Need help with 256M usb flash drive

[Easygoing]

A couple of months ago, I bought a 256 Mushkin flash drive. It has a write protect switch on it. Anyway, here is the problem, the drive is now write protected no matter what the switch setting is. I can not write to the drive anymore, it gives me an error saying the drive is write protected. I opened up the unit to see if I could short out the switch contacts to get it to work and that failed. I called the company and they said no problem, send it to them and they will send me a new one. The only problem is, I have some personal data on it, (no, not porn) like my ssn and account numbers as well as my quicken data. I have retrieved the data, but I can not erase what was on the drive. So my question is, does anyone know a way I can clear this thing so I can send it to them and not worry about my data? Thanks

 

[viking1966]

put it in the microwave oven for 2 seconds.. any longer than that and sparks will fly.. that will clear it out and pretty much make it useless..

 

[corkyg]

Call Mushkin and ask them what to do to unlock the media.

 

[PrincessGuard]

If your data is that sensitive, I'd just eat the cost of a new drive. They're, what, $60 now?

 

[nater]

if they were that interested in your data they could probably access it even if you did delete through recovery software.