The SanDisk Cruzer Mini is the fastest and easiest way to move your data. Cruzer Mini is Hi-speed USB 2.0 certified for fast data transfer (also compatible with USB 1.1).
Store all your data, pictures, music and more on this pocket-sized device and then easily transfer files between your laptop and desktop.
Advanced Features:- Small size and easy to use
- Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified for fast data transfer (compatible with USB 1.1)
- Store all your data, pictures, music and more
SanDisk's Cruzer Mini makes data transfer fast and simple. It's hi-speed USB 2.0-certified for data transfers at up to 480 Mbps (also compatible with USB 1.1, at a more modest 12 Mbps). Its 512 MB capacity lets you store important data, pictures, music, and other files on a device little bigger than a few sticks of gum, then readily transfer them to your laptop or desktop. Making an important presentation? Walk into the room with your laser pointer and a Cruzer Mini.
The Cruzer Mini offers higher storage capacity than floppy disks and other removable media, faster transfer rates, and better file security through CruzerLock. CruzerLock encrypts your individual files, keeping them safe and secure from prying eyes. Simply choose a personal password, select the file that you want to encrypt, and let CruzerLock do the rest. (CruzerLock is Windows-only; local administrator privileges required for Windows 2000 and XP.)
For most users, the Cruzer Mini is plug and play, with no drivers required. (A Windows 98SE driver is available online at sandisk.com.) Many USB flash drives obstruct the port adjacent to it, making it difficult or impossible to use two USB devices at once. The ultra-small, ultra-thin Cruzer Mini won't cramp your style--no matter how tight things may get.
Two additional color caps and a removable neckstrap let you personalize the Cruzer Mini to fit your style.
What's in the Box
Cruzer Mini, 2 extra color caps, a neckstrap, a user's manual, and warranty information.
1 Good drive but remember the green light
SanDisk has made a pretty good drive. We bought 25 of them for our IT dept and only had 2 failures: The first just stopped working but we suspect he unplugged it one too many times without allowing the computer to turn it off first so it got fried. The second, the small, plastic part that attaches it to the neck strap broke and the drive fell and..well..got crushed (don't ask). Otherwise it works great. Like a previous reviewer said, don't pull it out unless the GREEN LIGHT is off, don't pull on the strap too hard, and take care of it. One note though: it is like any other floppy disk prone to worms, viruses, etc. Always be wary when plugging it into someone elses system.
Nice thing though, the first one that got fried, SanDisk replaced it free of charge. That was very nice of them. No hassle, no questions tech support and RMA. That's important.
2 I dunno how reliable is reliable?
well, I am a computer geek, yet I am also clumsy, hence needed something *reliable*. I have been using sandisk 128Mb USB drive for more than a year now and it is the most reliable piece of storage I have EVER seen. I even forgot it in my pants in the washer and then DRYER. It still works like a charm (but a bit cleaner :)).
3 Highly convenient, portable, economical USB storage
The SanDisk Cruzer Mini USB Flash Drive is a highly convenient, portable, economical way to store and transport your files. It's a sleek, lightweight storage device that plugs into any computer's USB port, and works with Windows systems going back to Windows 98. I haven't tested it with MacOS, but SanDisk's website says it's supported on Mac OS 9.1 and OS X 10.1.2 and later. With Windows XP, it's plug 'n' play; on Windows 98 computers, you have to download and install a driver from Sandisk's web site (look for the SDCZ2- Cruzer Mini (128MB - 1GB) driver).
This device comes with some nice extras: three different colored covers for the USB interface; a cord so you can wear it around your neck; and stickers to label the drive. The Cruzer features an activity light that glows bright green when in use; it flashes when files are being accessed. The slim design allows you to reach USB ports that are surrounded with other ports already in use. The USB drive comes with SanDisk's CruzerLock encryption software, which you can use to password-protect your files. There are also trial versions of CruzerSync, for synchronizing Outlook data between your PC and the Cruzer, and CruzerPocketCache, a utility to backup data from your hard drive.
I've used the device on Windows 98 and XP systems for over a month with mostly good results. Here are a few observations:
-In Windows XP, always use the "Safely Remove Hardware" wizard (the little green arrow in the lower right corner of the Taskbar) to stop the Cruzer before removing it. Sometimes, Windows may tell you that you cannot stop the USB drive. In these instances, try closing any programs accessing the drive; if all else fails, log out from Windows and log back in to successfully stop the device.
-On Windows 98, there is no "Safely Remove Hardware" wizard. Before unplugging the Cruzer, make sure no files on it are open and that the activity light is not blinking.
-Occasionally, the Cruzer's drive letter does not display in a "File - Open" dialog box. Don't worry; just exit the dialog box and try again.
-The flip side of the Cruzer's portability is that unless you wear it on the strap, you might lose it. Also, there's no "write protect" tab like floppy disks used to have. Keep in mind this is portable storage, not permanent storage, so always back up your files! A good idea would be to periodically burn the Cruzer's contents to a CD-R. Even if you fill up this drive, you'll still have room to spare on a 700MB CD-R.
I do recommend the SanDisk Mini Cruzer, keeping the above caveats in mind. The Cruzer's combination of performance, portability, and features make it a great bargain at this price.
4 Great piece of Technology
I have 1-256 meg and 2-512 meg drives and they are great. Fast, portable and convenient. Moving files between laptop and desktop is a breeze.<br />
The downloadable program at SanDisk alows you to backup files on the mini and add to them only files that have changed. With all the viruses around this is very valuable<br />
I highly recommend it!
5 I read ALL of these reviews and THEN bought one anyway
I just got this in the mail a couple of days ago, so maybe I'm wrong here...but let me just say this anyway. I think it needs hearing.
This is the greatest device to come along in a while. Not the SanDisk Cruzer specifically, but thumbdrives in general. If you're a techie at all, you need to carry one or relinquish the title.
I was very queasy about all the 1-star reviews which mostly said "I just lost everything on the drive and it's broken and in the garbage can as I write this." Not those words exactly, but you get the idea.
I bought it anyway. I know there are computer users, and then there are computer lusers. Those 1-star reviews are, honestly, written by people who have no business using a computer. They are the kind of ignoramus that does not understand what C: means and still using AOL dialup at $20/month.
Listen up! I'm not saying you have to be smart to use this, but you can't treat the thing like it's a toaster! There's a big green light on the end of this drive. No! The end WITHOUT the plug on it. The light is very bright so I know you see it! You cannot remove the thing when that light is on! It will turn off after you do a "safely remove drive". Until then, it will probably remain lit. If you remove the thing when that light is on you deserve to lose your data.
Buy this thing. You will love it. Or even better, get the 1GB model. You can never have enough hard drive in your pocket.
UPDATE: It's been about a month now I believe and what I said turns out to be right so far. The negative reviews you're seeing here are pretty much user-error. We in the computer business call that an ID-10-T error. A little computer programmer humor for you there. Haha!
6 Favorite Christmas Present
I got my flash drive for Christmas (2004) and have been using it constantly for the last 3 weeks. I can't comment on SanDisk customer support as other reviewers have. I can say that I love this flash drive.
I see it not as a backup system but as a really big floppy (in terms of space).
I was spending a lot of time burning CD-Rs to copy files I was working on. The flash drive has been quite convenient, and copying my files is much faster than burning a CD (and less wasteful when copying files that are works in progress).
I have used it with Windows 2000 Pro and XP Home (back and forth). So far no problems.
(I am taking the other reviews to heart and keeping backups of my files.)
7 USE WITH CAUTION
I have a 512MB mini cruzer that was loaded with files. This technology sure is convenient until it decides to stop working. Be carefull. I have a classroom of 15 students and two of them have had these products fail. The reason I am leaving this review is that I just had mine fail. You will get an IO error and the drive can not be accessed. Sandisk support recommemdation? ........reformat the drive. Be sure to have back-ups of all your files because in my experience, these are not reliable products.
8 Quit working after one day
This product stopped working the day after I bought it. Sandisk customer service is poor. Sandisk return details are inconsistent with the Fedex email. Sandisk claims the product must be in Fedex hands by midnight the day the label prints, and the Fedex e-mail claims one has 5 days. Additionally, Sandisk does not provide details as to whether the label is Express or Ground. Fedex needs this information to determine a drop-off location. One cannot determine this without printing the label.
Trying to return this defective Sandisk product is a nightmare due to the poor details Sandisk provides about the process.
9 The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread !
I own several of these Cruzer mini's (2 of the 256 and 1 of the 512 size). They work great and are really fast (even with my "old" 1.1 USB ports). My Win XP computers (one at home, one at work) immediately recognized & installed the Cruzer Mini as soon as I plugged it in the first time.
I use them to back-up my important info on my computers. I also use one to transfer data from my work computer to my home computer every week.
Each is the size of a pack of gum and weighs only 1/4 ounce. I just carry one in my pocket.
No problem with the caps staying on.
Just be sure to always click the "remove hardware" icon in the service tray in the bottom right-hand corner of your computer screen before you unplug the Mini. This will keep it from being corrupted.
10 Had it for 1 day so far...no problems whatsoever.
I had no trouble installing the device. Just plug into usb port and the computer recognized it. I transferred some files to and from various computers and laptops, so far so good. I give it 3* only because i only used it for 1 day. If and when it breaks down...I will report.
11 i love this little thing
this is a very cool little flash drive. it seems very fast and so far has been perfect. i marked it four stars only because it does not have a write-protect switch.
12 No problems
I don't know what is up with the other reviewers sandisks but I've had no problems with it. It works well with Apple computers and and my Windows XP destop computer. As soon as I put it in the USB port it is recognised and compatible. Looks like only those who had had bad experiances with Sandisk wrote here. Either they have a weak USB port(it happens) or they got a screwed up sandisk cruiser(often happens if you dont properly 'eject' it from your computer, you just cant pull it out of the USB port when you are done).
13 So far, so good.
Lately, I've been bringing my notebook computer to a local bookstore/cafe to do some writing. It's a cozy place but pretty noisy. The selection of music over the speakers wasn't the greatest either. I decided that I would make my own mix of MP3 music files and bring them along so I could listen to them through my headphones. Since I'm working on my notebook computer, I didn't want to run the files off of my hard drive, which would run down my battery. My solution was to load all the MP3 files on a Flash Drive - no moving parts, a much smaller drain on battery power. I purchased the SD 512 Flash drive. The following is my experience with this device:
The unit itself is a pretty small device. (See product details above for size, etc) and has a total capacity of 512mb. The actual usable memory is closer to 487mb or so. This is due to the software/operating/security program that is preloaded onto the drive. I run Windows XP on my notebook, and the SanDisk booted up immediately without any problems. You can "lock out" anyone from viewing your files by running the security program. Be careful not to quick click through the prompts as you may miss entering the password. You can also download the latest encrption software for free. According to Sandisk, the new lock/encrption program is fourteen times more secure and is a much better program.
Performance was smooth as silk. There were no drivers to install and the plug and play feature worked the very first time. I "mix" my MP3's on my desktop computer which runs Windows ME and transfer them on the Sandisk to my notebook which runs Windows XP. There were no problems in switching back and forth between systems. I've heard that you need to download drivers if you run Windows 98. I do not know how well this drive works under '98' but it seems to work great with ME or XP. I loaded and ran my MP3 files from the Sandisk and was able to play back my music files without a hitch. Since this is a flash drive, you can load practically any type of file you want on it, be it photo files, documents etc. I decided this particular drive would be used just for music files. There is a green light at the end of the drive which flashes rapidly whenever the drive is being used. Which brings me to the next point...
If you have not used one of these devices before, it is extrememly important to *disconnect the device properly* before you physically remove it. You must first click on the "remove device" icon. The operating system will disconnect and will then tell you that removal is safe. If you just *unplug the device* without proper shut down procedures, sooner or later, you will most likely either fry your unit or corrupt the data. This is not a defect with the unit, you must remove all flash devices in this manner. Those of you who are familiar with the Sony Playstation know that if you pull out the memory card before it is finished saving, you will end up with corrupt data or a damaged card. The same holds true for flash disk devices.
There have been reliability issues associated with this unit, but I am either a very lucky guy or the reports of failure are due to user error, i.e. unpluging the unit before shutting down properly. Perhaps their was a bad batch of them. I don't know. What I do know is that the unit has performed great, (so far), and I am very pleased with the performance and price. There are promotional discounts given my some vendors, so if you can snag one with a rebate, you'll be paying only a few dollars more for this 512mb over a 256mb.
As far as the music that's loaded onto my Sandisk Cruzer, I've got a good selection of trance, new age, classical and eurodance.
Just in case you wanted to know. <grin>
14 Could not get it to work with usb 2.0
My computer has usb 1 and 2. It would not work with the usb 2.0. I only got a nasty yellow exclamation point on the screen. I restarted the computer with the device plugged in the usb 2.0 port, and got only a black screen -- computer would not even start. It seemed to work fine in the usb 1.0 port. Frankly I would have been happy with that, but since it is advertised as usb 2.0 compliant -- then it should be so. I took it back.
15 Not Reliable
Just picked up this little beauty and couldn't wait to start filling it up. Unfortunatly when I plugged it into my Windows XP machine it asked for drivers! No software came with this, it claims that you don't need any drivers for XP. The website doesn't even have drivers for XP! How can I install something that doesn't exist? I could have just gotten a bad drive, but I'm not going to risk it with my data. Needless to say I'm returning this little beauty tomorrow. I need a product that does what it says it can do. And I will think twice before I consider buying from sandisk again.
16 Won't work Anymore
I have had the Disk 512 MB Cruzer Mini USB Flash Drive for about 3 months and it worked out well then all of the sudden it stopped working. The computer will not acknowledge it is even connected. They also have poor tech support, stay away from this product.
17 poor tech support
This product worked great for about two months. I took great care of it.
Then, it quit working. I wrote to tech-support and exchanged details. Then, I sent it to them. Two months later, they sent it back to me, without having done any work on it. And they told me that I did not have an RMA #.
I am in the Army Reserve in Iraq, taking fire daily for the US. I don't need this kind of hassle. I made this clear to them in all my correspondance. But it got me nowhere.
I think I provided more than enough info in the letters that I sent them and the e-mails. AAAARRGH!!!!
18 Very Convenient, But...
I've had some problems with data becoming corrupted in my 128MB version. Whether this is due to the components found within the flash drive or whether it's being exposed to a strong magnetic field or radiation from sun storms that're doing it is beyond me. But a device like this needs to be ultra reliable to be effective. Mine hasn't given me any problems lately.
19 Can't live without it!
I use this Cruzer constantly. It truly makes my files mobile and gives super flexibility. No signs whatsoever of daat corruption.
20 Cruzer Mini Series a Failure
Total corruption in under 20 uses. Tech support wants you to buy their recovery software for $40 which "may or may not" work. I've found bad reviews for this item all over the web, and SanDisk does not address the issues.
There are people that have had a good run with these, but there is a very large unrecoverable failure rate. If you care about your data, do yourself a favor and check out another company for this type of hardware. I've had better luck with Iomega Zip drives, and that's REALLY SAYING SOMETHING.
