[jaclaz]

@Freshbie

This guide, though still largely valid, is a bit oldish.

Newer releases of grub4dos have added features, and solutions/workarounds were found for most problems.

BUT, you seem to have started, just like all "freshbies" do , with a very ambitious project, without having (yet) digested the needed background knowledge.

There is NO way you can have more than 4 Primary partitions on any hard disk, for the simple reason that there are 4 entries in the partition table in the MBR.

You can have a standard setup:
1 primary partition + any number of logical volumes inside extended partition
OR
a maximum of 3 primary partitions + any number of logical volumes inside extended partition
OR
a maximum of 4 primary partitions

The above is NOT negotiable, though there are a couple of (relatively complex) workarounds to do that, but the whole point is that you need NOT more than 4 primary partitions.

Another thing that you may want to note is that you simply won't be able to install XP from a USB harddisk unless you use one of the apps in the dedicated forum (or replicate manually what they do).

What you should do is browse, search and READ both here:
http://www.msfn.org/...p?showforum=157
and here:
http://www.boot-land...hp?showforum=66
(start from the pinned topics in both forums)

Using this app:
http://www.msfn.org/...howtopic=120444
you will have most of the things you asked for, then you will need to integrate the results with the other items.

jaclaz

[Freshbie]

Very glad to hear from you !! Jaclaz

I now success to install XP Pro from my first partition.

I have read the thread you give me here.

It seems like, one who will truely understand must have technically knowledge on it.

If something i don't get it, i hope i can ask for your help


Lastly i will try to make my HDD boot from extended partition on logical disk.
I will see if i can do it and will report here for us all to study from it.

My primary concern for now is, Can i boot XP pro, Vista, Seven on same partition?
And for XP can i use the same partition for different version of XP?

Thanks alot !!

Freshbie

[jaclaz]

Freshbie, on Jun 28 2009, 02:45 PM, said:

My primary concern for now is, Can i boot XP pro, Vista, Seven on same partition?
And for XP can i use the same partition for different version of XP?

Only up to a certain extent.
For complex/multiversion setups, I guess this:
http://www.msfn.org/...howtopic=121446
or a similar approach, running the actual setup from an already booted PE of some kind is easier/better.

Freshbie, on Jun 28 2009, 02:45 PM, said:

Lastly i will try to make my HDD boot from extended partition on logical disk.
I will see if i can do it and will report here for us all to study from it.

Good

Read these:
http://www.goodells.net/multiboot/
http://www.goodells....boot/ptedit.htm
and this only partially unrelated thread, that may however give you some ideas:
http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...ic=7138&hl=

jaclaz

[Freshbie]

Thanks Jaclaz.

The post you give to me is very interesting.
I try to follow and adapt to my use

Now i got an idea. If i use multiple folder to keep setup files instead of mutipartition.
How can i tell grub4dos to boot the loader inside the folder?

And now after i install a windows to my computer, i got a problem that my computer see any external HDD as a removable disk
then i can see only first partition. I use winsetupfromusb. I think i have to fix a migrate.inf but don't know how

[jaclaz]

Freshbie, on Jun 29 2009, 01:31 PM, said:

Now i got an idea. If i use multiple folder to keep setup files instead of mutipartition.
How can i tell grub4dos to boot the loader inside the folder?

You can tell grub4dos almost everything you want, and it will probably do what you told it to do, but the problem remains with the HARDCODED paths and more generally NOT FLEXIBLE way the Windows Setup works.
In other words, I doubt that you will succeed with your idea.

Freshbie, on Jun 29 2009, 01:31 PM, said:

And now after i install a windows to my computer, i got a problem that my computer see any external HDD as a removable disk
then i can see only first partition. I use winsetupfromusb. I think i have to fix a migrate.inf but don't know how

migrate.inf is only needed/useful to assign letters to a drive partition (differently from wht setup would do automatically).

If all your USB hard disk are shown as "Removable", there are two possibilities:

• all your USB hard disks are "Removable"
  
• somehow you managed to have installed/running the "reversed" dummydisk.sys Filter Driver

I haven't handy any install on which the rdummy.sys is installed/running, but it should be in the Registry in
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\rdummy]
(or somethng similar)

jaclaz

[honda4life]

Confirmed to work on Windows 7 build 7600 RTM

You should try it's great and you can find test keys from microsoft btw

[Andrews]

Hello Markymoo,

I know a long time passed since you wrote your tutorial, and that is why I post this because your tutorial is good no matter the bites by other people. What is bad, indeed, is that some of the most important links you provided just go to a 404 page nowadays. Also, OSs have changed since and uses evolved. I wonder if you are planing to rewrite this tutorial.

[jaclaz]

Andrews, on 10 May 2010 - 09:59 AM, said:

What is bad, indeed, is that some of the most important links you provided just go to a 404 page nowadays.

Post the actual links you are interested in (and that give you a 404) and I'll try to post updated/corrected ones.

jaclaz

[Andrews]

jaclaz, on 10 May 2010 - 10:46 AM, said:

Post the actual links you are interested in (and that give you a 404) and I'll try to post updated/corrected ones.

jaclaz

Thank you jaclaz. Here they are:

The driver
http://www.xpefiles....wtopic.php?t=92

spfdisk
http://spfdisk.sourc...et/Spf2K3rE.exe

The length of this thread and containing so many additions, some of them useful, makes it of difficult reading, and regarding its utility it would be nice to have something fresher and more compact. I am too dumb to do it.


Edit
I've found the new version of Spf2K3rE.exe, the spfdisk container; it has not exactly the same name now (Spf2K3vC.exe). For the driver, much more important, I can't even guess its name.

On my searches I found that the initial post on this thread has been stolen ans republished without any reference on this forum page:
http://www.ittaleem....ead.php?t=50251

This post has been edited by Andrews: 11 May 2010 - 07:32 PM

[jaclaz]

Well, first link is about the "Hitachi Microdrive Filter Driver" actual name of the driver is cfadisk.sys, the archive is named XPfildrvr1224_320.zip, or sometimes XPfildrvr1224.zip it can be found here:
http://xpefiles.com/cs/files/
http://xpefiles.com/...e/entry616.aspx
http://xpefiles.com/...6/download.aspx

JFYY, there is another similar driver, widely used called dummydisk.sys, by Anton Bassov:
http://www.codeproje...ct_hooking.aspx
and there is a "reversed driver" called rdummy.sys (making a fixed drive appear as removable) which is available inside USB_multiboot:
http://www.msfn.org/...howtopic=111406

Second is a direct link to a version of spfdisk, as you found out, on the home page of spfdisk:
http://spfdisk.sourceforge.net/
which is now DEAD (since what? 2008?) but can be still accessed through The Wayback Machine:
http://web.archive.o...ourceforge.net/
http://web.archive.o...ourceforge.net/
http://web.archive.o...et/Spf2K3tE.exe
See this also:
http://www.iceteks.c...spfdiskreview/1
The C should mean Chinese version, the E means English, so I guess you got the wrong one.
The actual SPFDISK.EXE should be 2006-09-05 01:49 119662 bytes in side.

Generally speaking, if you spend some time in this, you will be surprised about how many people "rip" info and posts without mentioning the original Author.

jaclaz

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 12 May 2010 - 04:01 AM

[Andrews]

Thank you so much jaclaz. You don’t only know a lot from what I can see, but you also care to supply precise, useful and detailed information. I haven’t tried it yet for lack of time, but when I do it I’ll post the result.

[Andrews]

I followed the Stage 1 of the tutorial on the first post of this thread, step by step, completed with the links you provided and using first the Hitachi files, but it didn’t work. I used Paragon for partitioning because Windows never recognises more than the first partition and wants to format anything else with the total size of the stick, but not even starting to do it and giving an error if tried, not being able to do it. I have Windows 7 and I wonder if someone has already tried partitioning with this OS, because everything I read until now is with XP only.

Then, I tried with Anton Basov’s files, which you also mentioned, Same negative result.

Then, I attempted with BootIt v1.07, but strangely the USB drive does not even show up on the app window and sees negative capacities for the hard disks! Why!?

Then, I used WinSetupFromUSB-1-0-beta6, as mentioned on another thread of these forums. It could partition and format, but the result was again the same as at the first trial.

I think the problem is strictly on making Windows recognise the USB flash as a fixed drive. On Device Manager the stick is listed with the hard disks and labelled as Local Disk USB driver, but that means nothing; it is just parroting what it is instructed to display on the corresponding .inf file entry. I can also find the .sys, .inf, and .pnf files on the usual places, the ...\System32 directory and subdirectories. Still, it doesn’t work.

To finish, I did as recommended on another thread on this forum, using InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd, and added a new partition with Paragon, because at that point Windows Disk Manager wanted to make a logical or dynamic partition and I wanted a primary one. It worked , but when I reboot or remove and reintroduce the USB flash it is very seldom recognised, and the icon on explorer is not like a fixed drive. However, Windows does not propose formatting of any driver, only scanning and correcting errors, and when accepted it finds nothing wrong. It seems to be a mixed behaviour. I tried InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd, but then it was not accepted saying that “The specified service already exists”: So I removed the service with StopRemoveDummyDisk.cmd and rebooted as recommended. Applied InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd once more and it became OK, and the drives icons on explorer were again those for the fixed sort. Both have also the Recycle.Bin. I checked also for the System Volume Information at System Properties /System Restore. They are there when the system takes them as fixed. Strange, only the second partition is not in alphabetical order.

I think it is not completely OK because on Device Manager there is only one Local Disk USB driver, and the properties include the options for Quick removal and Better performance not offered for fixed drives. I don’t know yet what will happen when I reboot or remove and put it back. I don’t want to delay this description for too long and I can’t try it now. I’ll do all that later, but I don’t think it will be much different from what happened before.

I wonder, what will be wrong in all of this. What am I missing?

[jaclaz]

Andrews, on 16 May 2010 - 08:40 AM, said:

I wonder, what will be wrong in all of this. What am I missing?

Basically, you are trying to adapt an oldish solution to a newish, DIFFERENT OS, and guess what?
Result is DIFFERENT.

AFAICR Windows 7 had not one problem in the world in partitioning a drive marked as removable through diskpart, last time I checked.

Now that you have verified empirically that applying changes to a given set of instructions may not always work, if you explain WHAT you are willing to do/create (as opposed to HOW to do/create it) I may give you some more suitable links/advice.

Personally, since I hate all this mess with "Removable" vs. "Fixed", I tend to "flip the bit" in the hardware, whenever possible, and be done with it, as you may have found out in the thread you are referencing.


jaclaz

P.S.:
Just to keep things as together as possible it seems like SPFDISK has a new home (and a much newer version - March 2009):
http://spferng.myweb.hinet.net/
thanks to halohalo:
http://www.msfn.org/...c=105936&st=487
Info is quite readable with google translate:
http://translate.goo...en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

This post has been edited by jaclaz: 16 May 2010 - 12:28 PM

[Andrews]

jaclaz, on 16 May 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

Basically, you are trying to adapt an oldish solution to a newish, DIFFERENT OS, and guess what?
Result is DIFFERENT.

Yes, you are perfectly right and I am consciously trying to do it just because after so many and many hours searching I couldn’t find a more recent way to do it.

jaclaz, on 16 May 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

AFAICR Windows 7 had not one problem in the world in partitioning a drive marked as removable through diskpart, last time I checked.

How is that? I have not been able to create a second partition with diskpart, it refuses. This is the error I received when I try:
"No usable free extent could be found. It may be that there is insufficient free space to create a partition at the specified size and offset. Specify different size and offset values or don't specify either to create the maximum sized partition. It may be that the disk is partitioned using the MBR disk partitioning format and the disk contains either 4 primary partitions, (no more partitions may be created), or 3 primary partitions and one extended partition, (only logical drives may be created)."

jaclaz, on 16 May 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

Personally, since I hate all this mess with "Removable" vs. "Fixed", I tend to "flip the bit" in the hardware, whenever possible.

I too, strongly believe what you say and to be the best and more appropriate way would be as you put it and I wanted, but to FlipRemovableBit with BootIt v1.07 is not possible for me because, as I mentioned, the USB drive does not even show up on the app window and it sees negative capacities for the hard disks. (Is there a reason for these two errors that could be corrected?) So, how would you recommend me to do it forgetting the old methods for a newer OS, please? You do know a lot, maybe you could help me here. I hate to make you uselessly waste more time with this. There must be a solution as for the older OSs that I can't find.

Actually, I had already found this Chinese link. I did download that executable file, but all it does is to open a completely blank and not workable command line window. I also downloaded other versions from the same page and got the same result, I don’t know why. Furthermore, sorry, I could understand almost nothing with Google translate, but just technical terms like partition, boot manager, MBR, MS-DOS, hard disk, and others the like. As I already have difficulty reading non proper English (not my mother tongue), for me it looks like a heap of senseless words from which that I can’t even get the meaning.

Please, see the latest results described below. I was going to update my last post, but now that I found yours it goes here. All I want to do is to make a partitioned USB flash with two or three bootable partitions plus another one not needing to be bootable. Almost the same as on the tutorial of the staring post of this thread, but I can't make work with Windows 7. It seems to be very easy when I read the old posts, the only problem being as you put it at the beginning of your post: “trying to adapt an oldish solution to a newish, DIFFERENT OS”.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here are the mentioned results no longer useful, which only interest is telling anyone else not to repeat the mistake:


Confirmed that the second partition on the flash drive is no longer available after rebooting. On Device Manager the under Disk drives, the Local Disk USB driver is still there with the Quick removal and Better performance options, but now the first partition is listed under Portable Devices without the Quick removal and Better performance options.

On Computer Management the stick looks as before, but the second partition only displays the size. When right clicking both have the options Extend Volume and Shrink Volume blanked. On the second, if we choose Change Drive Letter and Paths..., we get a long text error starting by The operation failed to complete because the Disk Management console is not up-to-date. Refresh... Close the Disk Management console... or restart the computer. But refreshing or closing and reopening don’t change anything. Neither does rebooting.

Exactly the same is observed when the computer is rebooted both when the second partition is recognized, and after having dismounted with StopRemoveDummyDisk.cmd.

I know this is silly, but a bad solution was perhaps to have two batch files, one to apply StopRemoveDummyDisk.cmd at shutting down clearing the hack, and a second one to submit InstallStartDummyDisk.cmd at start up. Of course, this would work, but was obviously not a solution, not even recommendable, and would delay both shut down and start up times.

The result is very disappointing because without this issue fixed nothing else can be done.

This post has been edited by Andrews: 17 May 2010 - 03:04 PM

[jaclaz]

I am not at all "current" with Windows 7, it is well possible that it doesn't work as I remember, and as you describe.
I would try, after having created the first partition of a given size, to hide it, disconnect and re-connect the stick, then try creating the second one.
I am sure that only one partition can be accessed/mounted at a time in any Windows NT, unless the filter driver is installed, but if you each time you hide the "other" you should be able to choose which partition to access.

However, I would separate the problem in two:
1) use the filter driver
2) try flipping the bit

1)I don't know if cfadisk.sys or dummydisk.sys are installable on Windows 7.
If they are, it is possible that you have some "wrong" settings in cfadisk.inf (or corresponding files).
You can try using this way:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22795
which is a "generic" not "specific stick" way to have the filter working.
Most probably you need to disable driver signing, but cannot say.

If the filter driver approach doesn't work, you can always use manual partitioning of the stick, by using an image of it and/or a VM, but let first see if the cfadisk can work.

2)Maybe there is some misunderstanding.
If you click here:
http://www.mydigit.c.../ChipGenius.rar
you should get a chipgenius.rar file, open it in 7-zip (or winrar) and extract from it the files:
ChipGenius.exe
Chips.wdb
double click on chipgenius.exe, it is a GUI tool.
Close it.
Insert your USB stick.
Re-run it.
Select in the list in the upper window the USB stick that should be detected.
Read in the lower window what Chipgenius knows about it.
Post this latter info.

I can try helping you find the appropriate "Manufacturer tool (if any available).

jaclaz

[Andrews]

Hello jaclaz,

Thanks to your instructions I can finally use the USB flash drive as basic volume. I used the method with the REG file on your link to the 911cd.net site. Now, I can finally proceed with the other things I said I wanted to do. After all, it was not as you said: “I am not at all "current" with Windows 7”. You may not know as much as about other subjects, but you do know more than enough.

I had already made other deceptive trials before, but I don’t think it will be useful to post them here even if for the record. I think the other older methods do not work with Win7 as you supposed. I had already passed on that page when looking for the xpfildrvr1224_320.zip download, but I dropped it because the two links for that file are broken and I didn’t go back. It is a well written, well detailed and easy to follow tutorial by someone who knows what he is talking about.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just to answer some parts of your last post.

I had done just as you said after the emoticon, but without success.

I don’t know whether cfadisk.sys or dummydisk.sys were installed or not, but I do know that they were there and Windows created some files for backing the up as I described on my last post with names like cfadisk.inf_x86_neutral_86e982a1aa90238f and cfadisk.PNF.

However, dummydisk did not create that files. Soviet_direct_hooking_src.zip does not contain any INF file. What I know for sure, is that the drivers that we can see on Device Manager / Properties / Driver tab of the USB device are the same as for the other drives, before and after installing the hack. Maybe it is right.

I tried something else. As dummydisk does not have an INF file, and dummydisk.sys and cfadisk.sys are of different sizes, I changed the name of cfadisk.inf to dummydisk.sys to install it the same way and put it together with the dummydisk files. The result did not change from the previous experiences with the cfadisk files. I must point out that I was trying to hit something in the dark!

I used the ChipGenius app, but it doesn’t give much information aside from serial number, device type and PnP Device ID: VID = 0951 PID = 1624, but now there is no longer need to post it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I have made so many searches and read so many things that I don’t know how I was starting getting confused. After all, this is very silly because Windows could well have included this possibility in the system. All they have been doing for sometime are gimmicks to attract dumbs. See this thread example, which it is not the only one:
http://social.techne.../?prof=required
Started on 29th January, 2009, and still active.

OK, many thanks again for the very useful and kindly offered assistance.

[jaclaz]

Andrews, on 18 May 2010 - 01:51 PM, said:

Thanks to your instructions I can finally use the USB flash drive as basic volume. I used the method with the REG file on your link to the 911cd.net site. ..... It is a well written, well detailed and easy to follow tutorial by someone who knows what he is talking about.

I take this for a final confirmation that Anton Bassov's dummydisk.sys with the approach that online so nicely detailed:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22795
works allright under Windows 7. (Did I get it right? You don't mention which driver you finally installed. )

However, if dummydisk.sys works, also cfadisk.sys should work with the generic method by cdob, if you hava an occasion to try again it, please report.

Andrews, on 18 May 2010 - 01:51 PM, said:

I don’t know whether cfadisk.sys or dummydisk.sys were installed or not, but I do know that they were there and Windows created some files for backing the up as I described on my last post with names like cfadisk.inf_x86_neutral_86e982a1aa90238f and cfadisk.PNF.

Yes, most probably you did not manage to intall them correctly or fully.

Andrews, on 18 May 2010 - 01:51 PM, said:

I tried something else. As dummydisk does not have an INF file, and dummydisk.sys and cfadisk.sys are of different sizes, I changed the name of cfadisk.inf to dummydisk.sys to install it the same way and put it together with the dummydisk files. The result did not change from the previous experiences with the cfadisk files. I must point out that I was trying to hit something in the dark!

Writing .INF files is tricky business, you have probably missed some bit.

Andrews, on 18 May 2010 - 01:51 PM, said:

I used the ChipGenius app, but it doesn’t give much information aside from serial number, device type and PnP Device ID: VID = 0951 PID = 1624, but now there is no longer need to post it.

Well, that's enough:
it seems like a kingston using a SSS chip:
http://www.flashboot...es&op=cat&id=17
http://translate.goo...en&hl=&ie=UTF-8
most probably a SSS6690
(just in case yu want to take the HARD way)

Andrews, on 18 May 2010 - 01:51 PM, said:

OK, many thanks again for the very useful and kindly offered assistance.

You are welcome.

jaclaz

[Andrews]

OK jaclaz, I thought I had explained properly, but now I see I might have not, sorry.

I followed strictly and only the tutorial by online on your 911cd.net link, the method that uses Anton Bassov’s files, the only one in the tutorial using a .REG file, not the other method with the "xpfildrvr1224_320.zip" folder. The driver I copied to "system32\drivers" was "dummydisk.sys" renamed as "dummy.sys". I didn’t do it completely because I stopped before installing "grub4dos". This online’s method on 911cd.net works perfectly with my USB flash on Windows 7.

Once this worked as desired, I did not try anything else and I did not try to install the “cfadisk.sys” driver. I cleared all cfadisk files from the sustem. Therefore, it may work as well as "dummy.sys" does, but I can’t confirm that without trying. Do you want me to uninstall "dummy.sys" and the .REG hack, and try “cfadisk.sys”. I can do the experiment as a contribution. Please state it.

jaclaz, on 16 May 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

Yes, most probably you did not manage to intall them correctly or fully.

I put all the files in the same directory. Through Device Manager, on the drive Properties, Driver tab, I updated the driver by directing Windows to the directory with the files. This is the usual way I know unless hacking the system.

jaclaz, on 16 May 2010 - 10:23 AM, said:

Writing .INF files is tricky business, you have probably missed some bit.

That’s right, but all I did was to copy the flash ID to a specific place that I found to be the same in different tutorials. I don’t know. This is exactly the only line I changed: %Microdrive_devdesc% = USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Kingston&Prod_DataTraveler_G2&Rev_1.00

Here is the ChipGenius report result that you seem to want. I didn’t find much utility on this because there are too many missed lines. I think this is the one that corresponds to the flash:

ChipGenius report said:

Device Name: +USB Mass Storage Device

PnP Device ID: VID = 0951 PID = 1624
Serial Number: 0013729982D5F9A0B6320C31
Revision: (Information not returned)

Device Type: Standard USB device - USB2.0 Full-Speed (USB1.1)

Chip Vendor: (No match record)
Chip Part-Number: (No match record)

Product Vendor: USB
Product Model: Mass Storage Device

Tools on Web: (N/A)

It is a Kingston Data Traveler G2 v1.00 (Yes, there is an original spelling error, it is everywhere and I used it as is on the .INF file.)
I didn’t understand the “(just in case yu want to take the HARD way)”. What is that? Can you tell me what you want me to do with this, please?

Thank you again jaclaz.

[jaclaz]

Andrews, on 19 May 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

Do you want me to uninstall "dummy.sys" and the .REG hack, and try “cfadisk.sys”. I can do the experiment as a contribution. Please state it.

Yes, please (this way we have a final confirmation for cfadisk.sys also).

Andrews, on 19 May 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

all I did was to copy the flash ID to a specific place that I found to be the same in different tutorials. I don’t know. This is exactly the only line I changed: %Microdrive_devdesc% = USBSTOR\Disk&Ven_Kingston&Prod_DataTraveler_G2&Rev_1.00

Yep, that's the "old" way (and prone to errors/inconveniences, as you "attach" the filter to a specific hardware device).
The new "generic" way by cdob simplified and examplified in the referred to thread by online:
http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22795
should be (please read as "is") more tolerant, as you "attach" the filter driver to the whole "USBSTOR\GenDisk" it should/will work for ANY USB stick, see the original post:
http://www.msfn.org/...ic=126868&st=12

Andrews, on 19 May 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

Here is the ChipGenius report result that you seem to want. I didn’t find much utility on this because there are too many missed lines. I think this is the one that corresponds to the flash:

No, sorry for the misunderstanding, the Vid and Pid you had already posted was enough to find the (supposedly) "right" tool for it.

Andrews, on 19 May 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

I didn’t understand the “(just in case yu want to take the HARD way)”. What is that? Can you tell me what you want me to do with this, please?

That was referred to eventually risk using on your stick the linked to Manufacturer's Tool to "flip the bit" of the controller.
As said, this - if possible with that tool - is the most "definitive" way, but it implies some risks of "botching" the stick for good.
Thus I can "recommend" it as the "right" thing to do (in the sense that you won't have anymore ANY problem with Fixed vs. Removable under ANY OS/install, without needing EVER to reinstall the filter driver), but cannot actually "recommend" doing it , as it involves the said risk, and don't want to be "held responsible" for accidentally ruining someone else's stick permanently.
I personally "flip the bit" of all my sticks, but never used that particular Manufacturer Tool, so, I cannot even say if it allows doing it, let alone know if it's "friendly", "easy" or not, it's all up to you.

More generally, my personal approach is somewhere between :

Anonymous said:

If ain't broke don't fix it

and:

Ray Bradbury said:

Life is "trying things to see if they work"

it's your choice, you only know if you have the experience, knowledge, and ultimately "guts" to risk doing a firmware change, after having judged if you need it at all or if you are happy with the filter driver.


jaclaz

[Andrews]

jaclaz, on 19 May 2010 - 10:50 AM, said:

Andrews, on 19 May 2010 - 08:47 AM, said:

Do you want me to uninstall "dummy.sys" and the .REG hack, and try “cfadisk.sys”. I can do the experiment as a contribution. Please state it.

Yes, please (this way we have a final confirmation for cfadisk.sys also).

I Deleted dummy.sys from the system. There was only the one I dropped in "system\drivers" in the whole system. I extracted the UFD and rebooted. I reintroduced the flash and wasn't any difference, just as if installed. Then I deleted the dummy key in the registry that had been merged with the dummy.reg file. No difference whatsoever . The two partitions continue to appear on Computer Management as basic disks, which is with all their options including expanding, shrinking and partitioning. This is not inconvenient for me because that is the way I want it to be , but I can't try to install "cfadisk.sys" as it is. I searched the registry for other entries, but I don't know enough to start deleting other entries blindly in the registry . If you know of another way to proceed, please tell me how.

jaclaz, on 19 May 2010 - 10:50 AM, said:

Yep, that's the "old" way (and prone to errors/inconveniences, as you "attach" the filter to a specific hardware device).

Right, I was telling about the previous experience that always failed for me, not the one on http://www.911cd.net...showtopic=22795, which was a complete success.

About trying the risky "flip the bit" business. I do need more information before deciding. I understand the worst that can happen is to say good bye for good to my flash drive , that is no one’s death but losing my money . I tried to understand something on the russian link you provided, thanks. I could see that with Vid and Pid you could find the Manufacturer's Tool, but I wasn’t able to find that. I avoid russian and chinese sites because I often feel lost; many also have viruses, but that I can manage with protection. Please tell me something more about that and how it is done, so I can try investigating further and decide. I think this will take me some time .