How to mount a USB thumb drive as "Fixed" instead of "Removable"

Solution 1:

Here's how you can get Windows Search to index a "removable" drive in 7:

1. Create a new folder on one of your hard drives. (i.e.: "C:\Code")
2. Go into the Disk Management, right-click the removable drive and pick "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
3. Click [Add] and select "Mount in the following empty NTFS folder".
4. Choose the folder you made earlier ("C:\Code").
5. Now if you go to C:\Code it should actually be the USB drive.
6. Via Explorer, add a new Library and add the C:\Code folder to it.

The indexing should now index that for you.

If you want to index inside the files you'll have to go enable that (for that folder) in the Windows "Indexing Options".

You can probably use the Indexing Options to avoid making a Library.

Note: While you are playing with the Indexing Options, don't be surprised by long pauses if you already have a large Windows Search index.

Your mileage may vary once you start unplugging and plugging the drive. :)

Solution 2:

There is a program called Lexar BootIt that can flip the removable bit that makes it removable or not. It worked on my Corsair Voyager GT which had mistakenly been made "Fixed" which was annoying.

Solution 3:

This doesn't seem like a pretty option, but it could work: http://woshub.com/removable-usb-flash-drive-as-local-disk-in-windows-7/

It involves loading a filter driver that sits in-between the USB device and Windows and tells Windows that the USB device is actually a fixed disk. If this works, it should work for any USB storage, but only on the computer you do this on.

I haven't tested this, but I am curious to try it.