Format a read-only partition of an USB Drive

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by antonio8909, Mar 1, 2017.

  1. antonio8909

    antonio8909 MDL Guru

    Feb 16, 2014
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    #1 antonio8909, Mar 1, 2017
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2017
    Hi,

    I have a 8gb USB with a 16mb's read-only partition and I want to delete it to have the full USB partition but I can't.

    I used MiniTool Partition Wizard but it's imposible.

    OS: Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview 15046

    Any way to do it?

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. endbase

    endbase MDL Guru

    Aug 12, 2012
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  3. endbase

    endbase MDL Guru

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    Than it's hardcoded in the firmware of the usb stick better forget it I guess
     
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  4. twiztidwolf

    twiztidwolf MDL Novice

    Sep 3, 2009
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    Try this...
    Open command prompt, type diskpart then list disk and find your drive. Then select disk whatever your drive is.
    Then type attributes disk, attributes disk clear read only. That should do it if there is no physical or firmware lock.
     
  5. MrMagic

    MrMagic MDL Guru

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    If you write an image (.img) to the USB drive using disk imager, don't they wipe all partitions and write to the full disk?
     
  6. antonio8909

    antonio8909 MDL Guru

    Feb 16, 2014
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    So the steps are find an .img file (A Raspberry Pi OS, for example.) Go to Win32 disk Imager and try to flash it? The partition is only 16mb. Will it do it?
     
  7. Tiger-1

    Tiger-1 MDL Guru

    Oct 18, 2014
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    Hi Bat.1 I like to see again here :biggrin: myself also have problems sometimes ago already make post about this with one 64GB and until now same using hddguru software can solve so I smashed the little drive with one big hammer :sneaky:
     
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  8. Tito

    Tito Super Mod / Adviser
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    Nov 30, 2009
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  9. Tiger-1

    Tiger-1 MDL Guru

    Oct 18, 2014
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    @Tito thanks for share this tool although I don't understand nothing of Russian language I anyway download and someday I can need it :) I'm very lazy to translate on FF :p
     
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  10. MrMagic

    MrMagic MDL Guru

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    Yep, it won't care about partitions, just the drive itself

    If it works, next use Partition Minitool to delete the partition and create one new primary, hopefully using the full drive
     
  11. Nucleus

    Nucleus MDL Guru

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    #15 Nucleus, Mar 1, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
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  12. antonio8909

    antonio8909 MDL Guru

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    #16 antonio8909, Mar 1, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    (OP)
  13. MrMagic

    MrMagic MDL Guru

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    What does it say?

    Did you select the actual Disk rather than the drive/partition?, been a while since I used diskimager
     
  14. antonio8909

    antonio8909 MDL Guru

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    It says: Write succesful but I checked the USB and all was intact.
     
  15. MrMagic

    MrMagic MDL Guru

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    So it only wrote to the main partition, and left the 16MB out?
     
  16. antonio8909

    antonio8909 MDL Guru

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    It left the two partitions intact :/