WiebeTech USB write blocker

[e.so...@utoronto.ca]

Hi,

I'm looking into purchasing a portable write blocker for my institution.

Does anyone have any positive or negative comments about the WiebeTech USB write blocker, as seen here?

http://www.cru-inc.com/products/wiebetech/usb_writeblocker/

Thanks in advance,

Emily

Emily Sommers

Digital Records Archivist

University of Toronto Archives

& Records Management Services

416.978.6486 | www.library.utoronto.ca/utarms

[Sarah Barsness]

I've tried the WiebeTech, and one major limitation I found is that one listed right in the product description, but one that I kind of glossed over when I was doing research: it will only work on external hard drives "if the device class is USB Mass Storage Device and it does not use proprietary firmware." So if you have a USB device that doesn't identify as a USB Mass Storage Device -- a zip drive, an SD card reader, a floppy disc drive, etc. -- it won't work with the WiebeTech.  I was even having trouble with a really old thumb drive because of how it identified itself.  It might not matter so much in your instance, but was a major drawback for us; we ended up returning it and going with a Tableau writeblocker.

Hope that helps,

Sarah

Sarah Barsness

-----

Digital Collections Services

Minnesota Historical Society

sarah.b...@mnhs.org