[jaclaz]

JRM75, on 24 October 2011 - 11:47 AM, said:

BUT MY QUESTION IS: will making the 1st partition of the usb to be DOS-bootable allow the usb to be fixed in all versions of windows? Or simply, will it be shown as a fixed drive if the usb is loaded onto a new computer w/o the microdrive filters?

NO.
The "removable" bit is a flag set in the USB stick or hd controller.
DOS and Linux will simply ignore it.

Windows NT family of OS will use it and decide whether the device is "Fixed" or "Removable".
There are NO ways to have a Windows NT family OS detect the thingy as "Fixed" if the bit in the controller is SET as "Removable" if not the suggested ways:

• a filter driver
  
• flipping the bit in th econtroller through it's "Manufacturer Production Tool" or utility

jaclaz