Getting a portable USB drive to work

[Guest 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.

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Getting a portable USB drive to work

 

Steve <tinker123@gmail.com> wrote:

> 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.

[Guest Colin Barnhorst]

Re: Getting a portable USB drive to work

 

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?

 

"Steve" <tinker123@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:09454edf-54f9-4eb8-a958-077b9623d48d@72g2000hsu.googlegroups.com...

> 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.

>

[Guest db ´¯`·.. >]

Re: Getting a portable USB drive to work

 

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.

 

 

 

 

--

 

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>

 

"Steve" <tinker123@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:09454edf-54f9-4eb8-a958-077b9623d48d@72g2000hsu.googlegroups.com...

> 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.

>

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Getting a portable USB drive to work

 

Steve wrote:

> 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.

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Getting a portable USB drive to work

 

HeyBub <heybub@gmail.com> wrote:

> Steve wrote:

>> 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.

 

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*.