Non-SanDisk U3 removal

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Liebo, Jul 12, 2009.

  1. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    I got a USB stick (Bruno one that came free with The News Of The World) last weekend. It has a U3 partition that I simply cannot remove.

    The SanDisk remover tells me it is not a SanDisk device.

    The U3 remover tells me to insert a U3 device.

    I know it is U3. It has placed a "U3" folder (C:\Documents and Settings\Liam\Application Data\U3\) and that contains an Uninstaller which also reports to insert a U3 device.

    Basically the SanDisk remover is recognising U3 is present but wont let me remove it due to the stick not being SanDisk.

    The universal remover doesn't recognise the stick.

    What gives and any ideas?
     
  2. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    If this is in the wrong forum, please move it?
     
  3. ancestor(v)

    ancestor(v) Admin
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    Jun 26, 2007
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    No, it's ok. If you search on google for "U3 remover" you get tons of hits. Nothing of use for you?
    Is there any technical information about that usb stick, e.g. manufacturer?

    I have no "works always" solution for that, so I guess it's pretty much just trial-and-error.
     
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  4. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    I've googled and I can only find official SanDisk or U3 removers/reinstallers which do not work as previously described.

    It's annoying because it did install a U3 folder in application data which has an uninstaller which doesn't recognise the device!!

    The device appears in "Disk drives" and "DVD/CD-ROM drives" in Device Manager under the name "Udisk Udisk 2.0 USB Device".

    Any third party removers available?
     
  5. ancestor(v)

    ancestor(v) Admin
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  6. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    I've been to those links.

    There are two types of removal tool that I can find:

    1. SanDisk U3 Removal for removal of U3 from SanDisk drives (e.g. Cruzer)

    Reports for me that the U3 device is not SanDisk and links me to the below:

    2. U3 removal for everything else (e.g. non SanDisk)

    Reports to insert a U3 device.

    Ergo, niether work.


    I've used ChipGenius to identify as follows:

    Device Name: ++[H:][I:]+USB Mass Storage Device(Udisk Udisk 2.0 USB Device)(Udisk Udisk 2.0 U...

    PnP Device ID: VID = 1221 PID = 3234
    Serial Number: 2009062215230026
    Revision: 2.40/2.41

    Device Type: Standard USB device - USB2.0 High-Speed

    Chip Vendor: micov
    Chip Part-Number: MXT8208
     
  7. 911medic

    911medic MDL Guru

    Aug 13, 2008
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    Use DBAN to clean the drive. Any Linux disk may work also with gparted.

    You will not be able to use the U3 crap again..just so you know..
     
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  8. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    I googled and found DBAN, grabbed the floppy version and put the USB stick in the computer and rebooted (I unplugged hard drives first).

    It performs a kernel panic and then the keyboard lights flash over and over.

    If I run "autonuke", it reports DBAN finished with non-fatal errors and writes a log file over and over again if i keep pressing enter until I reboot.

    This is proving to be difficult...

    If I could change the content of the U3 section, that would be as good. It was a promotional drive given away and when you plug it in, it launches a program to take you to the promotion website. If I could modify and put utils on it instead such as undelete software, firefox, etc...
     
  9. 911medic

    911medic MDL Guru

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  10. Liebo

    Liebo MDL Member

    Jul 9, 2009
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    #10 Liebo, Jul 13, 2009
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2009
    (OP)
    I'm on my way to work at the moment so I will try it later but it would appear that it is programming on the chip, not a partition. I've tried various DOS based partition tools (such as GDisk, and Windows based tools such as the HP formatter but they only ever clear the main part of the space available on the stuck, the U3 "CD-ROM" does not get affected.

    I have tried using the LPInstaller from U3 which can restore the U3 information and re-install the full launch pad but this reports that it is not a SanDisk device....

    If I could either clear the U3 information off completely or put a standard U3 launchpad on (which can be updated etc) that would be great :)



    edit: The KD_WIN in the exe wrote 0's to the drive but didn't clear the U3 section.