Retail Windows usb drives: Difference between revisions

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| Official Website =https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-home/dg7gmgf0krt0

| Logo =Windows1122h2.jpeg

}}Since the release of Windows 10 Microsoft has sold usb drives with an installer preloaded<ref>https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-begins-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-flash-drives/</ref> ~~but these drives~~ are deeply write protected ~~with~~ no official way to ~~reformat to reuse it~~ for anything other than the manufacturing year’s ~~windows~~ installer

}}Since the release of [[Windows]] 10, '''[[Microsoft]]''' has sold usb drives with an installer preloaded.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shilov |first=Anton |date=5 Sep 2015 |title=Microsoft begins to sell Windows 10 on USB flash drives |url=https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-begins-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-flash-drives/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=KitGuru}}</ref> They are deeply write protected, and have no official way to be formatted and reused for anything other than the manufacturing year’s Windows installer.

==~~Consumer impact summary~~==

==Controversy==

These ~~usb~~ drives are artificially unwritable preventing reuse ~~one would expect~~ from a ~~usb~~ flash drive. There is no indication on the Windows 11 ~~22h2 usb~~ drive box exterior that it is not rewritable.

These drives are artificially unwritable, preventing expected reuse from a USB flash drive. There is no indication on the '''Windows 11 22H2 USB drive box exterior''' that it is not rewritable.

Microsoft has undoubtedly sold millions of non rewritable ~~windows usb~~ drives creating needless ~~ewaste~~

Microsoft has undoubtedly sold millions of non-rewritable Windows USB drives, creating needless e-waste.

==~~Incidents~~==

Shortly after purchasing these drives, people turned to forums seeking help, unable to write to them no matter what they tried.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weisshar |first=Keith |date=8 Aug 2015 |title=Windows 10 Retail USB Drive |url=https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/14315-windows-10-retail-usb-drive.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=Windows Ten Forums}}</ref>

~~This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product~~. ~~Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}~~|~~{{PAGENAME~~}} ~~category]].~~

Shortly after the sale of these drives people went to forums seeking help on why their drive can’t be written to no matter what they tried <ref>https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/14315-windows-10-retail-usb-drive.html</ref>

==References==

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

[[Category:Microsoft]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | Official Website =https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-home/dg7gmgf0krt0
 | Logo =Windows1122h2.jpeg
-}}Since the release of Windows 10 Microsoft has sold usb drives with an installer preloaded<ref>https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-begins-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-flash-drives/</ref> but these drives are deeply write protected with no official way to reformat to reuse it for anything other than the manufacturing year’s windows installer
+}}Since the release of [[Windows]] 10, '''[[Microsoft]]''' has sold usb drives with an installer preloaded.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shilov |first=Anton |date=5 Sep 2015 |title=Microsoft begins to sell Windows 10 on USB flash drives |url=https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/anton-shilov/microsoft-begins-to-sell-windows-10-on-usb-flash-drives/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=KitGuru}}</ref> They are deeply write protected, and have no official way to be formatted and reused for anything other than the manufacturing year’s Windows installer.
-==Consumer impact summary==
+==Controversy==
-These usb drives are artificially unwritable preventing reuse one would expect from a usb flash drive. There is no indication on the Windows 11 22h2 usb drive box exterior that it is not rewritable.
+These drives are artificially unwritable, preventing expected reuse from a USB flash drive. There is no indication on the '''Windows 11 22H2 USB drive box exterior''' that it is not rewritable.
-Microsoft has undoubtedly sold millions of non rewritable windows usb drives creating needless ewaste
+Microsoft has undoubtedly sold millions of non-rewritable Windows USB drives, creating needless e-waste.
-==Incidents==
+Shortly after purchasing these drives, people turned to forums seeking help, unable to write to them no matter what they tried.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weisshar |first=Keith |date=8 Aug 2015 |title=Windows 10 Retail USB Drive |url=https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/14315-windows-10-retail-usb-drive.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 Mar 2025 |website=Windows Ten Forums}}</ref>
-This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
-Shortly after the sale of these drives people went to forums seeking help on why their drive can’t be written to no matter what they tried <ref>https://www.tenforums.com/installation-upgrade/14315-windows-10-retail-usb-drive.html</ref>
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
+[[Category:Microsoft]]