Introduction: Remove U3 From Flash Drive
Our company just bought 150 of those flash drives (Sandisk Micro Cruzer 4GB) that comes with U3 preinstalled on it on a read-only partition. Now the U3 isn't really a bad thing to most people, but the U3 partition on it takes up another drive letter which sometimes prevent some of our network drives from mapping.
I decided to post this as an 'instructable' because it is different from the other one here
Maybe the U3 software has been improved, or maybe its just another away of removing it, but at least it eliminates the need to download another software just to kill the U3 partition.
Let's jump right in.
Step 1: Click the U3 icon in the system tray.
Step 2: Click on Settings > U3 Launchpad Settings
Step 3: Select 'Uninstall' > Uninstall U3 Launchpad
Step 1: Launchpad Removal Program
The launchpad removal program is fired up.
Follow the on screen prompts by the software to remove the U3 partition for good!
Step 4: Click Next
Step 5: Select No only if there's nothing on the flash drive that you need.
(actually even if there were any data on the flash drive I want, I would prefer to copy them out onto the computer, just in case there's a software glitch or power that corrupts my data!)
Step 6: Click 'Format' and finally 'Done'
Ta-dah! A U3-less flash drive.
This isn't much of an instructable but I hope it helps some people :)
12 Comments
6 years ago
Thank you! That was a huge help.
- Peter
:)
8 years ago on Introduction
Dear lord...thank you. Been tearing my hair out trying to find a solution to this. (Similar to yours, company bought a bajillion of these things, and people were complaining about the software.) Good to see there's a simple method for removing it that I never could find for some reason...
8 years ago on Introduction
thx i didnt think to look there it has help so much!!
12 years ago on Introduction
THANK YOU. i actually do like the way the U3 system is i DO NOT however like its nice little function of opening its self and slowing dowm my comp AND having that annoying little icon on the start bar every time i plug it in , thats why im just going to make a copy in case i ever do want to use it :D then KILL THE ORIGANAL
14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks, worked great. I use Portable Apps as well, great program.
14 years ago on Introduction
What is U3? I don't understand!
14 years ago on Introduction
sooo? what does u3 do?? ?:-/
14 years ago on Introduction
Couldn't u just go into my computer, right click on it and choose format?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
No. U3 is a read-only program, and they made the installation file separate so people would say, it's just a hassle, and not uninstall it. At least, that's what I believe.
14 years ago on Introduction
U3 is total garbage. I removed it almost immediately from a recently purchased flash drive. Portable AppsPortable Apps is infinitely better and has the benefit of being open-source.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
the stock Launchpad is garbage, but U3 itsself is usefull here.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Yup, I agree with you completely! I too, installed portable apps onto my flash drive. (I should have mentioned that in my 'instructable')