USB Drive Mounts as CD-ROM Drive

Gentlemen,

I purchased a 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software
installed. I uninstalled the U3 software before using it as a Ready Boost
device.

I'm running Windows Vista Home Premium with 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 2
GB RAM. The Ready Boost function seems to be working properly, according to
the Properties of the Cruzer device in Computer (formerly My Computer).

This is my problem: Vista always installs the Cruzer as a CD-ROM device in
Device Manager. Device Manager shows the Cruzer (under CD/DVD-Rom Drives) as
not started (code 10). In Device Manager, I've uninstalled it several times,
but Vista always installs it again upon reboot as a CD-ROM device. I can't
get rid of it. Device Manager shows it as a problem device (yellow bang!).

Even so, the Cruzer is working properly, as best as I can tell, and Vista
shows it as working properly as a Mass Storage Device in Device Manager under
Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Device Manager also shows it under Disk
Drives and under Portable Devices as functioning properly.

I'm using an Asus motherboard P5B-VM running AMI BIOS updated with the
latest BIOS version. The BIOS detects two of the above SanDisk USB devices
under Advanced > USB Configuration > USB Mass Storage Device Configuration.
The BIOS has no obtion to disable any of them. This is clearly wrong! Only
one device is connected.

How do I correct this situation? In Device Manager, I would like to remove
the SanDisk/CD-ROM entry. I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

Freddy
--
freddy

freddy wrote:
> Gentlemen,http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
>
> I purchased a 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software
> installed. I uninstalled the U3 software before using it as a Ready Boost
> device...

> This is my problem: Vista always installs the Cruzer as a CD-ROM device in
> Device Manager...

Yes, this is due to the skeletal remains of U3 which still need to be
removed:

http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415

Don,

Thanks for the reply. I looked at the SanDisk site, and it states that, to
use the removal tool, I must have the U3 Launch Pad running. I've removed the
U3 software, so I have to Launch Pad to run. I suppose I have to find the U3
software and reinstall it in order to remove it. Nice going.

Since I removed the U3 software, using Vista Windows Explorer, I figured all
vestiges of U3 was gone. So, we have hidden files that Vista is picking up.
You gotta like that.

Cheers,

--
freddy


"Don" wrote:

> freddy wrote:
> > Gentlemen,http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
> >
> > I purchased a 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software
> > installed. I uninstalled the U3 software before using it as a Ready Boost
> > device...
>
> > This is my problem: Vista always installs the Cruzer as a CD-ROM device in
> > Device Manager...
>
> Yes, this is due to the skeletal remains of U3 which still need to be
> removed:
>
> http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
>
>

--
freddy


"freddy" wrote:

> Don,
>
> Thanks for the reply. I looked at the SanDisk site, and it states that, to
> use the removal tool, I must have the U3 Launch Pad running. I've removed the
> U3 software, so I have no Launch Pad to run. I suppose I have to find the U3
> software and reinstall it in order to remove it. Nice going.
>
> Since I removed the U3 software, using Vista Windows Explorer, I figured all
> vestiges of U3 was gone. So, we have hidden files that Vista is picking up.
> You gotta like that.
>
> Cheers,
>
> --
> freddy
>
>
> "Don" wrote:
>
> > freddy wrote:
> > > Gentlemen,http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
> > >
> > > I purchased a 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software
> > > installed. I uninstalled the U3 software before using it as a Ready Boost
> > > device...
> >
> > > This is my problem: Vista always installs the Cruzer as a CD-ROM device in
> > > Device Manager...
> >
> > Yes, this is due to the skeletal remains of U3 which still need to be
> > removed:
> >
> > http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
> >
> >

I managed to fix the problem. Here is how I did it:

Don told me that Vista Device Manager is installing the SanDisk device as a
CD-ROM device because I removed the U3 software by using Vista Windows
Explorer. This method of removal leaves vestiges of the U3 software that is
being detected by Vista and the BIOS, even though the SanDisk appears to be
empty when viewed. (Not exactly Don's words, but my interpretation.)

Using a friends WinXP computer (U3 not compatible with Vista) , I then
downloaded and installed the U3 software from the SanDisk web site. After
doing that, I downloaded the SanDisk removal tool and ran it. All U3
software was removed.

When I inserted the SanDisk device in my Vista computer and rebooted, the
entry in Vista Device Manager for CD-ROM drives no longer includes the
SanDisk device. It's fixed.
--
freddy

"freddy" wrote:
--
> freddy
>
> "freddy" wrote:
>
> > Don,
> >
> > Thanks for the reply. I looked at the SanDisk site, and it states that, to
> > use the removal tool, I must have the U3 Launch Pad running. I've removed the
> > U3 software, so I have no Launch Pad to run. I suppose I have to find the U3
> > software and reinstall it in order to remove it. Nice going.
> >
> > Since I removed the U3 software, using Vista Windows Explorer, I figured all
> > vestiges of U3 was gone. So, we have hidden files that Vista is picking up.
> > You gotta like that.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > freddy
> >
> > "Don" wrote:
> >
> > > freddy wrote:
> > > > Gentlemen,http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
> > > >
> > > > I purchased a 2 GB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software
> > > > installed. I uninstalled the U3 software before using it as a Ready Boost
> > > > device...
> > >
> > > > This is my problem: Vista always installs the Cruzer as a CD-ROM device in
> > > > Device Manager...
> > >
> > > Yes, this is due to the skeletal remains of U3 which still need to be
> > > removed:
> > >
> > > http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415
> > >
> > >