Looking for USB Flash Drives with Hardware Write Protection

[vfclists]

I am looking for USB Flash drives with hardware write protection, you know the type with the button that you slide to disable writing.

It is mainly for software installation and it is prevent virus infections.

I need to update the software on it regularly, and DVDs and CDs don't always work.

Any recommendations?

[jaclaz]

Any recommendations?

The "easiest" would be NOT to use a "USB stick", but rather a USB SD or mini SD or micro SD converter.

Example:

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Memory-Card-Reader-Writer/dp/B000FNDWLQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1273482605&sr=1-1

This way you can use the "normal" SD card switch.

The above is NOT completely "secure" and it greatly depends on the OS and on the actual SD card reader.

Another possibility is this kind of "combo's" (I have a couple of them and they are very handy):

http://www.masebo.eu/auctiondetails.php?id=510997

http://www.amazon.com/1GB-80X-USB-Combo-CD/dp/B000KA5SN4

but they are as well not as easy to find as the USB sticks with the RO/RW switch.

Brand PQI is reknown to have RO switch on most if not all it's production (example):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820141488

Google for "USB write protect switch" for the latter.

If you had, you would have find this nice list :

http://www.fencepost.net/2010/03/usb-flash-drives-with-hardware-write-protection/

Please keep in mind that most (please read as "ALL") controllers inside USB sticks can be through the repective "Manufacturer utilities" or "Mass Production Tool" be set as R0 or have two partitions, one RO and one RW, obviously the updatre process is a bit more complex and involves a complete "pseudo-low-level" formatting of the stick.

Finally there are a number of sticks/controllers that allow for a CD-like (thus read only) device and a "normal" RW partition, and there are utilities to replace the contents of the CD-like part.

jaclaz

Edited May 10, 2010 by jaclaz