Deleting data from a USB memory stick

[Mark Hennessy]

Chaps,

The clue here is that it's his "Documents" folder. Windows has made some sort of symbolic link or mirroring relationship with his actual "Documents" folder on the hard drive. This was probably done by pre-installed "crapware" on the memory sticks.

Try googling for the make and model of the memory stick to see if they are known for issues like this.

You can reformat the card in a number of ways - rebooting your computer into "safe mode" might allow it. Alternatively, downloading an ISO to make a live Linux boot disc would give you access to a disk formatter.

Whether a total reformat will cure the problem remains to be seen, because it depends exactly how the link was established. It's probably an executable file that is run by a hidden autorun.inf file when inserted, but anything is possible.

I'd wager that the cards are not faulty at a physical level. They just have "value added" hidden stuff on, which is trying to be useful - though, as is usually the case with this sort of thing, it's failing miserably.

Good luck,

Mark