Monday, July 13, 2015

How to Disable the Write Protection on Dell Windows 8 USB Recovery Sticks - ROUND 3


Dell has been including the option to receive recovery media on a read-only 8GB USB flash drive for several months now. Many of us have a bunch of these drives and have been searching for ways to disable the write protection on these drives so they can be used for something else. Here's the solution for the drives currently shipping with Dell PCs.

UPDATE 2016/10/07: If you have Dell Windows 10 USB sticks, please see How to Disable the Write Protection on Dell Windows 10 USB Recovery Sticks.

There's been a few different versions of the drive, each requiring a different utility to low-level format them. As of this post, the drive currently shipping with Dell PCs is designated eD2.16k. Drive versions can be identified by using UPTool_Ver2092. Below is a screen shot of UPTool showing a eD2.16k drive.


If your drive shows up as eD3.8k, use the "Round 2" process to low-level format the drive. I've not been able to get this newer utility to work for the eD3.8k drives.


Round 3

The credit for figuring out this drive goes to Steve Cole. All your thanks should do to him. Thanks Steve. 

The process for the eD2.16k drives is much easier than the previous drives. After you've identified your drive with UPtool, close it if it's still open and download Formatter_SiliconPower.exe.

Plug in your eD2.16k flash drive and run Formatter_SiliconPower.exe.


Heed the warning and click Format.



If you're sure you really want to do this, click Yes.



The utility works its magic.



The low-level format is complete. Click OK to exit the utility. Some of the flash drives require you to unplug them and plug them back in before use. Other's work just fine after the utility finishes.

That's it. We've a got reliable way to disable the write protection on the current generation of Dell Windows 8 Recovery drives. If the past is any indicator, it won't be too long before something changes. Maybe it's the arrival of Windows 10 or maybe it's another change from Dell's USB drive supplier, but something will change and we'll be scrambling for a solution that works for the next generation.


61 comments:

  1. The downloaded Formatter_SiliconPower.exe from above does not work on any of my eD2.16k drives. i did try method #2 first on them. I have only successfully formatted (1) using method #2, any ideas. Win7 x64

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    1. Diggy, I just triple checked by downloading Formatter_SiliconPower.exe from Mega with the link above and successfully low-level formatted a eD2.16k drive.

      I also tried to low-level format a eD2.16k drive with UPTool_Ver2092. It failed, of course. I tried to use Formatter_SiliconPower.exe on the failed drive and got the following error...

      "Restore failure, please contact your vendor. error code: -2"

      It looks like Formatter_SiliconPower.exe is not able to resurrect eD2.16k drives that failed with UPTool_Ver2092.

      Is it possible that's what you're seeing?

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    2. As far as I know SiliconPower will not fix drives that have already been formatted incorrectly. I have tried several dozen different programs and none of them have been able to bring a drive back from an incorrect format with UPtool.
      Maybe someone with more experience with UPtool could find a way to correct the settings to work with these new drives now that we are able to remove the write protection.

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    3. That is exactly what happened. I performed Round #2 on eD2.16K sticks. which sounds like it bricks them currently.

      Maybe a round #4 is needed. Use the round #2 method to "check" what version it is, then STOP, and move to round #3. I have only bricked 3, so no biggie.

      cheers guys!

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    4. Hold on,, or maybe the Round #3 procedure works on eD2.16K and eD2.8K sticks, so no worries..?

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    5. This worked Gr8888!!! for me. I did Four drives with this utility. Thanks ; ))

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    6. worked perfectly. thank you very much

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I had 3 eD2.16K.. 2 are dead using UPtool but the third i just used with SiliconPower and worked first time :)

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  4. The only method on the internet that actually works! Thanks a bunch guys! :)

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  5. Does anyone knows how to revive the eD2.16K?

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  6. Worked as a charm on mines!!! (eD2.16K) . I read all two first rounds and of course didn't try with UPTool, instead I went directly to method with Formatter_SiliconPower.
    The only issue was Symnantec Endpoint reporting it a malware. Anyway, thank you!
    dumbs up!

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  7. Anyone got any news on a round #4 ? (-2 error). Or is it a dead path and we can toss those drives?

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    Replies
    1. I'll post a round 4 solution when I have one for the next iteration of USB sticks. Round 3 works with the sticks currently shipping from Dell and that's all most people need.

      One way to get a "-2" error is to apply the Round 2 method to a eD2.16K USB stick. If that's what's going on with yours, you might be able to fixed it with Duc Pham's method. I though I read in the comments on the Round 2 post that Duc Pham's method of low-level formatting the eD2.16K drives was able to resurrect drives borked with the Round 2 method, but I can't find it now.

      Check out http://www.techunboxed.com/2015/03/how-to-disable-write-protection-on-dell.html?showComment=1434851147689#c4846490048146830591 and see if his method works for your "-2" error drives. It probably wont make matters any worse.

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    2. Have you had a chance to work on a Round 4 for use on the newest USB sticks that DELL is shipping now? All of the current steps (Round 1-3) don't seem to work with the latest USB's that I'm getting (PA5080L-MD8M). They show up in UPTool as being eD3.16K)

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    3. Lamar, round 4 just posted for Windows 10 sticks. http://www.techunboxed.com/2016/09/how-to-disable-write-protection-on-dell.html

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  8. Works fine with the silicon power, thanks steve, and yes you right only one of them fail with the error -2 because I used the UPTool before :)

    thanks a lot guys.

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  9. Hey guys my usb isn't detected by this software. Any ideas?

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  10. sorry if a question is not the product key is there any other place where I can find?

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  11. any alternative download links for the formatter I am dealing with a firewall and a dell win 8 , 8GB sick

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  12. Duc Pham´s post of July 15, 10:29AM solved my problem!!!
    http://www.techunboxed.com/2015/03/how-to-disable-write-protection-on-dell.html?showComment=1434851147689#c4846490048146830591

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6Mpu5xK3FHYN0UwbkFFRUk5V2M
    (edit dell_16k with notepad and fix files location)
    load file dell_16k
    hit update
    hit Start

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  13. my version, eD2.16K (solid light blue)

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  14. None of the steps are working for me. UPTool will not tell me the version of my drive. Just show the drive in red.

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    Replies
    1. hi, did u get the drive to work? i just got one from dell but uptool did show it in red... txz....

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  15. I am trying to resurrect an eD2.16k from the failed UPTool procedure, but Duc Pham's app (MPALL_F1_9000_v372_0B) does not recognize the stick. It just doesn't show up. Any idea how I can get it to show up?

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  16. suomi35

    You need to follow this video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Z9MMq1Sew&feature=youtu.be

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  17. W00t! I ended up moving the stick around to different ports until one of them recognized it. The ports on my laptop are not marked with USB2/3...some are 2, some are 3 it seems.

    Cheers for your help and to Duc Pham as well!!

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  18. Did you manage to unbrick it?
    I tried buet ended up with error 0x1409

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  19. http://flashboot.ru/forum/index.php?topic=26711.0
    use google translate.
    worked for me for 64GB BLK Win10 stick

    before change firmware download the UPTool_Ver2089

    go setup in user interface click ENABLE CLEAN BUTTON

    AFTER CLICK OK CLEAN THE OLD BAD FIRMWARE

    REPLUG AGAIN AND USE MPALL 3.72.B

    FOR TLC USE 1.1.53
    FOR MLC USE 1.2.10

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  20. Hi Guys, worked for me, but I still have 2 drives, one is 2.85GB called SECURE and other one 4.34GB called PUBLIC. Any way to join them?

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  21. my drive not show up ?? any help ?

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  22. i try both soft same issue not showing

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  23. Thank you for such a great post it worked perfectly well, I was searching for almost 2 days and nothing worked. Thanks again.

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. This procedure worked fine on the first trial. Thanks! (After reading and testing under Win and Linux.)

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  27. Hello evereyone
    I have new Dell Windows 10 recovery flash drive model eD3.16k.
    So, I have tried every tool posted here and in other 2 sections, did many others too from the web and after lots of googling and reading, nothing seems to be working for me.
    I guess it's the new batch Dell's sending out to it's customers so if anyone has any solution/s, please keep us updated.

    Thank you all for your posts and comments.

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    Replies
    1. I same trouble.
      I use MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A.rar. ( http://www.usbdev.ru/files/phison/mpall/)
      4 / 4 stick is OK !
      Sorry my english is verry bad.

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    2. Andre THANKS!!!!
      This was the only one that worked with my Dell usb sticks.

      For others.... You'll have to edit the settings file and change the paths to the FW files.
      Works like a charm (little sketchy downloading though from Russian sites)

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    3. Hey Shawn, can you explain how did you make it work for the eD3.16k model? I would appreciate it, thanks.

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    4. Download MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0a.rar. Open the program and go to setting. Choose Basic and New. Set the controller to what you see detected. Mine was PS2251-07. Choose the Host port (Is the USB connected to a USB 3.0 or 2.0 port) Click Do ISP and Erase Code Block. Choose the only available Burner File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\BN07V502TAW.BIN)and Firmware File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\FW07V50253TW.BIN). I used UPTool Ver 2.093 to get the VID and PID; which were 0930 and 1400. Choose Save. Close Settings and click Start

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    5. Thanks for the tutorial! worked on all of mine 9 sticks

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    6. This worked for mine too! Thank you!

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  28. Ok so I have tried both UPTool and also Formatter_SiliconPower. The formatter software does wipe the drives however it doesn't remove the write protection so the drive is useless. I am hoping that there is a fix for this issue as i have 5 with many more to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Download MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0a.rar. Open the program and go to setting. Choose Basic and New. Set the controller to what you see detected. Mine was PS2251-07. Choose the Host port (Is the USB connected to a USB 3.0 or 2.0 port) Click Do ISP and Erase Code Block. Choose the only available Burner File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\BN07V502TAW.BIN)and Firmware File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\FW07V50253TW.BIN). I used UPTool Ver 2.093 to get the VID and PID; which were 0930 and 1400. Choose Save. Close Settings and click Start

      Delete
  29. I have the new Windows 10 key as well, please update when you can.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Download MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0a.rar. Open the program and go to setting. Choose Basic and New. Set the controller to what you see detected. Mine was PS2251-07. Choose the Host port (Is the USB connected to a USB 3.0 or 2.0 port) Click Do ISP and Erase Code Block. Choose the only available Burner File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\BN07V502TAW.BIN)and Firmware File (MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\MPALL_F1_7F00_DL07_v503_0A\FW07V50253TW.BIN). I used UPTool Ver 2.093 to get the VID and PID; which were 0930 and 1400. Choose Save. Close Settings and click Start

      Delete
  30. I have the same issue... hoping someone figures out how to format these newer Dell blue-label Windows 10 USB 8GB keys. :)

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  31. i hate to play the noob but i cant even find the firmware can someone tell me how to find it. there is nothing obvious

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  32. Thank you. Worked like magic on a eD2.16k drive. Much easier than I anticipated.

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  33. After it's been write-enabled and formatted as FAT32, is there a way to save a few files on the flash drive, and then make it read-only again?

    We have enough of these drives that it would be convenient to provision and physically label a few of them with specific firmware versions we use to upgrade some hardware.

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  34. Just tried 9 of these drives, 4 wiped, but you're left with 2 disks 4gb and a 2gb. Anyway to combine the two?

    3 got erorr messages, and 2 where not detected

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  35. Why does my drive show up Red instead of Blue?

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    Replies
    1. Found out that this doesn't work so well on USB 3.0, couldn't get them to format at all. After moving to USB 2.0 though everything is fine.

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  36. Worked like a charm.
    Thank you guys, thanks Steve!

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  37. this worked great. Wish they would be usb 3.0 but 2.0 will do for now :-)

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  38. I have some Dell Win 10 drives w/ blue label (2-45-171207-06336) that MPALL doesn't even recognize. The number next to the gray box that indicates the USB port turns white suggesting it recognizes there is a drive there but that's it. Have tried all controller options and none seem to work. Also tried Formatter_SiliconPower and it says device not found.
    Any suggestions?

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  39. Round 3, Formatter_SiliconPower .exe worked finally, Thanks a lot.

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  40. Does anyone know the latest versions of the three tools mentioned in the 4 posts about this subject?

    UPTool <-- I know about and have version 2.093 released 2015/03/12
    MPALL <-- I know about and have version 5.03
    Formatter Silicon Power <-- I know about and have version 3.7.0.0

    Just trying to make sure we all have the latest and greatest.

    We should try to establish a centralized English-language site where the latest known versions of all the different USB tools are available and where they can be updated as new versions come out. Just an idea.

    The next thing would be to work on detailed documentation of all the settings so that you can setup the drives however works best for you.

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