Write only USB

eAtErEaK · Aug 19, 2023

I am trying to format and repartition a USB disk but it is write protected. I have followed instructions to solve this using Diskpart and it all appeared to go as expected except it remain write protected and impossible to format. It is a 64 GB San Disk that I am trying to write several kinds of boot media to (Linux and Windows 11).

Any advice about what to do?

cereberus · Aug 19, 2023

Drive has failed.

Ghot · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Any advice about what to do?

Buy a new one... they can be had for $5 - $10.
Like this one
Or these...

Try3 · Aug 19, 2023

I agree. The flash drive is defective.

The loss of write functionality is a common first indication of USB flash drive failure.
Its current contents might remain readable for a decade.

Denis

eAtErEaK · Aug 19, 2023

Thanks to everyone who replied. I will avoid the SanDisk brand in future.

antspants · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Thanks to everyone who replied. I will avoid the SanDisk brand in future.

Which Sandisk USB was it, please?

Ghot · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Thanks to everyone who replied. I will avoid the SanDisk brand in future.

SanDisk are OK. USB thumb drives just fail sometimes.

I've had good luck with Corsair and PNY.

Try3 · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
I will avoid the SanDisk brand in future.

I have been using a SanDisk USB flash drive successfully for more than five years.

Denis

antspants · Aug 19, 2023

Try3 said:
I have been using a SanDisk USB flash drive successfully for more than five years.

Denis

I‘ve bought “hundreds“ of them. Due to spending thousands at Amazon, they’re always throwing added discounts at me, credits etc. These days I can get a 32 (and when lucky, 64GB) for AU$7. And after conversion to US$, it’s probably about $3.25. I’ve been lucky… knock on wood.
Hence my curiosity of the particular stick.

eAtErEaK · Aug 19, 2023

antspants said:
Which Sandisk USB was it, please?

Ultra Flair 64 Gb. Brand New, first use.

Ghot · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Ultra Flair 64 Gb. Brand New, first use.

If it's brand new and you haven't stored anything on it... just return it.

antspants · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Ultra Flair 64 Gb. Brand New, first use.

Thanks.

I buy these, usually 5/6 at a time on a regular basis to pass files and documents to people.
Others say they have had no luck with them, I have been lucky, again, knock on wood.

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00DQG9OZ2

Try3 · Aug 19, 2023

eAtErEaK said:
Brand New, first use.

Ghot said:
If it's brand new and you haven't stored anything on it... just return it.

I agree. Return it for a refund.

eAtErEaK said:
Ultra Flair 64 Gb.

That is quite expensive.
Try Amazon but I suggest only buying ones that are delivered by Amazon [rather than by an Amazon Marketplace seller] because Amazon are going to be around long enough to complain to & they do respond well to problems.
Your chances of getting a decent one are also increased by getting a known brand name but I also have very old unbranded ones that continue to work. It's the luck of the draw; you just need to make sure that nothing on a USB flash drive is left un-backed up.
If you need 64GB USB flash drives then that's what you need to buy but if you are just getting them for undefined purposes you can sometimes find that two 32GB ones are cheaper than a single 64GB one.
Amazon France - 32GB www.amazon.fr/SanDisk-Ultra-allant-jusquà-130Mo/dp/B077VXV323 supplied by Amazon, €8.62 - but the same product page shows the 64GB ones on offer for only €8.08.
Amazon UK - 32GB www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-Ultra-Flash-Drive-130MB/dp/B09FFK1QLR, supplied & sold by Amazon directly, £9.99 for three but I do not know what delivery charges they would add on for delivery to your country.

Best of luck,
Denis

bobkn · Aug 19, 2023

I thought, from the thread title, that it might be a little nerd humor. (Like a spec sheet for Write Only Memory, that I saw may years ago.)

As it's a new drive, I presume that it's defective.

kelper · Oct 26, 2023

I have had many SanDisk flash drives and none has ever gone write-only. Lesser brands have failed. SanDisk is a very good brand.

hsehestedt · Oct 26, 2023

I know that this is an older thread. As a result, you may no longer have that flash drive. However, for future reference, if you ever encounter something like this it would definitely be worth the while to run a utility to check and see if the flash drive is a so called "fake" flash drive. This is a problem that is extremely common, not only with off-brand names, but even counterfeit SanDisk, Kingston, PNY, etc. drives.

See this thread for one such utility:

New utility to check for "fake" flash drives - I like this one

Remember Gibson Research? These are the folks who made SpinRite way back in the day. They have a new fake flash drive testing utility called ValiDrive. This utility is different and worth checking out because it is insanely fast. I tested several drives, each completing the test in well under...

www.elevenforum.com

erpster4 · Oct 26, 2023

SanDisk usb flash drives are great (and I only buy them in stores, not online)
I have many of them; only one of the San Disk usb drives that my uncle gave to me a long time ago (it was a Sandisk Cruzer Edge 8gb with a red plastic sliding part on it; that Sandisk 8gb drive looked something like this as pictured on Newegg) died due to a loose connection and none of my pcs can't recognize it anymore. all my other Sandisk usb flash drives still work without problems