«

Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it for
nearly a year without problems.

Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so that they
could move files between work and school, and have a work around
solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the server
and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)

Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that although the
machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff onto
them elsewhere in the school.

All machines are ghosted from the same image.

I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine (using
a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the files on
it.

I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software not up
to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it should not
have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was faulty, the
drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.

Have I overlooked something obvious?

Any ideas treated gratefully.

Fran

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it for
> nearly a year without problems.
>
> Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so that they
> could move files between work and school, and have a work around
> solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the server
> and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)
>
> Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that although the
> machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
> appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff onto
> them elsewhere in the school.
>
> All machines are ghosted from the same image.
>
> I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine (using
> a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the files on
> it.
>
> I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software not up
> to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it should not
> have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was faulty, the
> drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.
>
> Have I overlooked something obvious?
>
> Any ideas treated gratefully.
>
And your using What OS???
Your students machines at home are using what OS???
What Kind of thumb drive.???

As a diagnosis I'd say at this point you have Liver cancer...
That is based on info provided...

--
<B0N3H3@D>
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein

"«BONEHEAD>>" <> wrote in message
news:%VAZd.20627$. com...
> ...As a diagnosis I'd say at this point you have Liver cancer...
> That is based on info provided...

bit strong mate!

<> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> snip

Thumb drives have caused me problems in the past. In one instance the drive
was reported empty on insertion into a new machine even though files were
present on the thumb. Sounds similar to your problem, but in my case the
contents of the thumb were erased on first insertion.

A get around was to backup the thumb contents onto a good pc, insert the
thumb and let the PC reformat or erase or whatever it did (we still don't
know why by the way), then write the files back onto the thumb. Each time we
have done this the thumb has had no problems since. Something to do with the
PC itself writing the files rather than reading those already on.

Also don't forget that your thumb is older so therefore may have a different
chip inside it than those your students have.

Dunno if this is any use to you though.

Spammy Sammy wrote:
> <> wrote in message
> news: oups.com...
> > snip
>
> Thumb drives have caused me problems in the past. In one instance the
drive
> was reported empty on insertion into a new machine even though files
were
> present on the thumb. Sounds similar to your problem, but in my case
the
> contents of the thumb were erased on first insertion.
>
> A get around was to backup the thumb contents onto a good pc, insert
the
> thumb and let the PC reformat or erase or whatever it did (we still
don't
> know why by the way), then write the files back onto the thumb. Each
time we
> have done this the thumb has had no problems since. Something to do
with the
> PC itself writing the files rather than reading those already on.
>
> Also don't forget that your thumb is older so therefore may have a
different
> chip inside it than those your students have.
>
> Dunno if this is any use to you though.

Thanks very much for your thoughts. I'll give this a try.

Another odd thing is that a handful of the PC's in the school either
refuse to recognise the thumbs at all, (including mine) or start up the
"Found New Hardware" wizard and start asking for drivers.

Yet the entire scool is on Windows 2000 (NT)

Fran

«BONEHEAD>> wrote:
> <> wrote in message
> news: oups.com...
> > Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it for
> > nearly a year without problems.
> >
> > Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so that
they
> > could move files between work and school, and have a work around
> > solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the
server
> > and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)
> >
> > Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that although
the
> > machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
> > appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff onto
> > them elsewhere in the school.
> >
> > All machines are ghosted from the same image.
> >
> > I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine
(using
> > a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the files
on
> > it.
> >
> > I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software not
up
> > to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it should
not
> > have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was faulty,
the
> > drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.
> >
> > Have I overlooked something obvious?
> >
> > Any ideas treated gratefully.
> >
> And your using What OS???


The entire school is on Windows 2000 (NT)


> Your students machines at home are using what OS???


I'll ask.

> What Kind of thumb drive.???
>

AStone 128 MB

> As a diagnosis I'd say at this point you have Liver cancer...
> That is based on info provided...
>


Let me know if this info helps.

FRan

On 15 Mar 2005 11:09:23 -0800, wrote:

>
>«BONEHEAD>> wrote:
>> <> wrote in message
>> news: oups.com...
>> > Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it for
>> > nearly a year without problems.
>> >
>> > Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so that
>they
>> > could move files between work and school, and have a work around
>> > solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the
>server
>> > and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)
>> >
>> > Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that although
>the
>> > machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
>> > appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff onto
>> > them elsewhere in the school.
>> >
>> > All machines are ghosted from the same image.
>> >
>> > I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine
>(using
>> > a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the files
>on
>> > it.
>> >
>> > I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software not
>up
>> > to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it should
>not
>> > have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was faulty,
>the
>> > drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.
>> >
>> > Have I overlooked something obvious?
>> >
>> > Any ideas treated gratefully.
>> >
>> And your using What OS???
>
>
>The entire school is on Windows 2000 (NT)
>
>
>> Your students machines at home are using what OS???
>
>
>I'll ask.
>
>> What Kind of thumb drive.???
>>
>
>AStone 128 MB

As was in the original post...

>
>> As a diagnosis I'd say at this point you have Liver cancer...
>> That is based on info provided...
>>
>
>
>Let me know if this info helps.

Nice restraint.

Tom

>
>FRan

Rightard Whitey wrote:
> wrote:
> > Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it for
> > nearly a year without problems.
> >
> > Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so that
they
> > could move files between work and school, and have a work around
> > solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the
server
> > and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)
> >
> > Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that although
the
> > machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
> > appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff onto
> > them elsewhere in the school.
> >
> > All machines are ghosted from the same image.
> >
> > I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine
(using
> > a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the files
on
> > it.
> >
> > I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software not
up
> > to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it should
not
> > have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was faulty,
the
> > drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.
> >
> > Have I overlooked something obvious?
> >
> > Any ideas treated gratefully.
> >
> > Fran
> >
> >
> Did you check the USB flash drives on other PCs?

Good point. I only have their word for it that the devices worked on
other school machines. I'll check that first opportunity.

> Did you try other USB
> ports on the library machines?

No ... both my drive and those of the kids were inserted into the front
port only.

Thanks

Fran

Tom MacIntyre wrote:
> On 15 Mar 2005 11:09:23 -0800, wrote:
>
> >
> >«BONEHEAD>> wrote:
> >> <> wrote in message
> >> news: oups.com...
> >> > Last year I bought a 128MB "thumb drive" (AStone). I've used it
for
> >> > nearly a year without problems.
> >> >
> >> > Based on this I ordered a bunch for my students this year so
that
> >they
> >> > could move files between work and school, and have a work around
> >> > solution for when their profiles weren't being recognised by the
> >server
> >> > and they wanted to save something. (Don't laugh)
> >> >
> >> > Anyhow, two of the students approached me and saifd that
although
> >the
> >> > machines in the library were recognising the devices, the drives
> >> > appeared to be empty, despite the fact that they'd saved stuff
onto
> >> > them elsewhere in the school.
> >> >
> >> > All machines are ghosted from the same image.
> >> >
> >> > I inserted my identical piece of hardware into a library machine
> >(using
> >> > a student profile), and it both recognised my device AND the
files
> >on
> >> > it.
> >> >
> >> > I reason that if the machine itself was faulty, or the software
not
> >up
> >> > to the job (eg it had become corrupted since ghosting), it
should
> >not
> >> > have read files on my drive. If the students' hardware was
faulty,
> >the
> >> > drives should not have bean writeable anyplace else.
> >> >
> >> > Have I overlooked something obvious?
> >> >
> >> > Any ideas treated gratefully.
> >> >
> >> And your using What OS???
> >
> >
> >The entire school is on Windows 2000 (NT)
> >
> >
> >> Your students machines at home are using what OS???
> >
> >
> >I'll ask.
> >
> >> What Kind of thumb drive.???
> >>
> >
> >AStone 128 MB
>
> As was in the original post...
>
> >
> >> As a diagnosis I'd say at this point you have Liver cancer...
> >> That is based on info provided...
> >>
> >
> >
> >Let me know if this info helps.
>
> Nice restraint.
>
> Tom
>

Good manners cost nothing, and are highly advisable when you come as a
supplicant.

For the record one of the kids now says it's working in the library,
after he took the Windows '98 driver cd and installed it on his home
PC.

"Oh, so you're running Win'98" I asked.

"No, XP ..."

Hmmm...

Curiouser and curiouser

Fran

Good manners cost nothing, and are highly advisable when you come as a
supplicant.

For the record one of the kids now says it's working in the library,
after he took the Windows '98 driver cd and installed it on his home
PC.

"Oh, so you're running Win'98" I asked.

"No, XP ..."

Hmmm...

Curiouser and curiouser

I was just trying to make light of the fact that you didn't provide much
info...
Some people don't have a sense of humor and are easily offended...
I am glad you are not one of them and used it as an incentive to
be a little more thorough in your description of the situation....

For the record, I can be a smart ass, but when I have good info,
I provide good answers... But then again sometimes I don't have
enough time to post a complete answer, and being a smart ass is quicker


--
<B0N3H3@D>
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein