Removing U3 (and associated bundled software) from the SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB flash drive
Ok, so this isn’t really a hack per se, but it’s useful information for anyone who’s just bought one of these little puppies.
I saw this nice little 1GB USB flash drive when I was in Wisconsin last week for 30 bucks (after instant rebate) at a Best Buy. I was there for something else, but my dad had just misplaced his USB drive just before an extended consulting trip to North Carolina, and I figured I’d call and ask if he wanted me to pick one up for him. (My question was really whether I should buy one or two – 30 bucks is a very nice price for a decent amount of storage, and I figured Christian and I could certainly use it.)
So 60 bucks later, I left Best Buy with two little USB drives. They’re nice and small, have a retractable USB connector, and don’t have a cap to lose (which may or may not be a good thing). I thought it was a good buy in any event. When I got to the car, though, I noticed the fine print about U3 technology and some crappy software bundled on the drive (Skype with a free month of voicemail, some password storage software, and an anti-virus package, I think). Eh, I thought to myself. I’ll just wipe it when I get home. As I’ve implied before, I don’t really like companies deciding what’s installed on my hardware for me.
Well, I finally unpacked the thing today, and for some reason or other decided to look up this U3 stuff before I plugged the thing in. I like to know what devices and software are going to do before I let them run amok on my system. Sure enough, Amazon’s reviews of the drive had lots of complaints about the U3 Launchpad application running everytime the drive was plugged in, lots of undesirable stuff going on in the background, errors if the drive was not removed using the U3 tool instead of the Windows “Safely Remove Hardware” application, etc.
Ewww… I thought. This could suck… Bunches of people griping about it can’t mean anything good.
Of course, I’ve overestimated people before.
But after finding out how to fix it and forwarding the link to my father (who I hadn’t talked to since he got to North Carolina and started using the thing), I found out even he had had trouble with it. He’s a darned smart cookie, and he was pretty irritated:
It is REALLY annoying. It even told me that I had removed it improperly without using the f@3$%$*** eject button, even though I had disabled it from windows. … [I] will fix it after I transfer my files, but it’s nice to know that I don’t have to throw the damned thing away!
So I figured posting the fix might not be a bad thing, and might speed up some frustrated person’s search on how to get rid of the unwanted software. Fortunately, poking around at the SanDisk site reveals that it’s pretty easy to get U3 and all of the associated crap off of your drive.
Here’s how it goes, if you’re running Windoze (I don’t know if U3 even runs for other OSs, so if you’re running MacOS X or a *nix distro, the fix may be as simple as just formatting the drive):
- If you’ve used the device before, make sure you’ve gotten everything off of the drive you need. You’ll be reformatting it. (The application may have an option that allows you to keep the data – I don’t remember – but better safe than sorry.)
- Plug in the drive – the U3 launchpad will load. You can close the U3 tour program and whatever main window pops up if you like, but leave the U3 launchpad icon in the system tray enabled (i.e. don’t exit the launchpad application entirely).
- Download SanDisk’s U3 Launchpad Removal Tool (opens in new window) – as the site says, make sure the USB device is plugged in and Launchpad is still running.
- Run the tool, and choose the option which completely removes U3 and formats the drive.
Voilà, you now have a regular old USB drive which you can break in any way you want.
(Edit: If the SanDisk tool above doesn’t work for you, you might try the uninstall tool from u3.com – thanks to Olaf for the information. I had no trouble with the SanDisk tool, but I can only speak for myself!)
I admit that I am not a fan of bundling unwanted applications with devices or other software. Hell, I get annoyed with programs that install links to URLs for internet providers on my desktop, let alone executables that hide on my disk doing God-knows-what. (Well, ok, I have a pretty good idea as to what, but that’s only because I take the time to find out and eradicate them.) This is just one more example of how companies think it’s really OK to do whatever they want with your machine once you’ve bought something from them – purchase this OS, and you tacitly agree to relinquish control of your data. Purchase this DSL package, and you agree to have MSN as your ISP, even if you don’t need the service. Purchase this hardware, and you agree to let data be tracked that you would otherwise keep private or to run certain applications on your machine that you have no desire or need for.
Now, I understand that part of the reason that drive was so cheap was probably because there was some monetary incentive to SanDisk to push U3 out to consumers. And it was easy enough to get rid of once I looked for a solution. But let’s face it – Joe Blow who uses his CD drive for a cup holder and thinks he breaks the Internet every time his connection lags is not going to know how to find a solution. My feeling is that unless the software is clearly advertised on the packaging along with an explicit mention of how to get rid of the software, companies have no business installing or running anything on your machine that is not directly related to the product you intended to buy.
I loooooove corporate America. Yes, yes I do.
Standard disclaimer: If anything breaks as a result of following any instructions anywhere on this site, the responsibility lies with you, not me. I’m a poor academic – suing me would be pointless anyway… 
(Added 1/10: Thanks to Jim C. for the updated Sandisk removal link.)
Thanks Krista and Olaf for the great information I had to use the solution suggested by Olaf as the uninstall that came on the drive kept complaining about 2 drives being Plugged in. Well Duh The stupid drive is partitioned into 2 drives to make the stupid U3 software work. I guess nobody at U3 or Sandisk ever think of testing this stuff before they ship it
Many Thanks to all
Thanks Dude.
I just got a 2gb cruzer for a gift with the U3 and I’m afraid to put it even near my pc with that software on it. I want to take it to work and do the uninstall but am afraid it’ll screw up that machine. What the best way to remove all the garbage? Does the “uninstall” process on the Sandisk site work? Thanks for any help as I’m not too savvy with these things.
Thanks a million. My 2GB titanium cruzer, purchased for its ReadyBoost capabilities has now been wiped of rubbish and now has space!!!
Dude, Your a legend!! It was doing my nut!!
thanks Man great nice little unit bad little software – slow and send the virus checker bonkers
Thanks for this solution mate. Very helpful. And I agree, it’s a bunch of BS the way these corporations think they can manipulate your data just b/c you bought their product. I wanted a USB drive…that’s it. Plain and simple.
Cheers!
- MWM
thanks for the tip, it was preventing me to use Nero, the startsmart just froze and refused to go anywhere else. And when I tried to use the flashdrive in a photo store to print some stuff, it bugged their application. So good riddance ! thx again !
I purchased a Cruzer Micro 4GB USB drive a few weeks back, and found it had this irritating U3 software pre-installed on it. For the first few weeks I simply ignored it, but then I accidentally found out how to stop it running on drive insertion. (Yay!) But that wasn’t really enough…
I whacked “Remove U3 software from SanDisk USB drive” into Google, and this site appeared at the top of the results page. I read your blog entry, and promptly downloaded the U3 removal tool…BUT, I then had a little play around on the Cruzer software, and found an Unistall option nested within the U3 software.
I don’t know if it’s something they’ve started doing recently, but my USB stick definitely had an Uninstaller on it. (However, in my excitement to be rid of this irritating software, I neglected to screenshot it!)
To find it:
- Open the U3 LaunchPad
- Click on Settings
- You should have a menu on the left hand side of the window
- The menu you want is near the bottom, I believe it was called Uninstall.
- Clicking Uninstall runs the same program that is available for download on the SanDisk website.
- It DOES have an option to restore the data that was on the drive after you format it. But I would still recommend you back it up manually before you start.
- Enjoy your U3 free USB drive!
I tried your solution on the Cruzer 1.0 micro that my son gave me. He had used it before with a MAC but when I tried to use it with my PC it continually locked up my computer. I checked all of my USB ports with a removable harddrive and they all worked. Every time I tried to insert the SanDisk the computer would lock up and nothing would happen. I tried to download and install a new U3 launcher but that would end up with a locked up (program not responding message). So I took the Cruzer to work and to Best Buy and it started right up at both places. WTF? My PC is a 6-7 year old HP with Windows XP and runs everything else I plug into it. So I thought, maybe my antivirus software was preventing it from working so I disabled that and tried again – no luck. I’m out of ideas and will probably will have to buy another thumbdrive. All I want it for is to load a few files for my FTA satellite receiver in my workshop and this is the best way to transfer the files. However, I cant see buying another thumbdrive if a new one wont work either – any ideas?
Thanks, pete
Pete:
Have you tried the U3 uninstallers listed on this page? (Not a new launcher, but uninstallation of U3 altogether)
If you’re only looking to transfer files, U3 isn’t really something you need, and it’s probably what’s causing your computer to lock up. You may need to find a PC which doesn’t lock up with U3 to run the uninstaller so that you just have a generic thumb drive.
Beyond that, I don’t know – since I took U3 off of my drive the second I got it, I’ve never had any problems under any OS (Windows XP or Linux), but I have no idea what special things may be going on in your situation.
Hope that helps,
Krista
Thank you for all of the great help got this for my sister and she hated how when she would plug it in it would open multiple windows.
Thanks for the info. Just tried it on a new 8GB Cruzer Micro and it works perfectly.
Thanks a bunch for helping me remove that U3 crap… so aggrevating that I have to pay to have them advertise to me! I am sure you saved me loads of time.
Ok i accidentally formated my micro cruzer 1GB while reinstalling windows. Now whenever i try to open the usb drive it says to insert disk. Anyone know a solution for this?
Glad your blog got Googled! The thing that bothered me the most was that phantom fake CD-Rom drive that U3 would create. I figured I’d just format through Windows and that would take care of it, as it has with other USB sticks. NOPE. WRONG. Your instructions were very easy!
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
Have I ever told you you’re my hero. You are the wind beneath my wings.
I would like to bear your children, but seeing as you’re pregnant already I’m not sure how that would work. Plus, I have no womb, I’d have to keep it in a shoe box. Then the baby would be all rectangular, not egg shaped like alien pod things that pop out and eventually turn into humans, and people would get confused. “What a cute little… cinderblock?” they’d say, “Is it a boy or a gir… do cinderblocks have sexes?”
Plus my wife would probably be pissed about me having someone else’s box baby when she has to do all the not fun parts of our own.
Woo Hoo,
Nice Job.
Rod Carroll
Just wanted to say thanks.
I had a U3 drive before, and had saved the uninstal program. I lost the computer with the uninstal on it. The only computers that I have now are linux machines. I had to use my work computer to uninstal the U3. Thanks for the link to both uninstal programs.
Thank You very much for doing the leg work.
Thanks!!
I had to use the app from U3 – the SanDisk app said I had no disk inserted. Go figure.
gS.
Thanks, nearly tried to return the stupid drive because of the U3. I had to use the universal program because the on the drive was too confused by the virtual disk that U3 creates. It thought I had more than on drive connected, I guess in a sense I did.
Wow, I couldn’t read everyone of these but I didn’t see one positive comment about U3 and Cruzer’s use of it. I LOVE THIS THING! It works perfectly everytime on all my computers(XP Pro’s), and it hides my client, personal and financial data from anyone who finds the thing if I mis-place it (easy to do). I don’t use any of the other “free” apps yet, but I like the whole concept. Granted the 232 posts above mean there is a problem with it in certain situations (they must have sold millions). I think people need to be more careful with their data and this is pretty effective. BTW, I do not work for an IT company of any sort…I am an engineer who designs machines that make stuff.
Hy from France,
Since i used http://www.u3.com/uninstall/final.aspx
i could take out the U3 from my Kingston 2Go key and its better now
cheers! thanks mate!
Gavin-
You’re a troll, baby!
Yeah, you saved my day. Many thanks.
Thanks a bunch for the uninstall info, U3 what a pain. The first link wouldn’t work, but instead of disabling this that and the other under device manager, the SECOND link at U3 worked just splendidly thank you! I can now click/drag stuff on to the drive with zero hassle, which of course is WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE SANDISK CRAP lol.
Thanks again.
Mark
Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you!
Thanks!!! That stupid software was bugging the heck out of me when I was not in Linux.
Thanks, couldn’t even use my flashdrive for what I bought it for…
Gavin, that U3 in some situations creates severe problems with other apps isn’t the big problem. The main annoyance, I think, is that SanDisk thinks its OK, just because you bought their HW, to bundle it with a piece of SW you did not choose yourself.
On top of that, they deliberately made it difficult to remove.
U3 might be a fine application, but I want to make my own choices. The only thing I remember clearly now is that I lost an hour of my life that I won’t get back and that SanDisk is responsible.
A friend used his Micro Cruser drive on my Mac OS X, an Untitled CD icon and LaunchU3.exe left on my desktop. I’m unable to remove the items.
How do I remove it?
I just picked up four 4Gig Cruzer Micro USB flash drives for work. We do not allow any unauthorized software, so I brought the drive home to work on removing the s/w.
It turns out that the drive comes packaged with the removal tool already. When you open the emulated CD-ROM drive, you will see a zip file on the folder. Open the ZIP file, and the LaunchPadRemoval file in there is the uninstaller. Simply double click the removal tool, and follow the prompts.
At least they were kind enough to package the removal tool on the drive. Too bad they don’t make it easier to remove though. A link in the U3 LaunchPad “Settings” menu, even if burried, would have been nice.
Thank you for the blog, it is sure to help many, many, many people.
BTW: If you run XP or Vista, you might already know that formatting the flash drive for NTFS will improve the drive’s performance, (and reliability in vista).
when U3 is installed, you cannot format the drive as anything except FAT32.
thanks dude. Big help. I hate that BS software bundling stuff. My workplace gave me this drive for free, but i hated using it because of that dumb U3 stuff. I’ll be letting the others know how to get rid of it too, i expect they’ll be pleased.
Brilliant! thank you very much
Thanks for the info. The SanDisk website is a joke: It asks why I want to erase U3; I tell it because I use Mac OS X; and it downloads a PC .exe file. BRILLIANT!
Thanks for this. I hated that freaking program.
^_^
God Bless Google!!!
Thank you for listing how to remove that annoying software! Boy was it driving me crazy mounting the U3 partition every frickin time I put it in my computer.
Thanks a lot for this quick info. I can’t believe SanDisk would force a program on you and not even include the removal software on the stick itself. A$$clowns.
Thanks again.
Ed note: As usual, if the comments are abusive, they get edited, generally cut down to whatever useful information they may contain.
Also, do note that this post was written in late 2006, when there was not in fact removal software built into the drive and the SanDisk + U3 was in fact one of the cheapest thumb drives available. Use your damned brain before you flame.
What follows is the only useful information from the post, IMHO, and MHO is the only one that counts on my own damned blog. Pick someplace else to be an asshole, dude…
And to Armand, Start > Run > CMD > type “Convert DriveLetter: /FS:NTFS /X” If you Upgrade to a newer version of U3 it doesnt format the drive back to Fat32 it just writes to the CD partition so it stays NTFS or in my case EXT2
After 250+ comments and nearly 2 years, I’m still getting the occasional dorkass that sees the need to flash his unimpressive tackle in the comments for this post; I only left the comments open because occasionally someone added something useful (it doesn’t matter to me anymore anyhow, and was never that important to me personally except as an irritant).
I think, though, that this may have outlived its usefulness. Trolls can head back on over to Slashdot
The comments are now closed.