New USB Flash Drive became write protected.

[techyguy717]

A computer tech that had to leave, told me the client's hard drive had bad sectors, because of an unmountable boot volume. He was doing a chkdsk /r. I didn't ask if he did a hardware diagnostic to confirm.

I decided to backup the data, after the chkdsk /r was done.

Inserted New 32GB USB Flash Drive after quick format as NTFS. Booted to Umbuntu and proceeded to copy the Windows XP drive.

Very slow speeds of a few KB's per second (without any errors). After 15 min. of getting nowhere, I cancelled and deleted the couple MB of information. Copied the "My Documents" (Copied at MB this time, not KB).

Then booted to Imaging Software Boot Disk. Set the Imaging Software to Skip Bad Sectors. (I still did get a Bad Sector alert and clicked "Skip all") After 20 min. of the software preparing the partition, got the message, "Error writing file"

Removed the USB Flash drive and tested it on my Laptop that I used to format to NTSF. It was now write protected.

Checked the properties, Read Only is Off. Everyone has Full Control. Can't format or delete partition in Windows or Umbuntu. Yes, I always properly ejected the Flash drive. The drive can be accessed and copied.

I have 2 questions, before I return tomorrow to continue and check on the USB Hard Drive Backup I started.

1) Is it possible that the hard drive is not bad, but it's a boot virus that messed with my Flash drive. A Flash Drive Virus Scan comes up clean.
2) How do I fix this flash drive? I tried a couple other online solutions and none worked.

[grayfoxcomputing]

I've had this happen once on a drive I use to test Live CD's. Go here and complete steps 1 - 4 (the rest deal with installing win 7 on the drive), remove the drive and plug it back in.

win 7 to USB

You'll basically be cleaning the drive of any/all information and starting from scratch to build a new partition table, set it to active, and format it.

NOTE: In step 4, instead of formatting to NTFS, you'll probably want to format to FAT32 so the drive can be used by XP, Linux, and OS X.

FORMAT FS=FAT32

You could also format it to ExFAT for true cross-platform compatibility as referenced here: ExFAT v FAT32 v NTFS

[techyguy717]

I realize that under disk attributes.

Read only : No,
Current Read Only State : Yes

[OzzyGeek]

Originally Posted by techyguy717

A computer tech that had to leave, told me the client's hard drive had bad sectors, because of an unmountable boot volume. He was doing a chkdsk /r. I didn't ask if he did a hardware diagnostic to confirm.

I decided to backup the data, after the chkdsk /r was done.

Inserted New 32GB USB Flash Drive after quick format as NTFS. Booted to Umbuntu and proceeded to copy the Windows XP drive.

Very slow speeds of a few KB's per second (without any errors). After 15 min. of getting nowhere, I cancelled and deleted the couple MB of information. Copied the "My Documents" (Copied at MB this time, not KB).

Then booted to Imaging Software Boot Disk. Set the Imaging Software to Skip Bad Sectors. (I still did get a Bad Sector alert and clicked "Skip all") After 20 min. of the software preparing the partition, got the message, "Error writing file"

Removed the USB Flash drive and tested it on my Laptop that I used to format to NTSF. It was now write protected.

Checked the properties, Read Only is Off. Everyone has Full Control. Can't format or delete partition in Windows or Umbuntu. Yes, I always properly ejected the Flash drive. The drive can be accessed and copied.

I have 2 questions, before I return tomorrow to continue and check on the USB Hard Drive Backup I started.

1) Is it possible that the hard drive is not bad, but it's a boot virus that messed with my Flash drive. A Flash Drive Virus Scan comes up clean.
2) How do I fix this flash drive? I tried a couple other online solutions and none worked.

Did the drive have bad sectors?

You might be better connecting the bad drive to a sata controller on a test machine and copying/cloning the drive to another hard drive, it will be quicker and more reliable than transferring to a USB Flash drive.

As for the flash drive, format the drive using Safe Mode with command prompt.
After loading files if your USB Memory Stick drive letter is (G) for example then write as
C:\windows\system32>G: and press enter
G:\>format G: and press enter
If ask you (Y/N) then press (Y) and press enter
Now a full format will start which remove write protection from USB Memory Stick.

[techyguy717]

Bad Hard Drive
I believe it did have bad sectors.

Quote: Then booted to Imaging Software Boot Disk. Set the Imaging Software to Skip Bad Sectors. (I still did get a Bad Sector alert and clicked "Skip all")

I couldn't connect drive to another computer at that time. No one in office and no permission to take drive with me.


Flash Drive
I cannot format the Flash Drive using Safe Mode with command prompt.
Returns message, "Disk is Write Protected."

Please look at the disk attributes, from DiskPart
Isn't this weird?

Read only : No,
Current Read Only State : Yes

[OzzyGeek]

Originally Posted by techyguy717

Bad Hard Drive
I believe it did have bad sectors.

Quote: Then booted to Imaging Software Boot Disk. Set the Imaging Software to Skip Bad Sectors. (I still did get a Bad Sector alert and clicked "Skip all")

I couldn't connect drive to another computer at that time. No one in office and no permission to take drive with me.


Flash Drive
I cannot format the Flash Drive using Safe Mode with command prompt.
Returns message, "Disk is Write Protected."

Please look at the disk attributes, from DiskPart
Isn't this weird?

Read only : No,
Current Read Only State : Yes

Have you tried diskmgmt.msc?

Here are some utilities that might be worth a try.

http://www.apacer.com/en/support/dow...r_v2.9.1.1.zip

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...X-UNITY-I23839

[techyguy717]

diskmgmt, yes, I tried that. Disk Write Protected, message

Forgot to mention Clear command from DiskPart gives Message,
Disk Write Protected.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...X-UNITY-I23839
I looked at this.
"This component provides firmware flash and boot support to HP USB drive keys."
Hasn't been updated since 2005?

http://www.apacer.com/en/support/dow...r_v2.9.1.1.zip
No documentation for this lone ranger .exe?

[OzzyGeek]

what brand of flash drive is it?

You could try a utility called Dr UFD http://www.pqigroup.com/soft_in.aspx...did=245&nid=27

[techyguy717]

Patriot Axle

Ordered an RMA, just seeing if I can fix it first.

[pkmoazzam]

i found a useful tool to remove the write protected. i had the same issue too. After use the tool then you have to format as exfat first if successful then format as fat32 then it may works fine. hope this help.

http://www.4shared.com/zip/qAWe-xK5/Repair_v2911.html

its clean, no viruses.

sorry for my bad english.