Identifying a USB Through Packaging & Codes

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Determining ownership of a USB drive can be challenging, but there are methods to help identify it. Checking the packaging for codes and comparing them with any stickers on the USB can provide clues. On Windows, the "mountvol" command may reveal a GUID for the drive, which can be useful for tracking its history, although this information may not be easily accessible. In Linux, identifying drives is more straightforward. Formatting a USB typically does not change its UUID, which can help in identification. Additionally, using data recovery software like PhotoRec can retrieve previously stored data, potentially revealing ownership information. Regular formatting is recommended for privacy protection, as recovered data can sometimes include sensitive personal information.
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is there any way to tell if a USB is mine, through properties and stuff. I have the packaging and all the cods are written on it. some LK # and stuff. please help
 
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Probably not.

Next time scratch your initials on it.
 
I have never heard this technology. Your idea is so novel,maybe you can invent it by yourself.:-p
 
If WIn 7 there will probably be a GUID on the disk you can view with the "mountvol" command. I don't remember on a Windows system how to get a history of the GUID of the drives you have connected in the past, but they are probably in the registry.

If Linux it's trivial but need to know if you're using it or not before I dig up the man pages. :-)

Microsoft documenation for "mountvol": http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../xp/all/proddocs/en-us/mountvol.mspx?mfr=true

Formatting won't change the UUID (at least not in Linux; Windows GUID is supposed to be the same as UUID but that's not a guarantee)
 
Is there any sticker on USB drive with numbers on it?. If there is numbers exist on the sticker you can compare those numbers with the numbers on the bill you received when you bought the USB drive.That way you can identify your drive.
 
You can use a program called PhotoRec and/or testdisc to retrieve all the previous data that had ever been stored on the USB stick to ensure it is yours, if your planning to just return it i can't help.

I have used this program a few times before, last time i used it on a 4gb flash drive, i retrieved 12gb worth of data it was a random one i had found in my house but it was empty, after getting all that data i found out who's it was, i returned it to them and they where a bit shocked that all that information was still on there from years and years ago.

If you want to protect your identity format often!

I tested this on a friends 2gb flash drive, found out their bank details, their work roster, their old address and new one, they where horrified. Very powerful tool i love it.
 
This week, I saw a documentary done by the French called Les sacrifiés de l'IA, which was presented by a Canadian show Enquête. If you understand French I recommend it. Very eye-opening. I found a similar documentary in English called The Human Cost of AI: Data workers in the Global South. There is also an interview with Milagros Miceli (appearing in both documentaries) on Youtube: I also found a powerpoint presentation by the economist Uma Rani (appearing in the French documentary), AI...

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