Format a Sandisk Cruzer thumb drive

I saw what was available in search on the Sandisk Cruzer.

My question is: What is the latest if anything on formating these thumb drives?

My install of Hirens to the Cruzer boots but issues a file not found error.

The format routine used was a tool from Hirens which invokes Grub4dos-- the Linux loader program.

How can I start over with this?

Erase Hirens which doesn't load

Reformat and put on the Raw Copy tool from HDD Guru to use as my
clone program. (I may have others to add.)

The cruzer boots but has a script to take it to Hirens and the Hirens issues
that file not found which-- Lon cannot find.

 

Erf. Forgot....

Am running Win XP on the computer.

 

You're running XP. If you want to format the thumb drive, open My Computer and right click on the thumb drive and select Format.

 

I format ALL my thumb drives, no matter what brand it is with the old HP format tool.

Code:

http://file.walagata.com/w/perk/Assorted/SP27608.exe

I have it stored here to share because it is hard to find a download.
Explanation of the Tool: http://en.kioskea.net/download/download-127-hp-usb-disk-storage-format-tool
In the past 10 days, I must have formatted 8 or 9 USB sticks because I am testing linux live distros booting off of a USB stick.

Checking brands: I've used this on Verbatim, Kingston, SanDisk, Lexar and PNY sticks.

 

That sounds too easy [wink].

 

I will also check this out though I think the Hirens routine uses the HP as well and has screen shots. The file system is FAT32.

Thank you for keeping a good program active. Will start on this anew tomorrow.

 

Troubleshooting starts here.


Today I got a fresh version 2.4.2 of the HP formatter program. It had a release date of last October.

I ran the program and selected NTFS and everything else default.

The format completed.

I copied HDD Guru Raw Copy installer to the Cruzer.
The installer ran and HDD Guru Raw Copy loaded and ran and showed my installed devices.

In the BIOS I set the Cruzer as the first boot device.

Disk boot failure followed.

It seems the only way to make it bootable is to use the Grub bootload system but I don't want it to autoload Hirens or anything-- just have it open to run clone progs.

What remains to do is just get the Cruzer to boot as first device.

I do not know if setting NTFS on the Cruzer is necessary or making a problem.

 

I've never formatted any of my USB sticks as NTFS. I've used either FAT or FAT32. We have 7 computers in the house currently and I can boot 6 of them from a USB stick. (I haven't tried on my husband's old Win 2000 all-in-one computer).

Why not get the portable version and put that on the USB stick?
http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-Raw-Copy-Tool/

You formatted the stick BUT what did you use to make it bootable?
Since I "burn" linux live ISOs on my sticks, I use LinuxLive to make it bootable.
I'm not sure what you use if you are putting on a windows program.

hmmm, I've heard Fred Langa mention Rufus
http://rufus.akeo.ie/

 

plodr

Thanks for answering. We are talking about all the same things and that helps.

Going through setup, what are your steps? Just the Raw Copy tool would be installed for this practice.


I have the HP format tool

I can reformat to the usual FAT32

What setup steps follow simply to boot from the Cruzer and run the HDD Raw Copy tool? Your suggestion about the portable version is a good one.

What Hirens uses to load it's utilities which are MS programs is the Grub boot loader and an 'autoruns' command file to load Hirens. I just want to format, make bootable and install one program.

For this I have the printed instructions but only for the Hirens installation.

 

Use the HP tool and check the box that says "Create a DOS start up disk".
I don't know which of the two options under that you want because I've never used the format tool to make the stick bootable.
I've used
Unetbootin http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
Universal USB Installer http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
and LinuxLive http://www.linuxliveusb.com/
None of the three I've used help in your situation.

So what you want to run from a USB stick, I have no experience with.

 

plodr

I'll look at those pendrive links.

For me maybe the answer is do the grbldr (Grub loader) routine and just not install or delete the autorun file which goes to Hirens. Maybe someone else will jump in on this.

 

davidgp'

Thanks for the detailed reply. I looked through the steps and saw the format
command-- I'm using old Win XP-- but did not note that it will auto boot.

If the pendrive is the first boot device in the BIOS (which would have to be selected in BIOS for this sort of backup chore) will it automatically boot as would a cdr ISO?

That's where the problem is. I will look over what you have given.

As a side note, how can I read an Autoruns file to see what commands are in it and how could I edit the one from Hirens which loads as part of the grbldr install routine?

For anyone who has not seen the grbldr tool, I have provide the link to where the instructions are below.

http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd-on-usb-disk

 

That Autorun file is basically a text file that can be opened and edited in notepad. You should be able to save it back to it's original format as well.

 

Ok, I'll try editing the autorun.

 

that was no good.

I have start over. I'll ask at HDD Guru. This can't be that complicated or need the word "basically" to explain it.