U3 Community

[right]

hey, i just got a u3 drive for christmas, and i would like to know if it is possible to compleatly remove the u3 system from it... i just wanted a plain old USB flash drive

right now i have disabled the drive letter that the "cd-rom" defaults to, but i am hoping that will be a temporary fix.

thanks

[Guest]

I too am looking for a way to permanantly remove the U3 software. If you delete all files in the C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\U3 directory that seems to prevent the launchpad from loading on your system, but it will still load on any other system that you connect the drive to. Also, whenever you connect the drive to a system where U3 is already installed, it automatically copies the U3 software back to the flash drive, even if you previously deleted it. You CAN prevent the launchpad from loading on any system by holding down the shift key to prevent autoplay, but that will get quite annoying in the long run.

If we could somehow delete the files in the "cd-rom" partition, that would fix the problem. I haven't figured out a way to do that yet though.

[AlexandreJ]

U3 is just not of any use here. So please add a feature to remove the CDFS drive and the software.
Moreover, it breaks some use of my usb key. For example, when going to my photographer I'm used to put my picture on the usb drive. But the photo station software just isn't aware of all theses U3 stuff and I cannot use this key at all (agfa station).

So I bought a usb drive I just cannot use for the purpose I wish. U3 is surely a great technology for many people but not for me. Customers should have a possibility to remove it from the drive (if it's software only).

[B. C. Rich]

Yes, I would also like to know if there was a way to remove the U3 software. The computers at the office are set up to only recognize one more drive. Since the cd drive loads before the actual stick part, my computer can only see the cd drive, thus it doesn't recognize the flash drive's other drive and it doesn't work.

[Ken]

One of my co-workers got a U3 smart drive for Xmas. When she went to use it at work, the video started, she got scared that it was trying to install something (it was) and stopped the drive. After that she brought it to me and asked what was up. I played with it and could never get it to go past the part where a ball rolls across the screen. After about 5 minutes of that I’d get an error message.

I went to U3.com and checked their support pages and found out they don’t support their own software. They said to contact the manufacturer…but all the drive had on it is Geek Squad and Best Buy, neither of which makes anything. So I contacted U3 (aka asknet.com) and explained the problem (Not a clue who makes it and anyway, it is a software issue not hardware). They sent me back to the same web site. So I spent some time and found info for Geek Squad. High tech folks you have to make a phone call to… I always love that. Anyway after about 5 minutes of what do you have, what is wrong, etc, etc., the tech suggest that I delete the U3 software off the thumb drive by reformatting it. Seems that since most places of business don’t let workers install software on their computers, and since most people buy the drives so they can haul files ‘tween work and home, this is what he has to tell most folks.

It not nice when the solution to the problem is to get rid of what makes it special in the first place. I told my coworker to take it back and get a standard thumb drive. One she can actually use.

[Ken]

[B. C. Rich]

[J. Levine]

The U3 software on my flash drive is an annoyance, and I have no use for it. From my perspective, all it's doing is using my system resources, taking up space in my system tray, taking up an extra drive letter, or sapping space on the drive itself.

I've spent over an hour scouring the web for a way to get rid of this absolutely unwanted "feature," to no success. U3, it is your responsibility to provide this information. I'm waiting. Somewhat angrily.

[matinciel]

Hi,

Is there a way to get back U3 function after a format?

Thank for answers.

[Billson]

[Guest]

Well i haven't format it...but i will to know if a loose u3 function if i format it (well it seems not to be possible at all )

Sorry for you problem (mine is solved )

[John Bridges]

U3 doesn't work on my main XP SP2 system, and it causes me endless problems trying to install it's self on every machine I plug the drive into!

I've been searching since yesterday, and so far no existing utilities will get rid of the special U3 CD-ROM emulating partition. All normal Flash programs will happily format the flash drive part of the USB device, but none can get rid of the CD emulating part.

We need some kind of special utility from U3 that removes this locked partition from the flash drive.

[bradford]

A U3 software uninstall utility does exist. It will effectively turn your U3-enabled drive into a regular run of the mill flash drive. It removes the CDFS partition and restores full volume size to the user FAT partition. The uninstaller was provided by U3 to Best Buy's Geek Squad employees (per their request) a few months ago under the condition it was not to be distributed outside of "Geek Squad" use. The filename for the uninstaller is:"U3_Uninstaller.exe".

I am sure you will be able to find it if you search hard enough.

-bradford

[AlexandreJ]

What ? Such a tool exist is not distributed here !
When you create a software that doesn't work, you should at least provide the uninstaller.
Please U3, provide this tool to everyone. I'm totally against such policy to provide such tool just to "geek squad". It forces use to call them just to convert our U3 drive to a standard one. Unbelivable.

[Guest]

AlexandreJ I believe you misunderstood me. The uninstaller was provided to Best Buy for internal use only - Never to be used on a customer's product.

lol, and do go calling geek squad about it. I doubt that they would know what the U3 platform is, much less how to revert the drive to a "normal" usb drive. To add to the point, I wouldn't call Geek Squad for help on anything -- ever.