Windows 7 does not easily allow you to format a USB drive using the FAT32 filesystem. Some media devices do not understand NTFS, and they need drives to be formatted as FAT32 (such as PlayStation 3 / PS3)
To format large drives using FAT32 in Windows, you can use a program called Swissknife: Download Swissknife
Then:
install it.
plug your hard drive in your pc
open the program.
click your drive in the devices list.
click format to erase everything.
once finished click partition type and select primary and then file system and select fat32.
drag the bar to the right of the pie chart all the way to the bottom, so the whole pie chart turns blue.
click create.
via http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/602285#3639612
You have received one of the Autodesk Suites, installed it, and you want to use the USB key for some other purpose.
It is not immediately obvious that this is possible. There is some very decent write protection in play here – you can’t delete the partitions in Windows or Linux, you can’t format in Safe Mode, you can’t even use low level format tools or the HP USB Format tool.
You have to go deeper. Continue at your own risk… (below the bars)
NOTE: When reading the Comments, you may have to press “load more” at the very end of the page to see the most recent ones. EDIT 12 Recent anonymous comment refers to a pin mod that may save bricked drives, screenshot included here:
Mike’s steps: I used Phison MPALL v3.63.00.. not the 3.63.0C or the 3.63.0c-DL17
Plug into a usb3.0 port.. this is critical. YOU MUST USE USB3
Copy the contents between the ===== to a new file named 2014_2251-03.ini
=========================================== [PenDriveMP] IC Type=PS2251-03 [Parameter Mark] Parameter Type=F1_MP_21 [Customize Info] USB VID=0x0930 USB PID=0x1400 String Product Name=USB DISK 3.0 String Manufacturer Name=TOSHIBA Inquiry Version=PMAP Use30Fixture=1 IDBlkLibrary_Version=1.2.16.0 [Configuration] Reset Serial Number=0 [TestItemOption] Do Preformat Test=1 [Extra] Mode=3 [Misc] Volume Label=USB DISK Burner Erase All=1 Wafer Erase All=1 set1667=0x00 [Advance] FC1=0xFF FC2=0x01 CheckLegacy=1 [Firmware] ISP=0 ===========================================
Open MPALL_F1_0702_V363_00.exe
Click Update
Click Setting, select “Advanced Setting” then press OK
Click the load button and select the 2014_2251-03.ini file you created earlier.
Click Save, press OK close the settings window
Click Start…
EDIT 9 – 3 step process for 2013
This may seem a bit long winded, but I think it might be a good way for 2013 media kit:
Run MPALL 363 c (as per settings below) (make sure its revision C)
Run Silicon Power Formatter
Format using Windows
You can try this process in MPALL (step 1 above): Recieved Brand New USB’s For Autodesk Design Suite 2013 Premium IC version 2251-67
This is how i reformatted them Download MPALL_F1_9000_v363_00 and MPALL_F1_9000_v363_0C
Run Getinfo open MPALL_F1_9000_v363_00
Click Update In Advanced settings set Controller to PS2251-67 and FC1-FC2 to 01 In Firmware tick ‘Do ISP’ ‘Erase Code Block’ and ‘Auto ISP’ In Partition Seeting Tab Set Number of Partition to 1 Save and Press Start This will Fail
Close MPALL_F1_9000_v363_00 run getinfo in MPALL_F1_9000_v363_0C folder and open MPALL_F1_9000_v363_0C
Update again go into advanced settings set Controller to PS2251-62 and FC1-FC2 to 01 Untick all boxes in firmware
In Flash Settings Tab Check Auto Detect Preformat Erase Flash
In Partition Setting Tab set ‘No of Partitions to 1’
save and press start
EDIT 8 – For 2013 media (Thanks Peter in the Comments)I tried Formatter_SiliconPower – fail. UFD Recover Tool – Fail.
Edit MP.ini and paste the following:
[PenDriveMP] IC Type=PS2251-67 [Parameter Mark] Parameter Type=F1_MP_21 [Customize Info] USB VID=0x13FE USB PID=0x4100 String Product Name=USB DISK 2.0 Inquiry Version=PMAP [Configuration] Reset Serial Number=0 AutoFirmware=1 [TestItemOption] Do Preformat Test=1 [Extra] Mode=3 [Misc] Volume Label=USB DISK Burner Erase All=1 Wafer Erase All=1 set1667=0x00 [Advance] FC1=0xFF FC2=0x01 [Firmware] ISP=1
Open MPALL_F1_0702_v363_00.exe
Tick MP.ini
Click Update
Click Start
Wait…
*Should work*
However, I was getting IDBLK version check error. I think maybe I had broken my drive using the Formatter tools. Tried a lot of different settings but this drive is looking very dead.Will update if I find a way to fix it.
EDIT 7 – For PS2251-67 (From Ryan Ruta in the Comments) I found a solution for the latest drive that I received with the PS2251-67 Controller. 1. Download the file from this link… http://www.silicon-power.com/UFD_Recover_Tool/UFD_Recover_Tool.rar and extract it to your drive. 2. Plug in your USB drive. 3. Run the format tool from the download. 4. Unplug your USB drive and plug it back in. 5. Format the drive using the Windows format tool (or other tool of your choice) as NTFS.
EDIT – 5 From the comments, for DaneElec zMate USB 32 GB:
Inside my USB Drive (also named DaneElec zMate USB 32 GB) I found a controller SM3254Q AE, produced by SMI. I used smi_mptool_v2.03.34_v7_j1118_3254ae and now it works. The software I downloaded from site: http://tagievara.narod.ru/pages/programs/flash/smi.html Direct URL: http://depositfiles.com/files/acu0018d9
1. Run sm32Xtest.exe. 2. Press “Scan USB” button. 3. Press “Start” button. After few minutes the device is ready to use.
EDIT 6 – for Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013 The installation USB flash memory (key, dongle) used for distribution of Autodesk Design Suites is a read-only device and cannot be overwritten or formatted with standard methods. If you want to “misuse” this USB memory to store your data you can “hack” it with internal reformatting, make it a standard R/W device. E.g. Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013 uses the USB key of the type “DaneElec zMate Aero” (blue) – see Dane-Elec – with the controller SM3254Q AE. To overwrite this USB key you can use the utility SMI ReFixInfo. This tool can be downloaded here (file MI_ReFixInfo_1_0_0_1.7z). Start the downloaded EXE and click “Reset Write Protect”, W.P select Un-Write Protect. Then click Start. Be warned! Make sure you have a backup copy of your original installation files. This procedure may lead to a damage of your USB key and is completely unsupported. (by P.Hrazdil) via CAD Forum – How to re-format the Autodesk instalation USB key? I dismantled a spare USB key that we had received for Building Design Suite Premium. This wasn’t such an easy thing to do…but hopefully you won’t have to, now that I have done it for you!
I already knew that it was ostensibly a Toshiba flash drive, code PA3708, 32 gb (have a look on the case of yours, see if it is the same).
However, what I really needed to know was the IC, or controller chip brand / make / model. Dismantling the key told me it was a: PHISON 2251-60-5
Ok, from here I found this page, which led me to download the Phison MPALL utility bundle. You will need to download it too: Phison_MPALL_v3.20.0B
Read on below the bars…
Also, if you’re looking for a flash drive or an external drive, try looking here with coupons EDIT-1 You may be able to find updated versions of MPALL via Google Search. I am unsure what the copyright / usage license situation is with this program (deleted some links).
EDIT-2 Some people (in 2012) have had more success using USB Flash Tools (v2.10) USBFlashTools210.zip instead of the workflow with MPALL. After downloading this program, there is an ‘Erase’ option that may work … try it and post your results in the comments. Read more at USB Flash Tools
EDIT-3 Others seem to have had success with Silicon Power Formatter, or preformat.exe
EDIT-4 You may want to try Formatter first – Craig at iRevit has hosted the Formatter.zip and tested it (May 2012)
From here, it was a bit of trial and error. This is how you do it:
First of all, open GetInfo.exe Put in your drive letter and click ‘Read’. You should be able to get an output that looks something like this:
Next, open MPALL_F1_9000_v320_0B.exe
Click ‘Update’. Your drive should show up here.
Click ‘Setting’
Choose ‘Advanced Setting’ and ‘New Setting’ and OK.
The controller that I had to choose was the PS2251-90 (which is a bit weird, because the chip said it was a 2251-60, but that didn’t work). So, anyway, here are the settings I chose:
Controller = PS2251-90
FC1-FC2 = 01
Go to next tab – Flash Setting
I think leave the defaults but tick the ‘Erase Flash’
Next tab – Partition Setting
No. of partition = 1
Choose ‘Removable Disk’
And once you are done, click ‘Save’
Then you should be able to click ‘Start’ and away you go! You should see some formatting happen, then you will have to remove the drive and plug it in again…then you should have a nice 32 gb USB drive to use.
EDIT: For the 16 gb USB, try using -60 controller setting.
Note – the settings are saved in the MP.INI file. Here is what my MP.INI file looked like:
[PenDriveMP] IC Type=PS2251-90 [Parameter Mark] Parameter Type=F1_MP_21 [Customize Info] USB VID=0x13FE USB PID=0x3D00 String Product Name=USB DISK 2.0 Inquiry Version=PMAP [Configuration] Reset Serial Number=0 [TestItemOption] Do Preformat Test=1 [Extra] Mode=3 [Misc] Volume Label=USB DISK Burner Erase All=1 Wafer Erase All=1 set1667=0x00 [Advance] Tick=0 FC1=0xFF FC2=0x01 [Firmware] ISP=0
You can check and see if yours looks similar, or even load these settings and try them.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROCEDURE MAY COMPLETELY BRICK OR DESTROY YOUR USB DRIVE. Make sure you have a backup of the software if you are going to attempt this.
So, how did you go? Do you feel pretty good about yourself? Really, that USB key would eventually become redundant, so we are making an environmentally wise choice by recycling it, aren’t we?
