Well, I got hold of a technical guy at SanDisk. He was quite helpful and we’ve gotten the problem solved and everything works OK. Now let me share what I’ve learned. First of all I learned that the Cruzer Flash Drive I bought (which is the Micro mode) is meant for use with Windows XP and Windows 2000. I confirmed that by reading the specs on the back of the package. (As they say, when all else fails read the directions).

The Micro is partitioned so as to hold an operating system known as U3. It contains Skype software and several other things. My XP system has no problem with this. The Tyros does not like it. So what we did (with the phone help of the tech rep) was the following. I first had to go on-line to download the latest update to the SanDisk U3 software. (This, by the way, required me to download Active X, which I had not been running - by my choice because I believe I read somewhere about security vulnerabilities when running it). Anyway, having updated the U3 software, then we could use that routine to eliminate the U3 program – sort of a software suicide mission, seems to me. After rebooting my PC, sure enough the U3 icon was absent from the tray and that
extra drive icon no longer appeared in the “My Computer” window. That was the clue that things may have been cleared up.

I should mention that the tech rep wasn’t sure this exercise would take care of the problem before we started. When he heard that the second icon had disappeared, he began to believe we might be there. And sure enough, when I took it to the Tyros, it worked just fine.

I asked the rep if they made a USB flash drive that didn’t have the U3 software installed. He said they used to. It was known as the Mini (as opposed to the Micro). But SanDisk no longer makes it. He said one may still be able to find some at various outlets, but the company not longer makes them.

So if anyone wants to use a SanDisk right out of the box and have it work, try to locate the Mini model, or be prepared to go through the exercise I went through. Or just go to Staples and buy what Donny bought and be done with it.
Paul C.