I have an uncommon question.

I have a USB drive (it's a 4Gb pen drive). What I need is a trick so
that if one tries the drive on any PC it will appear to be not working
(even to an experienced user).

On the other hand the trick must be safe and reversible, that is,
whenever I want the drive must work again perfectly.

Data can be lost, but the drive must NOT suffer any damage.

Would you kindly suggest some possible ways to do this trick?

Thank you very much!!

-Pam

PS
what about if I start formatting it anf interrupt the formatting? Would
I damage it?

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

pamelafluente@libero.it writes:
> Would you kindly suggest some possible ways to do this trick?
> Thank you very much!!

It sounds like you're trying to prevent unauthorized people from
accessing confidential data on the drive.  Rather than mess around
with "tricks" you should encrypt the contents.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Thank you Rubin.

No. Actually what I wish to accomplish is that if one tries the USB
drive he/she would conclude that the drive is not working at all or as
it should.

For instance
-the letter drive does not appear, or
-the drive appears to have 1Kb available, or
-no files can be copied to the drive, etc.
... or any other critical malfunction

I wish to regain full functionality (with some inverse trick) at any
time.

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Note: spoiling the FAT metadata using the bytewise disk editor (and I
envision no other ways of spoiling the flash drive temporarily) will cause
Windows to show "The disk is not formatted, do you want to format it now?" b
ox.

And, if the happy user will press Yes, the drive will be wiped.

--
Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
maxim@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

<pamelafluente@libero.it> wrote in message
news:1137010730.534699.165820@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> I have an uncommon question.
>
> I have a USB drive (it's a 4Gb pen drive). What I need is a trick so
> that if one tries the drive on any PC it will appear to be not working
> (even to an experienced user).
>
> On the other hand the trick must be safe and reversible, that is,
> whenever I want the drive must work again perfectly.
>
> Data can be lost, but the drive must NOT suffer any damage.
>
> Would you kindly suggest some possible ways to do this trick?
>
> Thank you very much!!
>
> -Pam
>
> PS
> what about if I start formatting it anf interrupt the formatting? Would
> I damage it?
>

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

Dear Maxim,

are you suggesting a tecnique. If yes, please tell me *exactly* an easy
way to do and undo it.
Consider I am not a techician. Just an average user.

If utilities are necessary please tell me which ones so that I can get
them from the web.

Thank you VERY much.

-Pam

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

If can help, let me add that the drive was lastly formatted using NTFS
(not FAT).

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]

> are you suggesting a tecnique. If yes, please tell me *exactly* an easy
> way to do and undo it.

I think it's impossible without installing some filtering software on all th
ese
computers.

--
Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
maxim@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com

[ Post a follow-up to this message ]