Remove U3 from Sandisk Cruzer?
 

I cannot figure out how to get this software off of my Sandisk cuzer micro usb drive. I've tried windows XP, Vista, Mepis 7 and Fedora 8. I've tried qtparted and gparted. Delete the partition and reformat entire drive, stick it into another system and it's still there!!!! Depending on which OS I plug this thing into, it's showing from between 6.3MB to 265MB used and there are these locked files that just won't go away.

Anything this persistent can't be good. Makes me nervous to know files I have no control over are on my drive. Short from using a hammer, is there a way to get this crap off? How do I know that every system this drive gets plugged into isn't getting tagged in some way?

You need special software from sandisk to remove this junk. Here's a lengthy article discussing how to do he job:

http://blog.kgrothoff.net/2006/08/24...b-flash-drive/

Search Sandisk and or the web. There is a special windows utility that can remove the U3 stuff from the flash drive. Normal tools cfdisk, gparted, fdisk etc will not work.


Microseconds to late :)

I feel your pain...and yes, there is a way to get rid of it. It's Windows only, though, but it DOES remove all of it.

http://www.u3.com/uninstall/

It will ask you approximately 1,130 times if "You're SURE you want to remove our fabulous software?". Keep clicking yes. It'll eventually nuke that junk.

Hey thanks, never thought of going to a u3 website! thanks and thanks again! I was beginning to believe I was going to have to take this back to the store! Thought u3 was a designer name for the device when I bought it and then I discovered that not only is the device half a gig smaller than advertised it also is loaded up with crap!

Any idea as to how one could write software that can survive re-partitioning? I was beginning to think I was dealing with rom. Pretty clever stuff.

The other thing that is disturbing is how ineffective gparted is. Hey, it's great to have something, but unless you click on the right features in the right sequence, it won't do what you need. I still had to go back to windows to re-format the Cruzer. Lucky I didn't delete the xp, just forgot I had it. (have the grub setup such that if I hit the enter key during the splash screen I can then select xp, otherwise I get the Penguin!)

FYI U3 drives have different hardware then regular flash drives and thus requires special software from the developers to uninstall. It is not the fault of gparted or any other partitioning software.

I have a thumb drive that didnt have this U3 stuff on it when I bought it but I was saving some windows software and it got put on.
Is there any way that linux can get rid of this cr@p of a normal thumbdrive.

What is the make/model of your thumb drive and what software did you download. U3 software only works on a U3 flash drive. I am not aware of any linux software that can remove U3.

You are right, I never noticed it before but the drive does have the U3 logo on the outside of the sleeve, that I had removed.
Sorry for the faulse alarm and lag time between posts.