"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 02:30:54 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:

My 16 GB USB flash drive has developed an odd problem. It appears to have
become 'write protected' all on its own.

Standard question #1: Make, model, and capacity please?

Have you checked to make sure it's not a counterfeit?
http://reviews.ebay.com/Fake-SD-cards?ugid=10000000004680044
http://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com
http://flashchiptech.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/fixing-fake-sd-sdhc-cards-is-it-possible-what-are-the-problems-and-challenges-what-software-to-use-to-test-for-flash-memory-fake-chips-is-there-a-free-download-to-check-flash-drives-and-memory-car/

The usual problem is not the SD card. It's the tiny switch in the SD
card receptacle. I have an SD card that doesn't quite hit the switch
on some readers but works on others. Tolerance problem.

Here's how to do it with an Xbox 360:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD0QO0w7zDg
It works.

I also had a micro-SD that claimed it was write protected. None of my
PC's or Mac's would format or fix it. So, I crammed it into my Droid
cell phone, and formatted it in the phone. No problem.

Incidentally, you might be interested in these SD speed test results:
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/SDCardSpeedTests




We seem to be at slight cross-purposes here, Jeff. It's not an SD or CF
card. Its a normal USB 'dongle-type' flash drive. This particular one
happens to be shaped like a rifle bullet. The tip screws off to reveal the
USB connector. I guess that it might contain the same memory hardware as an
SD or CF card behind the USB interface which it obviously has, but I don't
know for sure. Some of these flash drives do have a little physical switch
for write protecting, but many don't. Mine is one such. Capacity is 16GB as
stated in the original post. It is still correctly identified as a 16GB
flash drive by Windows. Make and model are irrelevant. It doesn't have
either. It's just a typical Chinese memory stick in a novelty bullet shape.

Arfa