It seems that Windows to go is the way forward with this then, other solutions seem to be very complicated to put into practice.
If anyone wishes to continue the challenge then i look forward to a simple solution but I'm going to consider the Windows to go as the best option.
Thank you all for the suggestions and help.
Regards,
Jamie
It's not really Windows to go as the answer, but the flash drives that are certified.
If you read their data sheets, you should find that they are manufactured as fixed disks. That's the key, not Win To Go.
I only posted that because it was an easy reference to some drives, there might be others that are manufactured as fixed disks, but are not MS certified Win To go.
I've wanted to partition flash drives for a long time too - but getting new drives is easier than mucking around with my existing drives.
I really enjoyed this thread Jamie. It was a good topic, one that I was interested in and had some nagging desire to resolve in my own head once and or all.
Thanks,
Bill
.
And so here I go with the post that went in as #23 in this thread but which I deleted and threw a question instead after seeing that whs was successful in partitioning and accessing a pen drive. As I guessed rightly, he used a Sandisk pen drive that was configured as a fixed disk to carry the Win8 logo.
Now that deleted post - that was kept in reserve - reinstated here.
"No matter what one does, Windows will never ever see a second partition in the pen drive.( unless certain changes are made in the registry. In such a case only Windows in that PC will see the second partition and in no other PC)
If one has to see all partitions and in all Windows PCs, one should make the pen drive look like an HDD to Windows.
And that can be done only by flipping the removable bit in the pen drive.
And the only utility that was doing it is the Lexar Bootit. I think Lexar no longer supports it and it is no longer available in their website. One can still download it from other sites.
Lexar USB Formatting Tool Download 2013 | Computrogeek
It is said that at present it may not work on all brands of pen drives - including some Lexar, and that it may kill some pen drives.
So one has to use it at his own risk. ( Though I have this on my PC for so many years, I could never muster courage to try it.)
I suppose one has to click on the Flip Removable Bit, check Do not load system files and Non-Active - unless one wants it to be a bootable pen drive - and then Format. If the process goes through successfully the pen drive will appear as an HDD on any PC and can be partitioned and formatted as one likes. But it is a big IF."
Slartybart anyway has now provided the answer. Look for Win8 certified pen drives. Those are factory configured as Fixed Disks. (It is to meet Windows 8 certification Sandisk was the first to come out with pen drives configured as Fixed Disks but later retracted)
Last edited by jumanji; 30 Jul 2014 at 08:58. Reason: Post #23 and not 21. Corrected.
Just for fun, i may try the lexar tool and see what happens... i have many pen drives so if i loose one i will cope
I will have a go later today if i get chance and report back.
Regards,
Jamie
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