There is probably a trigger in the firmware that the vendor uses to create the read only volume. I think this is done by causing the drive to show up as a USB composite device with two different mass storage devices.<br><br>
Regardless of how it's done, it's going to be in the devices firmware, not something that you can just format to make it go away. I'd look at the usb vendor id and search for tools that may be used to program the device.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 11:13 AM, Matt Breitbach <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:matthewb@flash.shanje.com">matthewb@flash.shanje.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
My little brother gave me a little 2GB USB key that he got from a vendor and<br>
it only has one little problem - there is a 4MB read-only drive full of<br>
vendor crapola on it.<br>
<br>
I'd like to remove that partition and merge it into the main system, or just<br>
fry it completely. It's currently read-only, and I can't seem to find a way<br>
to disable it. There's no external switch, and upon dis-assembly there<br>
doesn't seem to be anything on the circuit board that would indicate a<br>
read-only switch.<br>
<br>
I've tried using DBAN to just wipe the entire thing, but it actually sees<br>
two physical disks on the USB key. Is there any way to remove the read-only<br>
switch on this, or am I stuck with 4MB of vendor crap popping up every time<br>
I insert the stick?<br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Matthew Nuzum<br>newz2000 on freenode, skype, linkedin, <a href="http://identi.ca">identi.ca</a> and twitter<br><br>"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." –Matsuo Bashō<br>