Flash drive no longer showing on pc after write protect fix

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flashman - Dec 16, 2017 at 09:03 AM
Ambucias Posts 47310 Registration date Monday February 1, 2010 Status Moderator Last seen February 15, 2023 - Dec 17, 2017 at 04:24 PM
So I was trying to put a 7gig file in my flash drive, which didn't work because it was FAT32. I found this guide: https://ccm.net/computing/hardware/847-how-to-format-a-usb-flash-drive/#59

I didn't have a StorageDevicePolicies folder, so I created one and made the 0 value WriteProtect file just fine. I exited regedit, but I still couldn't format the flash. So I restarted the computer and suddenly the flash drive no longer appeared: https://i.imgur.com/CvAd17C.png (the (D:) drive is my second SSD, so that's not it). The flash drive was originally listed as (F:) in windows explorer.

I took the flash drive out, put it in, and restarted the PC several times. I've even gone back and deleted the StorageDevicePolicies folder that I created but nothing seems to work. I know the USB ports work fine because I tested them with a controller. The flash also works when I use it in a second computer but of course, the write protection is still there. Any ideas?
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2 responses

Ambucias Posts 47310 Registration date Monday February 1, 2010 Status Moderator Last seen February 15, 2023 11,166
Dec 16, 2017 at 04:36 PM
Hi

In the registry, there is a search option, use it by typing StorageDevicePolicies , see if you can find it that way.
This is all I get: https://i.imgur.com/1POnnCR.png

The flash drive is a Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 16GB, if that's of any importance.
Ambucias Posts 47310 Registration date Monday February 1, 2010 Status Moderator Last seen February 15, 2023 11,166
Dec 17, 2017 at 04:24 PM