament these days. What is the best way to whet them?

I just tilt the stone on edge and whip the blade down it a couple of times. It isn't quite the dogs lickables. What is the correct term for a stone made of iron?

[Andy Burns]