Saturday, March 14, 2009

USB Flash Drive Compatibility List

Many readers have had problems installing Ubuntu on their netbooks because of incompatible USB flash drives. The sticks listed below are guaranteed to work when making a LiveUSB image of Ubuntu. Many installation errors can be fixed simply by using a compatible USB drive.

This list will only work with your feedback, leave a comment with makes and models that you are positive work and I will add them to the list.

Compatible USB Flash Drives for Making LiveUSB Images
  • Adata C801 - 2GB
  • Apacer Handy Steno 2GB
  • Apacer Handy Steno 4GB
  • BASF 4GB
  • Crucial Gizmo! 2GB
  • Crucial Gizmo! 4GB
  • Buffalo RUF-C2G
  • EMTEC 8GB
  • Freecom USB Card 1GB
  • HAMA 2GB
  • HP V100W 4GB
  • Kingston DataTraveler 100
  • Kingston DataTraveler 100 2GB
  • Kingston DataTraveler Mini 4GB
  • Kingston DataTraveler 8GB
  • Kingston DataTraveler 16GB
  • LaCie iamaKey 8GB
  • Lexar FireFly JumpDrive 2GB
  • OCZ Rally 2 4GB
  • OCZ Rally 2 8GB
  • OCZ Diesel 8 GB
  • OCZ Diesel 16GB
  • Patriot X-Mini 8GB
  • PNY Attache 2GB
  • PNY Attache 4GB
  • Sandisk Cruzer Contour 8GB
  • Sandisk Cruzer Crossfire 1GB
  • Sandisk Cruzer Crossfire 4GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Mini 8GB (removed U3 software)
  • Sandisk Cruzer Micro 1GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Micro 2GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Micro 4GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Pattern 2GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 2GB
  • Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 4GB
  • SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 8GB
  • Sony Micro Vault Tiny 2GB
  • Sony Micro Vault 8GB
  • Super-Talent 4GB
  • Transcend JF V90 2GB
  • TrekStor USB-Stick RE 2GB
  • TrekStor USB-Stick ME 8GB
  • Verbatim Store 'n' Go 4GB

Have a question or problem that this article doesn't cover?
Ask our Ubuntu Mini 9 Google Group for help.

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

SanDisk cruzer micro 2GB worked for me. I used the '0' for boot options approach rather than changing the boot settings. Don't know if that makes a difference.

Anonymous said...

I used a Sandisk Cruzer Mini 2GB and 4GB to install Ubuntu 8.10 no problem. I previously tried 8.04 using the same usb keys and couldn't get it to work.

Anonymous said...

Both SanDisk cruzer Titanium 2 GB as well as Verbatim Store 'n' Go 4 GB are working fine (I tried 8.04, 8.10 and 9.04).

Yownanymous said...

Working for me is the Kingston DataTraveler 16GB.

Anonymous said...

SanDisk Cruzer Titanium 8GB is working fine.

Unknown said...

SanDisk cruzer micro 16GB works, too.

Anonymous said...

PNY Attache 2GB works fine

Anonymous said...

PNY Attache 4GB also works

Anonymous said...

OCZ Rally2 4GB is another one that I have that works fine

The Pita said...

sandisk cruzer titanium 4gb and kingston dt slim mini 4gb work for me

bowlax said...

I used a SanDisk Cruzer Mini 8GB for UNR 8.0.4. It's the U3 one (although that's all Windows-specific and got removed).

Anonymous said...

Apacer handy steno 4gb & 2gb both worked well for me

gid said...

Sandisk cruzer micro 1gb worked for me, but I had to use the ubuntu UMPC image to install since that one is under 1 gb. Get it here:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/intrepid/release/ubuntu-8.10-umpc-i386.img

It looks like the current jaunty images are also under 1gb.

Anonymous said...

Used OCZ Diesel 16gb without a problem

redDEAD said...

gid,

All the Ubuntu images are under 1GB they all are 700MB CD images.

6.06, 6.10. 7.04, 7.10, 8.04, 8.10 & 9.04 all 700MB.

John said...

My Sony Micro worked in the right USB port but not the ports on the left. Make sure you are testing it on all ports.

W.A.S.T.E. said...

2gb Sony Microvault Tiny works like a charm and is mini-size to boot! (har har har)

Anonymous said...

BASF 4GB works without any problems.

HAMA 2GB works without any problems.


I suppose that any available new stick should be working.

Anonymous said...

TrekStor USB-Stick ME 8GB works perfektly with Intrepid Ibex.

gid said...

Well the first two things I downloaded were over 1gb, first was the UNR image, which looks to be just over the 1gb mark, and the second was some intrepid image which I can't seem to find right now. Oh well, next time I'll just use the standard cd install. :)

nowise said...

I used a generic 8GB Microcenter branded flash drive and it worked fine.

Macros said...

Freecom USB Card 1GB worked here too

Anonymous said...

SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8GB worked fine.

Anonymous said...

I installed 8.10 using a Kingston DataTraveler 8GB without issue.

Anonymous said...

I used OCZ rally 2 8gb. It worked great and i installed ubuntu from there.

Anonymous said...

RecoNData 8Gb doesn't work :( in all the three ports

seltaeb7 said...

I used an 8Gb pqi thumb-drive and a USB card reader to install Intrepid to an 8Gb pqi SD card. The fact that both are pqi is just a mere coincidence.

Jazz1 said...

Lacie imakey 8GB works fine.

Unknown said...

I have used a generic MicroCenter 2GB drive.

Joseph H. said...

Patriot X-Mini 8GB; 9.04 i386 iso utilized Unetbootin (win32)

Katte said...

EMTEC 8GB with unetbootin for ubuntu 9.04 worked well

Anonymous said...

I used a 4GB hp v100w drive. worked flawlessly, wrote the jaunty UNR image in vista business 32bit. Booted with the 0 option on the mini.

Anonymous said...

Buffalo RUF-C2G works fine

Bif said...

Sandisk Cruzer Crossfire 4GB with unetbootin for ubuntu 9.04 worked well.

The same setup with 8.10 would not complete the install.

Pat K said...

Lexar 2G Firefly with unetbootin worked for me.

Lauren Frazier said...

I have the Kingston DataTraveler 4GB (only one not on the list...*headdesk*) If it works, I'll get back to you.

Orangeaurochs said...

I tried the Kingston DataTraveler 101 2GB (from PC World) which didn't work. I then tried a borrowed Lexar FireFly JumpDrive Firefly 2GB to install Jaunty Netbook Remix and it worked perfectly.

Ina Centaur said...

OCZ Diesel 8 GB works.

Wolfram Riedel said...

I have a TrekStor USB-Stick RE 2GB that has worked fine with booting several live distros from it on my Mini.

Falc said...

Sandisk Cruzer Crossfire 1GB works too.

rudy_mills said...

I used a SanDisk MicroMate USB SD card reader with a 2 GB Kingston SD Card, and it worked fine. (I was a little desperate)

Anonymous said...

Sandisk Cruzer Contour 8GB has worked fine with standard Ubuntu Live-usb for me. But have not tested Netbook Remix thou.

Anonymous said...

SanDisk Cruzer Pattern 2GB = OK

Anonymous said...

anybody tried an EMTEC stick smaller than 8 GB? I havent been able to get my 2GB & 4GB sticks to work.

Unknown said...

Looks like a list of flash drives that do not work would be more useful.

Worked fine with Kingston DT101 4GB.
Worked fine with Kingston DT101 8GB for a few days, but the boot sector was unreadable after that; cannot boot from it now.

redDEAD said...

- Looks like a list of flash drives that do not work would be more useful.

Then I encourage you to make one and I'll link to it.

Skip Da Shu said...

So where's the USBs that don't work... that would save as much time as the 'do work' list.

1) Corsair Voyager 4GB

Skip Da Shu said...

And one that does work...

Super-Talent 4GB

Anonymous said...

Sony micro vault 8 GB works
Sony micro vault pro 2 GB (old big hard drive version) does not, this site is good

Anonymous said...

anyone know if there are problems with the pny attache 8gb, going to purchase one

Unknown said...

Works with Adata c801 - 2g

Omar Bautista González said...

Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2 is working for me. I don't know why Orangeaurochs has problems with it.

Unknown said...

I just tried installing Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition on my Dell Mini 10 with an old PNY Attache and it did not work. It gave me a message saying "unable to enumerate USB device on port 3".

Anybody have any ideas on what is causing this? Is it the flash drive or the netbook? If anybody can link me to some advice on how to install linux onto my dell mini I would greatly appreciate it.

Jerry said...

Thank you for this information! Another website with information on how to install Ubuntu Netbook Remix neglected to mention any information such as this, and I actually gave up getting it installed on my Dell Mini 9. But because of this blog post I am now back in business.

brianleong3099 said...

Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2 can't boot from my Acer Aspire 4530 Laptop and My Acer Veriton DeskTop, dont know why? i has try format & install BT3 many many time, it still can't work. but it work very find for My Dell Inspiron 630m.
It this related to PC manufacturer?

schastar said...

iPod shuffle 1st generation didn't work either.

redDEAD said...

Schastar,

Did you really expect it work? Its an mp3 player not a thumb drive.