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| Official Website =https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-home/dg7gmgf0krt0  
| Official Website =https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-home/dg7gmgf0krt0  
| Logo =Windows1122h2.jpeg  
| 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==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]

Revision as of 17:41, 27 March 2025

Retail Windows usb drives
Basic Information
Release Year 2015
Product Type Hardware and software
In Production Yes
Official Website https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/windows-11-home/dg7gmgf0krt0

Since the release of Windows 10, Microsoft has sold usb drives with an installer preloaded.[1] 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.

Controversy

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 e-waste.

Shortly after purchasing these drives, people turned to forums seeking help, unable to write to them no matter what they tried.[2]

References

  1. Shilov, Anton (5 Sep 2015). "Microsoft begins to sell Windows 10 on USB flash drives". KitGuru. Retrieved 27 Mar 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Weisshar, Keith (8 Aug 2015). "Windows 10 Retail USB Drive". Windows Ten Forums. Retrieved 27 Mar 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)