Remove U3 Launchpad For Good
Everyone loves to show off their latest “bargain acquisitions”. I for one have been happily toting around my 2GB SanDisk Cruzer Titanium which I picked up at CostCo for just $40 (SRP is $64.99).
But cheer turned to jeer the first time I used it.
Being the responsible computer user that I am, I was sure I had ejected the drive safely before I pulled it out of its slot…but for a strange reason I still got the usual “what you did was unsafe” warning.
Later on I realized that when the drive is plugged in, a “special” U3 CD is also mounted. That CD, called the U3 Launchpad, is supposed to give the drive special functionality. Too much of a hassle for me. I didn’t even care what functionality it would bring, I just needed to use my flash drive.
So off to find a solution I went. First thing that came to mind was to browse through the disk’s hidden files and delete all the relevant data, but it did not work. “Ok, for sure a reformat should work”, but it did not work either. Finally after a google search (why didn’t I think of that earlier), I came across this page from a user with a similar predicament, turns out there are a lot of unhappy users out there. Oh and this page tells me that the U3 LaunchPad is also a feature in other flash drives by Kingston, Intuix and Verbatim among others.
The solution is simple…both SanDisk and U3 offer uninstallers on their site. Tried it out myself and its finally wiped out that pesky program from my drive. The installer comes in only one variant, an .exe file, so you’ll need a Windows machine to run it. Just make sure to backup all your files before you run the program as it will wipe out all the data on the flash drive/usb drive.
Ready? Download the uninstaller from any of the links below:
Just in case I give the wrong impression, I just would like to stress that I have nothing against SanDisk, in fact I’m loving my Cruzer. Its built well, I like to brushed metal finish of the device, and the retractable USB port (no more lost covers). Once you get rid of the U3 technology, you’re good to go. If you can get a similar deal, I’d say BUY IT!
June 21st, 2007 at 10:33 pm
You can uninstall the LaunchPad without downloading the uninstaller simply by clicking the U3 icon down left in the status bar and choosing from the menu Settings->U3 Launchpad Settings->Uninstall
August 21st, 2008 at 4:21 am
I tried to remove through add/remove in windows, no help. Tried to format in Win, would only allow me access to larger section, not the hidden partition. After I threw the thing on the floor, and kicked it around he kitchen, I tried to format with Gparted in linux. Same result. Nothing like have software on your puter that you can not see or delete. Lots of confidence. I talked to Sandisk cust service, what a waste of time. He kept telling me that it was gone because it didnt show up in Linux file manager. I told him unless he could prove that the U3 software, virus, spyware, malware, whatever is gone, that I was taking it back to the store. I told him that I had already run the uninstaller, but the size reported did not change. Does the uninstaller really delete the software or just render it more invisible. My question is, is it too late? Has this little piece of crap already sent my personal info all over the internet? As soon as I plugged it in, it tried to access the internet. To do updates is what cust service guy said. Keep reading off the screen of lies dude, I believe anything. Mine is on its way back to the store. I only payed 20 for 4 GB. Althought it only reports 3.76. Like they say, if an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.