Scandisk U3 Unrecognised by Windows Explorer

  • Thread starter Thread starter CJB
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CJB

Re: Scan Disk U3

This is weird. When I plug this USB flash drive into a USB port on my
laptop running XP Windows Explorer only shows it as the I: drive (the
drive letter 'I' is of course arbitrary). This has but three files/
folders:

autorun.inf
LaunchPad.zip- which contains all the executable files
LaunchU3.exe

However WE does not show the F: drive (again another arbitrary drive
letter) which is where all the user data files are supposed to be.

It is as though the autorun.inf file didn't execute.

HOWEVER if I start up an app. and open a file into it, e.g. Notepad or
Word or MPlayer etc., and then browse the folders and files on the
computer I see not only the I: drive but also the F: drive. I can then
browse to a file on the F: drive and open it into the respective
app.

So the big problem is how to make the F: drive visible in Windows
Explorer along with the files on it. I've never seen this problem
before.

Many thanks - Chris B.
 
Re: Scan Disk U3

This is weird. When I plug this USB flash drive into a USB port on my
laptop running XP Windows Explorer only shows it as the I: drive (the
drive letter 'I' is of course arbitrary). This has but three files/
folders:

autorun.inf
LaunchPad.zip- which contains all the executable files
LaunchU3.exe

However WE does not show the F: drive (again another arbitrary drive
letter) which is where all the user data files are supposed to be.

It is as though the autorun.inf file didn't execute.

HOWEVER if I start up an app. and open a file into it, e.g. Notepad or
Word or MPlayer etc., and then browse the folders and files on the
computer I see not only the I: drive but also the F: drive. I can then
browse to a file on the F: drive and open it into the respective
app.

So the big problem is how to make the F: drive visible in Windows
Explorer along with the files on it. I've never seen this problem
before.

Many thanks - Chris B.
Click to expand...

P.S. The Scan Disk U3 flash drive works perfectly on Win 7.
 
Sounds like the drive is hidden in the Explorer
by a registry setting. See here:http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html

Uwe
Click to expand...

Thank you very much indeed - this sounds like the problem. But its
curious that the drive letter assignments work OK for all the other
apps. and that its *only* Windows Explorer can't see the one that is
assigned to the data files on the flash drive. I even tried File /
Open using Internet Explorer and it found the 'missing' drive letter
OK. Chris B.
 
Thank you very much indeed - this sounds like the problem. But its
curious that the drive letter assignments work OK for all the other
apps. and that its *only* Windows Explorer can't see the one that is
assigned to the data files on the flash drive. I even tried File /
Open using Internet Explorer and it found the 'missing' drive letter
OK. Chris B.
Click to expand...

I have researched this issue and its driving me mad - and it seems I'm
not the only one.

I have XP with SP3 so this shouldn't be a problem.

I have tried various methods to assign a drive letter to the Scandisk
U3 so that XP WE recognises it - but all to no avail.

WE assigns a letter to the C; and D: network drivers. It uses E: for
the CD / DVD drive.

I have now got it to assign W: to the system partition of the U3
flashdrive. And apparently it assigns V: to the documents partition.

BUT whilst WE lists the W: drive, it will not list the V: drive. I can
access the V: drive from other apps but that is not the problem. I
need to list the files with WE.

I have also applied for the special hotfix at:

http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=961187&kbln=en-us

but time and time again this is ignored.

If anyone can get this for me that would be great. Many thanks.

I wonder if a complete re-install of SP3 might repair whatever has
gone wrong?

But I do think that this is appalling lack of support by MS - as if
they care - and my next installation on the laptop will be Linux not
Win7.

Chris B.
 
CJB said:
I have researched this issue and its driving me mad - and it seems I'm
not the only one.

I have XP with SP3 so this shouldn't be a problem.

I have tried various methods to assign a drive letter to the Scandisk
U3 so that XP WE recognises it - but all to no avail.

WE assigns a letter to the C; and D: network drivers. It uses E: for
the CD / DVD drive.

I have now got it to assign W: to the system partition of the U3
flashdrive. And apparently it assigns V: to the documents partition.

BUT whilst WE lists the W: drive, it will not list the V: drive. I can
access the V: drive from other apps but that is not the problem. I
need to list the files with WE.

I have also applied for the special hotfix at:

http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=961187&kbln=en-us

but time and time again this is ignored.

If anyone can get this for me that would be great. Many thanks.

I wonder if a complete re-install of SP3 might repair whatever has
gone wrong?

But I do think that this is appalling lack of support by MS - as if
they care - and my next installation on the laptop will be Linux not
Win7.

Chris B.
Click to expand...


Have you really checked the registry value "NoDrives" under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
being zero?
Does the Explorer list V's content if you enter V: in its
address line?


Uwe
 
Have you really checked the registry value "NoDrives" under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
being zero?
Does the Explorer list V's content if you enter V: in its
address line?

Uwe
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response. The reg entry is exactly as you say.

And when I enter V: in WE and also as a DOS CMD it says drive not
found.

If I do File / Open / Browse in say Word or even IE the V: drive is
there with all of my files in the /Documents folder.

Also if I reboot and run Linux Puppy (small enough to run in RAM only)
I can access the drive (sans drive letter) and the files OK.

BTW this is not the 'drive masking' issue when a network drive and USB
flashdrive are allocated the same drive letter.

I did raise a ticket with SanDisk about this issue and got a bored
reply about not being able to access my files due to a password issue.
That is the service agent didn't bother to read my inquiry and simply
responded with copied and pasted chunks of generic text.

Google searching the web it appears that this is a long standing
problem about which MS have done nothing.

I tried to get the MS hotfix but they refuse to send this to me. I
have downloaded XP SP3 (which I have already installed) but am nervous
about trying to install this again.

All of this only became an issue after I rebuilt the laptop after
getting rid of a redirect virus in the rootkit and after the registry
went corrupt and XP would not boot.

Chris B.
 
CJB said:
Thank you for your response. The reg entry is exactly as you say.

And when I enter V: in WE and also as a DOS CMD it says drive not
found.

If I do File / Open / Browse in say Word or even IE the V: drive is
there with all of my files in the /Documents folder.

BTW this is not the 'drive masking' issue when a network drive and USB
flashdrive are allocated the same drive letter.
Click to expand...

This is what the hotfix is about, so you don't need it.
I did raise a ticket with SanDisk about this issue and got a bored
reply about not being able to access my files due to a password issue.
That is the service agent didn't bother to read my inquiry and simply
responded with copied and pasted chunks of generic text.
Click to expand...

I you see the files in open dialog then the drive is
obviously working fine. Do you expect Sandisk repairing
your Windows?
Google searching the web it appears that this is a long standing
problem about which MS have done nothing.
Click to expand...

I've never heard before about Explorer and command prompt
saying "drive not found" while it works in open dialog.
Can you provide some links?

An open dialog is nothing else than a different view of the
Explorer. The only reason I know for drive letter being shown
in some programs only is that is isn't a global object but
one which exist in the user's context only, e.g. a subst or
network drive. Drive letters of USB drives are global
objects, so this should not happen.
As a workaround you could create a folder somewhere, and
then add this in the Windows Disk Management as a mount
point of your drive. If you see your files now in the explorer
then you can remove the drive letter in the Disk Management
and create a virtual drive letter which points to this folder
by means of the SUBST command, e.g.
SUBST V: C:\SandiskDrive
All of this only became an issue after I rebuilt the laptop after
getting rid of a redirect virus in the rootkit and after the registry
went corrupt and XP would not boot.
Click to expand...

So a virus screwed up your Windows and you blame Microsoft
and Sandisk :-/


Uwe
 
Unecessary comment after a useful and helpful reply. CJB
All of this only became an issue after I rebuilt the laptop after
getting rid of a redirect virus in the rootkit and after the registry
went corrupt and XP would not boot.
Click to expand...

So a virus screwed up your Windows and you blame Microsoft
and Sandisk :-/

Uwe
 
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