Weird USB stick problem

Cat_J

Cat_J

Cat_J

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So I have a really odd one I can't get a handle on. I've been doing some IT work on the side while my main business is shutdown so have been getting a wide variety of machines, including a bunch of Macs.

I had to replace a HDD in one Macbook Pro so created a boot USB stick to install the OS which worked fine. I used a 32GB Sandisk Ultra Flair. However since then no machine other than a Mac can see the drive, at all. Nothing in any partition software I have, it doesn't even appear in device manager. I would say the drive is dead, but plugging it back into a Mac works absolutely fine.

Has anyone else experienced this?

P.S This has been my first proper experience of macOS in 10 years. Man its been left in the dust by Linux...
 
Found this guide, hope it helps.

The drive is probably now formatted for a Mac only file system. To format for a PC:

Insert the drive in the Mac and start Disk Utility (Utilities folder).
Select the drive in the left column. Be sure to select the drive (all the way to the left) not a volume (indented below the drive name).
Select the "Partition" tab.
Set "Volume Scheme" to "1 Partition" (not "Current" even if it's already one partition).
Click the "Options" button".
Select "Master Boot Record".
Click the "OK" button.
Enter a volume name (all uppercase).
Set "Format" to "MS-DOS (FAT)".
Click the "Apply" button.
Click to expand...

This USB formatting tool may help if you only have access to Windows now.

https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/best-usb-format-tool.html
 
freddie64 said:
Found this guide, hope it helps.



This USB formatting tool may help if you only have access to Windows now.

https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/best-usb-format-tool.html
Click to expand...

I tried following those instructions too however in the version of macOS I was using (High Sierra) they fell apart at "Volume Scheme" which wasn't there.

This is the weirdest part; it works in a mac (but I gave it back to customer yesterday so don't have one anymore) but I have two PCs here that don't even see it in the BIOS. Thats looking at connected USB devices, not just boot devices. Of course becuase of this no partition software can see it either, its like only apple hardware can see it.

This is truely a WTF moment to me.

Also when plugged into PC it heats up like its in use, not like it catching fire from a short, just warm like its working.
 
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