How can I control the physical (not volume) identity of a drive ?

[Alan_B]

I can select the properties of a Boot-able Flash Drive and modify its partition Volume Identity.

The Properties Hardware TAB lists all physical drives and shows their names such as

USB DISK 2.0 USB Device

I can click properties and a new pop-up with 5 Tabs now shows the properties of this device.

The details "Friendly Name" is shown as "USB DISK 2.0 USB Device"

and if I right click I can choose to "Copy" or "Select All"

I see no option to modify.

Is there a software solution for a simple name change ?

I wish to modify the identity of a Boot-able Flash Drive as seen by the Boot Selection Screen in the BIOS,

so that I can choose whether to boot into LINUX or WinPE

I need a Linux tool for Secure Erase of the SSD and then a WinPE tool for restoring a Macrium image,

and it does not work the other way round

[Nergal]

Do you mean this http://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16198

or is that what you don't mean

[Alan_B]

I think the tools you have found only change serial numbers.

I wish to change "Free Text".

I attach the Windows Explorer view of two Removable Boot Flash drives.

On the left is a Boot Tool from OCZ that runs under LINUX to operate on their SSD,

and below that are its Hardware and Volume properties which show that

"SMI USB DISK USB" is the hardware Drive that holds the partition Volume "OCZ-LINUX"

On the right is a Boot Rescue Tool from Macrium Reflect version 4694 that runs under WinPE

and "USB DISK 2.0 USB" is the hardware Drive that holds the partition Volume "MAC-4694-P"

N.B. I always wrote the version number on Macrium Rescue non-re-writable CD's to identify which was the latest.

I similarly specified the version number on the first Macrium Rescue Flash Drive but have never got around to updating the volume label.

I chose meaningful names for the partition volume names,

and that is how I recognise them.

I know my Flash Drives by the names on the partitions.

My problem is that when I plug both flash drives in and rattle the F8 function key during the BIOS power up,

I then have to Select the Boot Device required,

and I then ignore the CDROM and 3 off SATA devices and choose which of the two removable devices I need first :-

USB:SMI USB DISK

USB: USB DISK 2.0

I know that I first want the "OCZ-LINUX" tool for secure erase and then the "MAC-4694-P" tool for restoring the image backup.

but unfortunately those familiar and friendly names are NOT what the Boot Selection Screen offers me to choose from.

I have found that the "Details" tab under "Device Properties" has a very large quantities of Properties I can select,

and the property "Friendly Name" is "SMI USB DISK USB Device" for one and for the other "USB DISK 2.0 USB Device".

I can select this so called friendly name but I need to modify it to a name that is friendly to my purpose.

Right now I have fought a hard battle with Windows and now know which hardware name will achieve which purpose,

BUT the next time I wish to use both tools again I will have forgotten, hence I wish to change what Windows calls the "Friendly Name"

It is (I know not how) possible to hack a Flash drive and sell it as having much larger capacity.

I would like a legal tool that would allow me to change the "Friendly Name".