Customer Reviews

Memorex 1 GB USB 2.0 Mini Travel Drive ( 32509360)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I am posting this to affirm that Amazon is shipping the non-U3 version of this drive (as I just learned when it arrived). The product number shown above is the number of the product shipped, and a look at Memorex's website will indicate that this number is not the U3 drive. I called Amazon about this and spoke with Customer Support, who told me that all they know is what is shown on this page, so I could return the product if it is not as described.

I am writing just to alert others: the product Amazon ships is not the product described in the editorial comments above -- which might explain why their price is good. It's probably a fine USB drive and probably a good price, but it isn't what you think you're getting.

Memorex makes this very nice drive. 1GB, tiny, nice design and everything... But the U3 software is dangerous! (another reviewer said it doesn't work on AMD, but I'm on Intel and have software problems, not hardware) You cannot just use the drive as if it were a blank disc. You are forced to have this software and drives be installed and launched on your computer. It seemed to work okay the 1st time I used it, but then I started having driver conflicts and computer crashes (this was THE FIRST TIME my Windows XP has ever crashed!) I lost presets and data on other software programs. You go to U3.COM and there is no customer support, it tells you to go to Memorex. You go to Memorex and there's no support. If you go to U3community.com, which is supposed to be a forum for avid users of U3, it's all a ton of people trying to figure out how to get the U3 off their drive! Somewhere out there, there's a U3_Uninstaller program that is like the Holy Grail of software because it can wipe your traveldrive clean of the software. Get the picture? If I could find a (safe) copy of that program, I'd wipe this drive clean and keep it, but now I'm forced to return it and I hope Memorex makes drives like this without the U3, cause it would be a nice product. (incidentally GeekSquad, Sandisk, Verbatim, and all sorts of other drives come with this software)... It's possible that I just have a rare combination of programs/drivers that explode when U3 is used, but from everything I've seen, I'm skeptical of U3. I just want a blank drive to put files on.

After my experience with a Memorex TravelDrive, I am never going to buy a Memorex product again. I do not trust the company. The U3 technology on the TravelDrive apparently overwrote or modified some system files on my computer and a card reader stopped functioning. After spending several hours trying to deal with it, I ended up hiring a professional to get things working again (and paid four times the cost of the TravelDrive). The TravelDrive also apparently put some programs on my computer in a hidden way that reinstalls the U3 junk on the TravelDrive if I remove it. I got the TravelDrive planning to use it to transfer files between computers but I would never expose another computer to this. This should have a rating of minus 5.

For U3 device: The drivers for this device are not certified by Microsoft and may well cause your system to crash. After a very considerable effort to remove the device drivers from my system, XP stopped crashing. Actual use of U3 platform is very limited and those very few programs that are available are not only very limited in scope, but also very expensive. Buy a normal USB drive and forget U3 -- it sucks.

For normal nonU3 device: The 1 Gb. Mini Travel Drive without U3 also sucks. The ONLY thing it has going for it is that it is not U3. However, it is priced too high. Also, the Secure TD security software that is supposed to come with it really doesn't come with it. Both the product manual and product description on Amazon lie when they say it does. The product manual give instructions on how to download the software from Memorex's website, but you'll discover that Memoriex no longer has the software available because they have totally discontinued all support for the drive.

Your best bet is to avoid Memorex like the plague.

Okay, a lot of you are going to try out the U3 functionality of this drive, and I don't blame you. For the same price as a regular 1GB drive, you get all this extra, cool stuff to try out. I'll admit, that's why I got this drive. Unfortunately, I found only one computer that the U3 software worked correctly on. Most of the time it was a problem ejecting the drive when you're done. It wouldn't eject properly, so I just removed it anyways and it made WinXP unstable afterwards, sometimes crashing. I also don't really use the programs that are available for U3 drives anyways, so it seemed like a no brainer to remove this software.

And in the end, that's what I recommend. Get this drive with the U3 software on it, and see if it works for you. If it doesn't, do a little looking around on the U3 site and download the uninstall file remove it all from your drive, basically turning it into a normal flash drive. That way you can at least say you tried to make it work, and I can see how some people would really enjoy the possibilities of what this drive can offer. For me, however, the cons outweighed the pros and I uninstalled the U3 software, turning it into any other 1GB flash drive that you can get for the same price. No harm, no foul.

Memorex part #32509360 is NOT a U3 drive, but rather the standard non-U3 Mini Traveldrive. The 1GB Memorex Mini Traveldrive with U3 capabilities is part #32509363. Both have the same suggested retail price of $99.99, so I suppose this is still a good buy, but you won't be getting a U3 drive.

I bought a second Traveldrive because the first one purchased worked just fine. The second drive does not work on my system (Windows Millenium). Calling the service line I found out that there are two versions and the second is not compatible with the first. After trying all the recommended solutions, the tech support suggested I request a warranty replacement/trade for the original version or simply get my money back. Requests for a resolution of the matter have fallen on deaf ears. I would not waste any more money on products from this company.

I think this is a great USB for the price. I'll admit, I HATE U3 and how it starts everytime you plug in the drive. HOWEVER, if you go to the u3 site [...] it provides an uninstall program to get rid of the U3 software via a firmware flash and lets it work like a normal flash drive. While U3 is a clever idea, it really isn't practical for what I use. I should note however, ONCE YOU REMOVE THE U3, THERE IS NO WAY TO PUT IT BACK ON!! I am happy with it in terms of cost per megabyte, without the U3.

This drive is described as a U3, but it is not. Amazon is misleading us with their listing.

When I received the product I opened it up and plugged it in and it worked nicely. I quickly realized it was U3 as was advertised by Amazon. However, it seemed to work very well and is very compact but it is just like any other USB thumb drive.