16GB USB is detected as a non removable device(Hard Drive)

[shaydykillar]

My 16GB memory stick worked fine when I got it but it suddenly started to be detected as a hard drive. These are some problems that I have checked:

1. Other USB's on the same computer are detected fine
2. The same USB on a different computer or different operating system is still detected as a hard drive

The device still transfers data properly but the problem's I am faced with are if I am using a program that uses a USB device for example Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade program where is takes the iso for windows 7 and creates a bootable USB device but when it tries to detect the USB it can't. Another problem is if I want to use the USB device on an operating system which only detects USB devices like the operating system for PS3 it won't detect it.
Thank you

 

[1etherer]

It could be the firmware may of corrupted in the USB.. Is it a newly purchased stick? If so I would get a refund.

Or you somehow switched the bit to say the USB is not removable? Use this to check and change the bit back

USB Powered Gadgets and more.. » Flip Your Bit USB Utility To Make Local Drive


Edit - Not all USB support the bit flip.

 

[carnageX]

What do you have it formatted as?

 

[1etherer]

You might need to look for a newer version of a bit flip program as the one I posted it very old.

 

[carnageX]

So after doing some more research... Is your flash drive a SanDisk? If so...
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...emovable/2b765c19-6460-4fe6-a200-9a1238c77310

So it's that way by design...my suggestion would be to just download the ISO you have, and use something like Rufus to create the bootable flash drive. You may need to refer to this FAQ article as well if it's still not detected with Rufus (requires enabling 1 of the advanced options is all): https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/wiki/FAQ#Help_my_USB_drive_is_not_detected

That link I provided above also has some other suggestions for software to use as well, but I've used Rufus and it works well.

 

[zaka100]

Hey Carnage, with that usb, can u trick windows installation to install windows on a usb flash drive and would it work?

 

[carnageX]

Don't think it would work very well.

There's already Windows To Go for Win8 Enterprise, Win10 Enterprise/Education, however:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_To_Go