Nexcopy’s USB HDD “Fixed Disk” appears to act like a local hard drive, which can help teams operate in environments where removable drives are restricted.

In high-security environments, USB drives can be good and bad. What I mean is, the flash drive is essential for information deployment, imaging, and data transfer, but we’ve also heard time and time again how USB flash media can be a potential security risk. Many organizations address this by implementing Removable Storage Restrictions through Group Policy or endpoint security tools.

The problem? Those same policies that protect against unauthorized USB usage can also block your legitimate workflow.

The Common Roadblock

Let’s say your IT guys did crack down on Group Policy USB control. If your USB drive shows up to the operating system as “Removable Media,” it can be locked out entirely. That means:

• Imaging tools like Acronis True Image or Symantec Ghost refuse to write to it.
• Windows To Go won’t install or boot from it.
• Multi-partition booting won’t work in legacy BIOS environments.
• Secure facilities simply won’t let you plug it in at all.

The Nexcopy Solution

The USB HDD Fixed Disk is different. It’s configured at the hardware controller level to report itself as a Local Disk (Fixed Disk), just like an internal hard drive.

Why does this matter? Because most removable drive restrictions don’t apply to fixed disks. Did we crack the code?

• IT policy still holds for unsafe removable drives.
• Your approved, Nexcopy-issued Fixed Disk USB will mount and operate without special permissions.
• You can continue your deployment or service work without IT needing to rewrite policy rules.

Where This Helps Most

What is “SurpriseRemovalOK” Or “Safe Removal” Setting

The SurpriseRemovalOK setting in Windows is a registry value that determines whether a USB mass storage device can be safely removed without using the “Safely Remove Hardware” option. When set to 1, the system treats the device as hot-swappable, disables write caching, and allows users to unplug it without first notifying the operating system. This setting is commonly used for USB flash drives and memory cards, where users often remove devices without ejecting them through the UI.

The registry key for this setting typically appears under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_xxxx&PID_xxxx\…\Device Parameters.

USB registry edits and how to clean up your Windows OS

Surprise removal, in technical terms, refers to the disconnection of a device without prior notification to the operating system. Unlike orderly removal, which involves preparing the system for safe detachment using tools like the Device Manager or “Safely Remove Hardware,” a surprise removal triggers specific system callbacks. For instance, in Windows, the framework calls EvtDeviceSurpriseRemoval before executing further cleanup and device destruction. This behavior is supported by architectures such as PCI Express and is common with hot-swappable interfaces like PCMCIA. However, surprise removals can also trigger event logs, such as Event ID 157, which indicate that a non-removable disk was disconnected unexpectedly. These events may stem from physical removal, hardware failure, software actions like VM snapshots, or driver-related issues.

“Safely Remove Hardware” First Debut Date

Microsoft first introduced the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature in Windows 2000, marking the first OS version to officially support hot-swappable USB mass storage devices. Prior to this, Windows 95 and 98 provided only limited and less reliable support for USB, often leading to data corruption or unreadable drives. Microsoft responded to growing user feedback from the late 1990s, especially as USB flash drives and external hard drives became more common. Bootable USB Devices . Users and OEMs reported frequent issues like corrupted file systems and lost data due to unsafe removal practices.

There’s buzz in the dev and IT circles about a new type of USB drive being tested by a Southern California tech group — and it’s not your average thumb drive. Unlike traditional models, this device identifies as a Local Disk instead of a removable drive. That subtle shift could have a big impact for system builders, software developers, and security-minded teams.

What’s different between a flash drive and hard drive?

Rather than acting like a typical USB memory device, this one behaves more like a hard drive — natively and consistently across all major operating systems. Early info suggests it’s not relying on software tricks or OS-specific tweaks. Instead, it’s using a controller-level hardware profile to mount as a Fixed Disk. That makes it ideal for workflows that require a genuine HDD classification, such as enterprise deployment tools, forensic environments, or OS imaging applications.

People familiar with the project say it’s especially useful for creating Windows To Go environments or installing software that demands a hard disk target. This isn’t a workaround — it’s a purpose-built piece of hardware made to behave like part of your machine, not a plug-in accessory.

Reported features include support for both USB 2.0 and 3.0 protocols, multiple enclosure styles, and compliance with major certification standards (CE, FCC, RoHS, UL). Early samples start at 2GB with scalable options beyond that — and are available in small production runs for evaluation.

For integrators, this could be a clean solution to a long-standing limitation with USB-based installations. No registry edits. No mounting scripts. Just plug, and go.

We’ve now posted the full details and official specs in our article: Nexcopy USB HDD Fixed Disk Could Bypass Removable Drive Restrictions.