Getting a portable USB drive to work

[Steve]

Hi;

I'm using Windows XP professional, service pack 2 at work.

I received a free 1 gig portable "key chain" USB drive as part of a
promotional. I've had trouble using it at work. Because of legacy
issues we are using every available drive mapping letter but one or
two. When I insert this keychain drive it doesn't hook into the
drive letters we do have available.

My network admin was able to get it to temporarily work by changing a
config in windows, but the solution was not permanent. She told me
I could mess things up by reconfiguring my set up so she asked me not
to do that.

Is there anything else I can do to get this keychain drive to work?
Is there some sort of software I can install on it?

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Hi;

I'm using Windows XP professional, service pack 2 at work.

I received a free 1 gig portable "key chain" USB drive as part of a
promotional. I've had trouble using it at work. Because of legacy
issues we are using every available drive mapping letter but one or
two. When I insert this keychain drive it doesn't hook into the
drive letters we do have available.

My network admin was able to get it to temporarily work by changing a
config in windows, but the solution was not permanent. She told me
I could mess things up by reconfiguring my set up so she asked me not
to do that.

Is there anything else I can do to get this keychain drive to work?
Is there some sort of software I can install on it?

Thanks in advance for any information.

This isn't something you could handle via software that you could install
yourself, although your network admin could (tell her to check out USBDLM -
it's free.)

However, she should have been able to go to Disk Management and permanently
assign a drive letter that is *not* in use and the thumb drive should
remember it on this computer, and always get the same letter.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

How many of the usb ports are in use already on the computer? Are you using
a hub (if so try without it)? What is the computer?

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

your network expert was
able to get it temporarily
working but for some reason
we are supposed to have
super vision and see your
device from the opposite
ends of the world....

perhaps, you could explain
what EXACTLY is that
configuration change.

 

[HeyBub]

Hi;

I'm using Windows XP professional, service pack 2 at work.

I received a free 1 gig portable "key chain" USB drive as part of a
promotional. I've had trouble using it at work. Because of legacy
issues we are using every available drive mapping letter but one or
two. When I insert this keychain drive it doesn't hook into the
drive letters we do have available.

My network admin was able to get it to temporarily work by changing a
config in windows, but the solution was not permanent. She told me
I could mess things up by reconfiguring my set up so she asked me not
to do that.

Is there anything else I can do to get this keychain drive to work?
Is there some sort of software I can install on it?

Thanks in advance for any information.

I'm surprised your network administrator even tried. Surely your company has
policies against plugging foreign hardware into company machines. The use of
a USB stick is a common - promotional or found in the parking lot - "social
engineering" way to introduce malware into a company network.

As to whether you can install some software on it, don't be surprised if it
already HAS some software. Software that takes over your machine, contacts
the mother ship, and uploads all your passwords and porn. Often companies
employ this mechanism to test whether their employees are violating the "no
foreign hardware or disks" injunction.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I'm surprised your network administrator even tried. Surely your
company has policies against plugging foreign hardware into company
machines. The use of a USB stick is a common - promotional or found
in the parking lot - "social engineering" way to introduce malware
into a company network.
As to whether you can install some software on it, don't be surprised
if it already HAS some software. Software that takes over your
machine, contacts the mother ship, and uploads all your passwords and
porn. Often companies employ this mechanism to test whether their
employees are violating the "no foreign hardware or disks" injunction.

You're presuming a lot (and I think you're being a bit paranoid). A lot of
companies do not have such policies, and as the IT person *did* help the OP
out once, this company evidently does *not*.