HELP with USB Pen Drive Memory Stick Forums

MicknPat

Has any member bought or knowledge of a 1Gig or larger USB pen drive / memory stick with whom I can exchange 'notes' with?

Last year I bought a Samsung 1 Gig USB pen drive from a company called buymemorycards, on ebay their member profile is bluejamgem.

I wanted to store photographs on the memory stick.

On receiving and first using the device I found much to my surprise that it contained security / memory size software.

This is my 3rd USB memory stick, neither my 265mb or 512mb contain any security software. Confused

This software required me to make up a 16 digit password which you had to enter every time the device was removed or the computer turned off.

Some time later after loading several photographs this software caused me to loose several photographs I had installed.

When viewing the contents of the device I noticed that as well as my folders containing various photographs that I had stored I also noticed that the security software was shown as a separate folder.

The security folder was shown as a yellow key and blue USB memory stick icons.

I thought I should be able to just select and delete the security folder AFTER BACKING UP what data I had loaded. Very Happy

On deleting the security software I checked the contents of the USB device to find it to be empty, I also noticed that the memory storage capacity instead of it being one gigabyte was now 1.95MB. Shocked

I have e-mailed the company several times as well as passed messages via ebay but have yet to receive any reply, their telephone contact is just an answering machine where you cannot leave a message.

I have given all the facts of my problem for two reasons:

1. As a warning to others who may buy a similar memory stick.

2. In the hope that someone may have a similar memory stick or the software I described and that they may be able to send me a copy in the hope that it will repair my memory stick.

Thanks

catcoriander

I had a similar problem with a Lexar memory stick - I only wanted a blank empty drive, but it kept loading security software as soon as I plugged it in. A real pain.

Tried to cure this by deleting all the installed files on the drive, but this didn't work as I think there must have been hidden files remaining behind and auto-loading. It wouldn't let me re-format.

But what did work was -

(a) reboot the PC without the memory stick in the USB (so nothing loaded)
(b) insert the memory stick while holding down the "shift" key (to stop anything auto-running)
(c) reformatted using Window's options on "my computer"

Result - virgin, unprotected blank USB drive ready for use!

I'm sure someone else will come along with more knowledge, but this worked for me!

catcoriander

Sorry MicknPat - I realise the above isn't what you really want - some way of restoring the USB drive to as it was new? But at least my route gave me a useable disk, without any unwanted security stuff, which is fine for me.

But I think you'd need to reformat it anyway, before doing any sort of restore from another similar draive.

roboughton

You may not be able to view hidden files on the stick you need to enable view hidden files. you can also recover data on memory sticks the same as Hard drives if you have not writen over the original data as all you have deleted in the index on how to get to the info it is still there so long as you have not reformated the USB pen.

I have a samsung but i never loaded any security stuff and i have no idea where the disks are sorry.

Data recovery software and some has trials on them

MicknPat

roboughton,

Thank you for the replires so far

The USB pen drive did not come with any details saying that this software was on it I only found it when I plugged it in to start saving my data.

Another strage thing was that it must have been a very small file as when checking the capacity of the stick it showed all of 1Gig or slightly more when given in MB's.

I have tried the free recovery software you sent that gave a negative reply.

Oh and I have reformatted the USB pen again in the hope that as with floppy discs and the like it would leave me with just an empty device.

catcoriander

I am using XP home on my computer and shall try your idea thanks again

Oldskool

Just as a check

Make sure that the security lock slide on the side of the device is set to unlocked, reinsert the stick and see if your problem has gone away.

baldlygo

MicknPat - Strange you should post now - I am in the process of trying to 'recover' from installing a new 2G smart disgo pendrive with a load of junk 'protection stuff' - It started playing up after apparently working on my Win98se. I bought it from PCworld just before Christmas (£35) and was so confident it would last years I foolishly junked the package and receipt

This afternoon I had a reply from the 'cleverstuff' support who say various things like it might only work at the back of the PC - not the front! They have given me some things to check which involve disconnecting ALL my USB devices and looking at the control panel.

I thought it would be easier to check it on my Laptop but find to my horror that I can't even get the Control Panel to fire up - even without the stick in.

I tried it in my son's WinXP PC but it instantly tried to load software on it so he stopped it and barred me from putting it on.

Since this problem became apparent I have learnt some nasty things about these larger pen drives which like you I had had no such problems with smaller ones. I thought the whole point of them was that you just take them around with you and use them on any USB where ever. I'm particularly annoyed atm since it was more money than I really wanted to spend at the time but thought never mind it will be a good one Exclamation

Now how do I get my laptop into safe mode? .......To be cont.

Paul

roboughton